Management - Syrian Hamster Flashcards
What diet are hamsters traditionally maintained on? How much do they eat daily?
Commercial rodent feed, intended for mice and rats. Consume between 5.5 and 8.9 grams daily.
What dietary component do Syrian hamsters require in elevated amounts?
Zinc, copper, and potassium in elevated amounts, require a source of many B vitamins and non-nutritive bulk
Prolonged survival of hamsters is linked to supplementation of what compound?
Lactalbumin
What occurs in hamsters changed from diets of rodent chow to semipurified feed?
Susceptible to colocolic intussusception within first 7-10 days.
Where are hamsters fed? Why?
On the floor. Broad muzzle means that food must fall through the hopper.
Why are stainless steel water tubes or gavage needles recommended?
Hamsters can bite or chew through glass or plastic.
What compounds are hamsters more sensitive to? (1) Less sensitive to? (1) Resistant to? (1)
More sensitive to metabolic effects of corticosteroids. Less responsive to histamines. Very resistant to morphine, with little to no sedative effects.
Why do females come into estrus? When should they be bred? When is the male sexually mature?
Into estrus at 6-8 weeks. Wait to breed until they reach 90-100 grams. Male is sexually mature at 90 grams.
How long is the estrus cycle of the female? How can it be assessed?
4-day estrous cycle. Evaluated via vaginal discharge.
How is the end of ovulation signaled in the female? When should she be mated?
End of ovulation on Day 2 marked by appearance of copious postovulatory discharge that may extrude through vaginal orifice. Mate female in evening of the third day after postovulatory discharge.
Describe the mating process.
Usually test-mated. All animals caged individually for at least 1 week. On third day following post-ovulatory discharge, female is brough to males cage 1-2 hr prior to start of dark cycle. If female is ready, displays lordosis with hindlimbs spread and tail erect. If mating does not occur in 5 minutes or female is aggressive, remove and replace female. If copulation occurs, pair can be left together until following light cycle.
How long is gestation in the Syrian hamster?
15-18 days.
Does bottle feeding of hamster work?
No. Difficult and rarely succeeds.
Describe trio breeding in Syrian hamsters.
Two females and one male, with females swapped every 1-2 weeks. Use older male and check daily for fight wounds.
What are signs of pregnancy in hamsters?
Distinct gain in weight and abdominal distension approx 10 days after mating.
When is the most common time for parturition? How long does it last? When does a change toward maternal behavior occur?
16th day of gestation lasting for more than 3 hours. Occurs abruptly in late gestation, as opposed to gradual onset in mice and rats.
How big are hamster litters?
4-12 pups
How long should newborn pups be undisturbed?
7-10 days
What may occur if a new mother is stressed? What can prevent this?
Cannibalism, or placing pups in her cheek pouch. Provide food pellets on cage floor to stuff her cheek pouches.
When should hamster pups be weaned? When does the mother’s estrus cycle resume?
At least 19 days old, normal weaning is 21-28 days. Estrous cycle resumes 1-8 days following parturition.
Can young from separate litters be housed together?
Until 40-50 days, at which point the females need to be separated due to aggression. Males may be kept together longer.
How must females to be mated be housed?
Some degree of isolation from adult males and other pregnant or lactating females.
Describe urination in hamsters.
Slight output, tend to consistently use one corner of cage for elimination.
Can mix-sexed hamsters be paired?
Usually fight, but stable groups reported when animals were housed together starting at a young age.
Do both sexes of hamsters make nests?
Yes. Prefer deep (40-80cm) bedding.
