DEAR PAW’S CORNER: How do I know if my hamster is sick? What do I do if it is? — Jamie in Dubuque, Iowa

DEAR JAMIE: Cage living can often be stressful for pocket pets like hamsters, and illness can occur easily if your pet and its environment are not cared for properly. A hamster that is feeling down will exhibit several behaviors that should alert you to a problem.

If it doesn’t respond to your opening the cage door, if it’s huddled in a corner or its fur looks ruffled and its eyes dull, it may be ill. Sick hamsters tend to stop grooming themselves and don’t respond to their owners in the normal way (stretching, sniffing at the cage door or showing other signs of curious alertness).

Dull eyes and a runny-damp nose signal that it is probably dehydrated. Sick hamsters may also have diarrhea. Since hamsters are such little guys, sickness can take them out very quickly. So you have to act fast. Separate the sick hamster from other pets, and place it in a cage with clean bedding, water and fresh food. Move the cage into an area that is draft-free and has a constant temperature of 70-85 F.

Remove all toys and exercise wheels and wash them in a 10 percent bleach solution, then rinse thoroughly. Clean any other cages the hamster has been in, especially if other pocket pets share the cages. Wash your hands thoroughly before, during and after the moving and cleaning process.

Call your veterinarian so you can bring the little guy in and have its illness diagnosed. Now, concern has been raised about diseases in pocket pets causing people with impaired immune systems to become very ill. This is why it’s important to wash your hands even after handling a seemingly healthy hamster, to keep the cage as clean as possible and to separate sick pets so they don’t spread the illness further.

Of course, visitors shouldn’t handle a sick hamster. And under no circumstances should a pocket pet be given medicine that is meant for humans. Certain antibiotics can be fatal, so let the vet prescribe the right treatment.