Hamsters with vaginal discharge

The average lifespan for female hamsters tend to be around 18 months and 24 months for males. The difference is life spans with females tends to be because of common occurence of atrial thrombosis (blood clots blocking the main artery/blood vessel) in entire females.

Female Syrian hamsters normally have a 4 to 5 day oestrus cycle, which ends with white smelly discharge (which can look like pus - even under a microscope as can contain white blood cells and bacteria).

If your hamster has a vaginal discharge but is eating and drinking well, in addition to being as active as normal, it may simply be a normal post-ovulatory discharge, which may go away after a few days and then keep coming back as she cycles during the breeding season (around 6 months).

Occasionally, a vaginal discharge may be indicative of a more serious problem like a pyometra (uterine infection) which may require surgery. Fortunately, cases of pyometras in hamsters are pretty rare. To diagnose a uterine problem, she may need an abdominal ultrasound (difficult to get small enough probe) or an exploratory surgery.