# Hamster eaten charcoal please help



## sammy1969 (Jul 21, 2007)

My hamster has just eaten some charcoal its willow charcoal which is an artist medium. I have called the vets and am waiting for a reply, so in the meantime has anyone got any advice I can use. This is a 6 month old female who currently has 9 six day old babies so dont want to loose her.
The circumstances are she escaped from her tank not sure when but know she was there at 6am this morning. My oh heard a chewing noise beside him on the floor where he keeps his art stuff and found her under a cabinet but sw that his pack of charcoal had been chewed 
Anyone able to advise me please


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## Kare (Mar 9, 2010)

Obviously worrying and not a healthy part of a diet, but I feel maybe something she will likely survive. I very much doubt it would have much in the way of ill effects unless she has eaten a huge amount.

Burnt wood ashes are in a number of animal foods to absorb smell (ie make your dogs poop/gas smell less) and I know some people recommend feeding burnt toast and charcoal dog biscuits etc to guineas and rabbits with diarrhoea.

The only dangers is bunging your hamster up so it can't poop, which I can only suggest you feed just veg for a few days to make sure nothing else too dry is in her diet to maybe take some steps to balance it out, and if it absorbs water and swells, which I don't think it would too much, but only you can test by putting some in water.

Did she actually eat it, as normally they will chew and reject much of it on to the floor.


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## HappyCrazyBunny (Mar 15, 2010)

You'll probably be told it won't do any harm. Charcoal is often used within medicine as a way of absorbing toxins that have possibly been eaten.

Helen xx


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## sammy1969 (Jul 21, 2007)

I am not sure if she actually ate it or used it as nesting material as it crumbles but we can see bite marks in the pieces she left behind and also not sure just how much she has eaten as it wasnt a full box of charcoal as we havent used this box for a while, she sems ok in herself though and has had a drink and gone back to feeding babies ok. She has carrot and apple in with her at moment as she is getting extra tit bits due to having the bubs with her. Vet has said to keep an eye on her but basically she should be ok. I swear at moment the pets are out to get me for going away on holiday what wiht one of the cats last night and hamster today lol


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## Alex (Jun 14, 2009)

Im sure she will be fine, Charcoal is fed to animals, you can buy dogs biscuits that contain charcoal because it is beneficial for them.


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## pigglywiggly (Jul 19, 2008)

as above, its good for the digestion, you can feed toal sorts of pets,

my bullmastiff had his stomach pumped full of charcoal slurry when he ate a whole box of 56 dishwasher tablets.


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