Good bye Splash

I am afraid this post is a sad one, our little, Splash, hamster has recently passed away. Splash was a Campbell's or Russian dwarf hamster, he arrived here as a litter of unwanted babies, he came with his brothers and sisters. These past couple of months he exhibited the classic signs of having diabetes. Diabetes is common in these dwarf hamsters , the symptoms are excessive urinating and drinking. A strip that reads the sugar content of the urine can give you an idea if your hamster has diabetes or not, if the sugar level is very high, then yes, it is very likely diabetes is the reason for those symptoms. Although those symptoms can also be kidney disease or failure among other things. Having the vet make the diagnosis and provide treatment is the best route to go. Unfortunately , Splash was positive for diabetes. We always take care not to give too many sugars to the dwarfs, no sugary snacks such as yogurt drops or other store bought treats. No fruits. Just low sugar hamster diet, veggies, biscuits and tofu. Even with this low sugar diet , Splash still had diabetes, many times it is genetic and passes onto babies and other generations. I tried my best to cut out sugars from his diet even further since there isn't a treatment for a hamster with diabetes. He was strong for months , until one day I saw he was sluggish. I made an appointment for him at the vets for the next day. But that night I found him in his cage barely moving. I scooped him up in my hand and held him, talked to him, kissed him lightly and pet him very gently. I did my best to comfort him and let him know I was there.. and I was , until the end. He passed while he lay in my hand. He looked peaceful after he left, he looked like he was just sleeping. I'm tearing up as I type this, it was an emotional moment and I do miss him. I am thankful I was there for him and for me as he left. Good bye my sweet heart.