🐹 Proliferative Enteritis (“Wet Tail”) in Hamsters: A Vet’s 2025 Guide by Dr Duncan Houston BVSc 💧

By Dr Duncan Houston BVSc – “Wet tail” (proliferative ileitis/enteritis) is a fast-onset, life-threatening bacterial disease in young hamsters, especially 3–10 weeks old. In this 2025 guide, I cover causes, clinical signs, diagnosis, urgent intervention, antibiotic therapy, fluid support, hygiene, and prevention strategies to help your pet survive this critical illness. 🌿

📘 What Is Proliferative Enteritis?

Proliferative enteritis is inflammation and hyperplasia of the ileum caused by the intracellular bacterium Lawsonia intracellularis. Often called “wet tail” due to fecal staining, it’s the most serious intestinal disease seen in juvenile Syrian hamsters, sometimes extending to adults. :contentReference[oaicite:3]{index=3}

⚠️ Who’s at Risk?

• 🐹 Young hamsters aged 3–10 weeks—particularly those weaned early or stressed :contentReference[oaicite:4]{index=4}.
• 📦 Stressors like shipping, diet change, overcrowding, or unsanitary cage conditions :contentReference[oaicite:5]{index=5}.
• 📉 Also seen in older or immunocompromised hamsters, albeit less frequently.

🧩 Signs & Symptoms

Key clinical features include:

• 💧 Watery, foul-smelling diarrhea, often wetting tail and rear fur (“wet tail”) :contentReference[oaicite:6]{index=6}.
• 😞 Lethargy, hunching, unkempt coat, reduced appetite.
• 🚱 Dehydration: sunken eyes, poor skin elasticity.
• 📉 Weight loss, weakness, possible rectal prolapse or intussusception :contentReference[oaicite:7]{index=7}.

🔍 Diagnosing Wet Tail

• 🩺 Clinical diagnosis based on symptoms and history of stress/enclosure hygiene.
• ⚗️ Fecal testing to distinguish from other enterocolitis-causing pathogens (e.g. Clostridium, Salmonella, Campylobacter) :contentReference[oaicite:8]{index=8}.
• 💔 Severe cases may involve blood tests and abdominal imaging for complications like intussusception or prolapse.

💊 Urgent 2025 Treatment Protocol

1. Rehydration & Support

• 💧 Immediate subcutaneous or oral fluids (e.g., 20 mL/100 g body weight daily) to combat dehydration :contentReference[oaicite:9]{index=9}.
• 🍚 Bland, easily digestible foods—critical‑care gels, soaked pellets to encourage nourishment.

2. Antibiotic Therapy

• 💊 Administer antibiotics like doxycycline, enrofloxacin, or trimethoprim‑sulfa for 5–7 days :contentReference[oaicite:10]{index=10}.
• 🧴 Options also include chloramphenicol or erythromycin for resistant strains :contentReference[oaicite:11]{index=11}.
• 🩹 Consider symptomatic gut protectants (bismuth subsalicylate) alongside antibiotics.

3. Ongoing Care

• 📅 Isolate affected hamsters to reduce stress and prevent disease spread.
• ✔️ Gentle handling, warm environment (22–24 °C), and soft bedding to support rest.
• 📈 Daily monitoring of weight, hydration, stool consistency—record in a health log.

📊 Possible Complications

• 🚨 Intestinal intussusception or rectal prolapse requiring surgical intervention :contentReference[oaicite:12]{index=12}.
• ⚠️ Dehydration, septicemia, or electrolyte imbalance without prompt treatment.

🛡️ Preventing “Wet Tail” in 2025

• 🧽 Maintain cage hygiene—daily spot cleaning, weekly full bedding changes, monthly deep cleaning.
• 🐹 Reduce stressors: avoid overcrowding, unnecessary handling, and abrupt diet modifications.
• 📦 Quarantine new hamsters for ≥2 weeks; monitor for diarrhea before introduction.
• 🍽 Provide balanced diets and clean, pathogen‑free food and water.
• 🐞 Be aware of other enteric pathogens—manage parasites and reduce antibiotic overuse.

📲 Ask A Vet, Woopf & Purrz Support

Ask A Vet provides 24/7 remote vet consultations—share symptoms and logs, receive treatment plans, and monitor recovery. 📱🐾

Woopf offers rehydration kits, critical-care diets, and starter antibiotic packs for emergency use.

Purrz delivers bedding sanitizers, health logs, isolation pens, and stress-reduction supplements. 🛍️

🔬 2025 Innovations in Care

• 📱 Fecal PCR panels for rapid pathogen identification.
• 🌡 Smart bedding that monitors moisture and alerts hydration issues.
• 🔬 Targeted probiotics to restore gut flora during/after antibiotic therapy.

📣 Final Words from Dr Duncan Houston BVSc 🩺

Proliferative enteritis is a critical, but treatable condition if caught early. With prompt fluids, targeted antibiotics, hygiene, and supportive care, survival chances improve dramatically. In 2025, advanced diagnostics and supportive tools from Ask A Vet, Woopf, and Purrz make outpacing this disease possible—with rapid response and tech-assisted care, you can give your hamster the best odds of recovery. 💚🐹

👉 Download the Ask A Vet app today for emergency guides, personalized care plans, and follow-up vet support—because every moment and every fluid drop counts. 📱🐾