Hamster with cushing's disease

Dr. Marie replied:

Oh, I am sorry to hear that Blaki may have Cushing's. Cushing's is actually very rare in hamsters. Was it diagnosed by a vet? The other possibility is diabetes.

If it is cushing's disease then it is not contagious to you or to the other hamsters. Cushing's is caused by a tumor affecting the adrenal gland which causes too much steroid to be produced by the hamster.

While there is medication that can treat cushing's disease, it can be expensive and we really don't have good information as to what doses to give. for these reasons many hamsters with cushing's are not treated.

So what happens to a hamster with Cushing's? You can expect to see hair loss, skin infections and then eventually more serious problems like urinary tract infections, and liver disease which will cause the hamster to be quite sick.

At some point, if he does not want to eat or is really lethargic (quiet) then it is time to consider euthanasia. The only humane way to do this is to have your vet do it.

I'm sorry for the bad news.

Dr. Marie.

---This question was asked in our Ask A Vet For Free section.---


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