Wet Tail Drops™

Active Ingredient:   Neomycin Sulfate equivalent to not less than 20 mg/mL of Oasis Wet-Tail Drops.

SYMPTOMS OF WET-TAIL (Proliferative Ileitis) MAY INCLUDE: Obvious changes in behavior or physical appearance such as weight loss, hunched posture, coat ungroomed or "standing up", animal sitting in one position with eyes squinted, distended belly, lack of appetite or dehydration followed by diarrhea and a wet or matted tail.  Animal may not want to be handled.  Early intervention (before onset of diarrhea) offers best chance of cure.  Wet-Tail is considered to be a stress induced disease - avoid stress caused by over handling your pet or making sudden changes to its habitat.    

WHAT IS WET TAIL DISEASE?

The serious condition known as "Wet-Tail" or Proliferative Ileitis is most often characterized by a wet or matted tail and/or lower belly area, with obvious staining from diarrhea. Wet-tail is thought to be a stress induced watery diarrhea that is bacterial in origin, likely infectious and often fatal unless treated very early.  When stress of any kind upsets the hamster's natural defenses, it becomes susceptible very quickly to wet-tail disease. 

Sick hamsters often have dry looking ears (a sign of dehydration) held back against the head (often with a folded look), and empty cheek pouches which give the face a thin, lean look.  Any sign of a distended belly is a sign of digestive trouble that may be wet-tail in the advanced stages. Since wet-tail is very difficult to control, any symptoms such as those listed above are indications that your hamster needs help urgently, often before you actually see any diarrhea.

NOTE:  To guard against infection transmission when receiving new hamsters, thoroughly wash any pet containers used for transporting your new pet and dispose of cardboard pet-caddy boxes promptly.

WET-TAIL MAY BE CAUSED BY STRESS:

Stress may be caused by any change in living-habits such as being shipped to the pet store, being moved to the pet owner's home, introduction into a new cage or change in the arrangement or set-up of the hamster's existing home, disruption of the food pantry area or introduction of a new diet.  Changes in a hamster's living conditions should be made gradually if at all.  Hamsters are creatures of routine and habit, and do not understand the changes made by people caring for them. 

To avoid stress, clean only part of the cage at any time, and leave the food storage pantry area alone and as undisturbed as possible. If there is damaged or spoiled food, remove only that portion of the food pantry and leave the rest where the hamster knows it is safe and available.  Hamsters gain security from knowing that their source of food is safe and available at all times.

Causes of diarrhea other than stress may be infectious in nature.  ALWAYS WASH YOUR HANDS WITH SOAP AND WATER IMMEDIATELY AFTER HANDLING SICK HAMSTERS.

To help your hamster settle into its new home as easily as possible, limit the amount of time spent handling the hamster, and do not wake it up while it is sleeping in its nest for the first week.

INSTRUCTIONS:

Treated water is suitable for use with hamsters, rats, mice, gerbils and guinea pigs.

Mixed with drinking water - Day #1 of Treatment: Simply measure 3 teaspoons (15 mL)  OASIS® WET-TAIL DROPS™ into water bottle or dish, and fill with 2 ounces (60 mL) of water. This creates a double strength dilution to begin treatment.

Day #2 through Day #7 of Treatment: Replace the antibiotic treated water daily. Measure 3 teaspoons (15 mL) into water bottle or dish, and fill with 4 ounces (120 mL) of water.  Regardless of how much or how little your pet has consumed, the entire 4 ounces of treated water must be replaced each day so that medication retains full strength and effectiveness.  Be sure that water treated with OASIS WET TAIL DROPS is your pet's only source of water. If pet refuses to drink, try direct oral dose eyedropper method.

Direct Oral Dosing: the eyedropper may be used to place solution directly into mouth, preferably once in the morning and once at night. Allow your pet to lick the drops of medicine off of dropper's end. Be careful not to force medicine into the mouth faster than your pet can swallow. Pets under 6 months of age - half the recommended adult dose. Direct oral method may not be easily accepted by mice, rats and gerbils.

Common Name              Weight                                Amount of Wet Tail Drops

Siberian Hamster           1 oz (25-35g)                        8 drops (1/4 mL) once daily

Chinese Hamster           1 1/2 oz (30-50g)                   8 drops (1/4 mL) once daily

Golden Hamster           4-5 oz (110-140g)                   16 drops (1/2 mL) once daily

Guinea Pig (cavy)         2-2 1/2 lbs (800-1200g)           24 drops (3/4 mL) once daily   

If possible - weigh your pet using a small kitchen scale - weights shown here are based on the average size of normal adults. 

Be sure that you wash the water bottle, cap and drinking tube each time you change the medicated water during the treatment period.  Sick or symptomatic animals should be separated from healthy animals (it is a good idea to treat the healthy looking animals for 3 to 5 days to prevent additional infection.)  If you must house sick animals with a group of healthy animals, treat the entire group. Always treat the animals for the full 6 days. Discontinue feeding greens or treats to any animal that has diarrhea. Be sure to wash your hands with soap and water immediately after handling sick animals.

HOW DIET AFFECTS YOUR PET HAMSTER:
 Stress and the resulting wet-tail diarrhea can be caused by absence of food and/or water, or the incorrect diet. the preferred diet for hamsters is a "formed" diet in the shape of pellets, cubes or blocks. This allows the hamster to gnaw on the food which contributes to good dental health, and prevents selective eating. Each bite is a uniform blend of all the total nutrients the hamster needs, and it cannot eat only its favorite pieces. Most formed diets can be fed using hoppers or holders.

Diets that are "mash" style are comprised of loose grains and seeds, which do not fulfill total nutritional requirements while allowing the hamster to pick and choose only what he wants to eat. Loose mash style feeds can be shuffled out of feed dishes, walked through and scattered or contaminated with urine or feces.

Hamsters are apparently more susceptible to vitamin deficiencies than other small animal pets, and fat levels appear to be critical to their survival. To prevent diet related stress, keep your hamster on a consistent formed diet, and if absolutely necessary to change the diet, do so gradually. If offering dark leafy greens or fresh carrots once or twice a week, be sure that the food is washed thoroughly.