he way it feels these days. I said we were at full capacity at the zoo, but apparently there is always room for one more. Adam's class pet, "Hammy" the hamster, is staying for the Easter week vacation. He has this red, swollen belly and I know the teacher cannot afford to take it to the vet. I called our vet and found out that it would cost $60 for us to walk in the door. HHHMMM...never mind I thought. They live only 2 years anyway - what's the big deal. Well, the big deal is that I could not let this thing drag this red buldge around anymore. He licks and scratches like there is no tomorrow! OK, I'll take him (against my better judgement). Remember this is how I ended up with 3 of my 4 birds! And the dog....
The vet was very kind. He is in Chester, NJ. Dr. Tack. He saw Hammy, checked him out very carefully. I think very carefully was because Hammy is a nasty little critter and bites like the dickens. I have fang marks and blood to prove it.
No tumors, no cancer, no mites. Just an infected pouch of skin due to...are you ready for this?! Because the hamster is OBESE! What on earth is that! This hamster is OBESE. He took out the bird scale, put Hammy on and said, "He is obese". So, from being so fat and dragging that belly on pine bedding that he is alergic to (who knew!) his skin got infected. The cure you ask...orally administered antiobotics for the next 10 days. How on earth do you get a biting, crazy hamster to stand still and open his mouth for medicine? I have no idea but that is what I am tasked to do. He gave me the meds and I went to pay. Sinking feeling in my belly thinking, "How do I tell Eric that I took someone else's hamster to the vet and paid for that AND medicine" again?! Well, sit tight - you will never believe what the doc said....NO CHARGE~!!!!!!!!!!! I told him the story that it is a class pet (and it is) and that I just couldn't stand to see it suffer anymore and HAD to take it the doc. I guess he thought he would donate his services to a needy hamster named Hammy.
I thought he deserved some attention. He is:
Dr. Tack
Blackriver Vet
120 Route 206 North
Chester, NJ 07930
So, thank you Dr. Tack. Hammy is about to be forced into a corner and have a syringe shoved half way down him mouth for meds. That for the next week and he will be as good as new.
Until next time...
