Absolutely devastated, just found Bailey my little Syrian has died

I can't understand why he has died so young, he's only a year old and has always been active and healthy.

He has shown no sign of illness, he did not look injured in any way.

I found him curled up in his bed, thought it was strange he hadn't woke up yet and when I checked on him he was stiff and cold.

He just looks like he is asleep, even has his eyes closed so I think he died in his sleep but why??

I feel like I did something wrong.

__________________

There has been a swift change in temperature the last couple of days here, are you 100% sure he didn't go into hibernation?

When I use to keep hamsters they did that to me a couple of times. But after resting them on a hot water bottle for a little while they woke back up.

If not then I'm sorry for your loss

__________________

Hope it's hibernation! But if not then I am so sorry hun! But in no way could you have prevented it! Sending lots of cyber hugs! xx

__________________



MY ZOO-LET
Syrian: Dini
Winter Whites: Alaska, Apollo, Hero and Ares
Bunnies: Saffy, Gus, Cookie and Cream and 5 babies!!
Piggies: Bubble and Squeak

RIP Tilly, Thom, Tiny, Cassius, Stuart Little, George, Baby Pom (Mice), Melvin (Chameleon) Harry (Cambells Russian) Charlie and Roma (Syrians) Eros (Winter White) Jet, Rainbow and Angel (Rabbits) Neva (Ratty girl)

OMG !!

How do you tell the difference between hibernating and dead??

I've just burried him, should I get him back up??

__________________

Oh heck. Well when they hibernate they do look and feel dead. You can only see if they are breathing if you look very very carefully, and even then you can miss it.

Like I said I used to put them on a hot water bottle (wrapped in a towel) for a little while. They woke up on both occasions it happened. After that I always put any of them that appeared dead on the hot water bottle as I started having nightmares about not doing so.

I know it's not nice but maybe you ought to now? You will likely have it run through your mind if you don't try, and that's not nice.

__________________

Have you dug him up?

Fingers crossed hes ok.

__________________

I've dug him back up, like you said i'll never rest knowing he could be alive.

I've wrapped him up on a hot water bottle in front of the radiator but it dosn't look good. He is really, really stiff and he smells a bit as well

I'm going to see how he goes tonight.

I can't believe I didn't consider hibernation, it was FREEZING here last night as well.

__________________

Just looking back through some old pictures of Bailey and realised I got him on 13/10/2009, exactly a year ago today!

What a co-incidence that this has happened.

He was 19 weeks at the time so he's only 1 year and 5 months old.

Surely he must be hibernating, he's so young.
We are all sobbing hoping fr some response but nothing so far.

Is there anything to help bring him out of hibernation quicker and at what point do you give up?

__________________

When did you bury him, and did you bury him in a box? Here's hoping, it's worth a try.

I learnt about hibernation in hamsters when I was a teen and one of my friends hamsters 'died'. She saw him scurrying around the patio a day later, after he had got out of the dustbin (on both accounts).

__________________

Well I wouldn't try and speed it up hun. When in the wild they come out of hibernation slowly. But the two I had go into hibernation came round fully within a couple of hours if I remember rightly.

__________________