What does a hamster need for a healthy life?

Q: Our hamster lives in an aquarium with a running wheel, water bottle, and a small house. Does he need anything else to stay healthy?
A: It sounds like you have the basics. I would prefer not to house a rodent in an aquarium due to poor ventilation. Ammonia levels right above the litter in an aquarium can get quite high and harm the health of your pet. However, you can buy an aquarium lid with climbing tubes that lead to chambers with better ventilation. Otherwise, be sure you have an open mesh lid and clean the litter several times a week to reduce ammonia buildup. A plastic or wire cage designed for rodents would provide better ventilation and allow for less frequent litter changes.

Also, soft wood litter like pine shavings or cedar chips produce toxic fumes very close to your pet. I always recommend aspen, compressed newspaper or corncob litter for small animals.

A house for hiding, a wheel for exercise, and a water supply changed daily are essential for a long, happy life. Also, be sure to feed species-specific pellet-style food to all small animals so they cannot develop dietary imbalances by picking out only the tasty seeds from mixture diets.

Finally, handle and pet the little guy daily so he remains gentle and tame. Enjoy him.

Q: How are heartworm infections treated?

A: Dogs that acquire heartworms can be treated successfully as long as the infection is detected before major damage is done to the heart. After confirming a positive test result, your veterinarian will use a blood filtration test to detect the presence or absence of circulating larval worms, called microfilaria. Before determining a specific treatment protocol, a chest x-ray will also be taken to evaluate damage to the heart or lungs. These steps are important if your veterinarian is to choose the safest and most effective protocol for your specific dog’s disease stage.

Depending on the findings, your veterinarian will perform a single injection or a series of injections to kill the adult worms. The medication is a chemical cousin to arsenic and has a long list of potential side effects. Before initiating treatment, your veterinarian should perform routine health screening blood tests on your dog and discuss all of the potential side effects with you.

During the treatments, dogs should be hospitalized for careful monitoring and should have an intravenous catheter in place for rapid emergency treatment should it become necessary. After returning home, dogs must be kept in a crate for at least two full weeks to reduce the risk of dangerous complications.

One month after the initial therapy is completed, dogs should return to the veterinarian for clearance of larval worms, called microfilaria. The doctor will administer an oral dose of another anti-parasitic drug. This medication has considerably fewer potential side effects, but careful monitoring of the pet for the day at the veterinarian’s office is still advised. Three months later, follow-up blood tests can determine the success of both treatments.

There is some evidence that treating heartworm positive dogs with doxycycline prior to treatment may reduce side effects and increase the effectiveness of therapy. The antibiotic kills a symbiotic parasite that lives inside the heartworm itself.

Some mildly infected dogs may be treated with oral medication once a month for a year and a half. The oral medication prevents new infection and weakens the adult worms. Most commonly this option is used only in dogs that have otherwise been on a regular preventive program or as an alternate treatment option for owners with financial difficulties.

Cats that acquire heartworm infection cannot be treated. While not as common as in dogs, cats can be infected with this deadly parasite. I recommend cat owners use a monthly topical spot-on product called Revolution. In addition to preventing external parasites like fleas and ear mites, the product prevents internal parasites like heartworms and intestinal worms.   

Dr. Watts is a companion animal general practitioner and owner of Clevengers Corner Veterinary Care. He can be reached through ClevengersCorner.com or by calling 428-1000.