Most common disorders and lifespan of pet hamsters in the UK

Gibby - Photo Credit: Lisa Haycock New research from the Royal Veterinary College (RVC) has revealed the 20 most common disorders in pet hamsters. Of these, the most popular include "wet tail", bite injuries from other hamsters, overgrown nails and/or incisors and traumatic injury. The average lifespan of pet hamsters was 1.75 years. These findings, on one the world's most popular small pets, will help owners better understand what conditions to look out for and will help set expectations for how long their hamster may live. Hamsters are popular pets worldwide, often being the first pet that a child will own as their own. Despite this popularity, there has been very little research into the health issues of these beloved rodents kept as pets to date. Often purchased by parents as short-commitment pets, hamsters are brought to the vets less frequently than other companion animals such as cats and dogs.