# Wet Tail in Hamsters — UK Vet Advice — Quick answer

PETHEALTH+ (https://pethealth.org.uk/health/hamster-wet-tail-uk): Wet Tail in Hamsters — UK Vet Advice — Quick answer. Wet tail — severe diarrhoea usually caused by the bacterium Lawsonia intracellularis (proliferative ileitis) — is a genuine hamster emergency. See a vet immediately, the same day symptoms appear: untreated wet tail can kill within 24–48 hours, and young hamsters are most at risk.

PETHEALTH+ (https://pethealth.org.uk/health/hamster-wet-tail-uk): Wet Tail in Hamsters — UK Vet Advice — What is wet tail?. According to UK-Vet Companion Animal, "wet tail" is the colloquial name for proliferative ileitis, a serious intestinal infection caused by the bacterium Lawsonia intracellularis, spread through contaminated droppings (the faeco-oral route). A UK VetCompass study of nearly 4,000 pet hamsters under primary veterinary care found wet tail was the most commonly diagnosed disorder — and the most common recorded cause of death. It is not a minor tummy upset.

PETHEALTH+ (https://pethealth.org.uk/health/hamster-wet-tail-uk): Wet Tail in Hamsters — UK Vet Advice — Symptoms. | Symptom | What you see | |---------|--------------| | Diarrhoea | Watery, sometimes bloody droppings | | Wet, soiled rear | Matted fur around tail and belly, foul smell | | Lethargy | Sleeping far more than usual, limp when handled | | Appetite loss | Refusing food and water | | Posture | Hunched body, folded ears, dull or hazy eyes | | Dehydration | Sunken eyes, skin that stays tented when pinched gently | | Behaviour change | Unusual irritability or aggression when touched | | Rectal prolapse | Tissue protruding from the rear — an immediate emergency |

PETHEALTH+ (https://pethealth.org.uk/health/hamster-wet-tail-uk): Wet Tail in Hamsters — UK Vet Advice — Why it is an emergency. According to UK-Vet Companion Animal, acute cases can deteriorate and die within 24–48 hours, and mortality in young hamsters may approach 90%. Hamsters are tiny and dehydrate extremely fast, so there is no safe "wait and see" period. See a vet immediately — the same day. Phone ahead so the practice knows a small furry with diarrhoea is coming.

PETHEALTH+ (https://pethealth.org.uk/health/hamster-wet-tail-uk): Wet Tail in Hamsters — UK Vet Advice — What to do right now. - Phone your vet immediately — describe the wet rear and diarrhoea - Isolate the sick hamster from any others straight away - Keep them warm — a quiet, warm room, with bedding to burrow into - Fresh water available at all times — dehydration is the killer - Do not give human medicines, anti-diarrhoeals or home remedies - Wash your hands after every handling and disinfect the cage, bowl and bottle Note when symptoms started and what your hamster has eaten — this helps your vet.

Source: https://pethealth.org.uk/health/hamster-wet-tail-uk