Thank you for getting back to me. The Syrian hamsters are prone to a disease referred to as 'wet-tail.' From your description, it is likely that your hamster does have wet-tail. It is usually fatal if not treated. If you are to have any hope of saving your hamster, you'll need to get him to a vet for treatment as soon as possible.

In the meantime, remove the hamster's food. Eating more will just trigger more diarrhea.Dehydration is a danger, and you need to do something about that right away. Adding anything to the water is not going to encourage him to drink enough to take care fo dehydration. In addition, his electrolytes are probably depleted, and need to be replaced. The best thing to do is to give him some Lectaid, which is sold in pet stores in the UK. If you can't get any Lectaid, give him lukewarm water with a bit of sugar and a dash of table salt in it from a syringe. Put it in the side of his mouth. If you put it straight down the throat, it can be aspirated into the lungs. Give him water or Pedialyte about once an hour. Keep the hamster warm. You could put a towel over the top and three sides of his cage to keep warmth in. It's also important to keep the cage clean. These are all supportive measures, not intended to take the place of veterinary treatment. To read more about wet tail:

http://www.hamsterific.com/IllnessGuide.cfm#WetTail

After three days of illness, your hamster is critically ill. Without prompt care, he isn't likely to survive. There are remedies available in pet stores, but I don't recommend them. Sometimes, they help, but most of the time they don't. And, then it may be too late for a vet to help.

If you have more questions, just let me know by clicking on REPLY. I hope you're able to quickly get some treatment for your hamster, and that he'll reach a full recovery.

Anna

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