WHats wrong with my hamster? He Isn't walking that well and, well, I think his back legs a brocken!!!!!....And its soooo sad to see and hear him in pain! :( :( :( Please if you know anything that may be wrong with him...tell me!
2007-02-01 03:05:25 · 4 answers · asked by Anonymous in Pets ➔ Other - Pets
Oh no! Do you have a standard metal/wire "bar" exercise wheel? If so, he has broken his leg on the wheel. If that's not the type of wheel you have and you still think his leg is broken, you're probably right.
The other answers are correct to send you to the vet but from my experience, the vet won't be able to do too much for you (I've had two with broken legs). Any splint put on it will just be chewed off. Putting an Elizabethian collar on the hamster to prevent it from chewing the splint will cause other problems. Given the burrowing nature of hamsters and the bedding that they're kept on will cause the hamster to "fill" the collar and the bedding can then cause eye problems. The collar may also interfere with the function of its cheekpouches.
What will end up happening is that his leg will heal though it will never be the same. You need to remove the wheel from his cage until his legs heals and take out anything that he may try to climb on.
After his leg heals and to all the others reading this answer, there is a small modification you can make to the wheel to make it safer for him and prevent this from happening again and to other hamsters (and a little rant on my part too):
I really wish the stores would stop selling these wheels because they are horrible for the animals. They are too small (does your little guy have to bend his body into a "U" to run on it?) and their legs slip through causing injury. In the best case scenarios, hamsters will only have hair loss and callouses on their shins, in worst case scenarios they will have broken legs. The best thing would be to buy the 8.5" plastic "solid floor" wheel made by Super Pet. It sells for $5-$8. In the meantime, there is a small modification you should do to your existing wheel it to make it better for your hamster.
Take some thin cardboard (manilla folders found in any office are great) and cut it into a strip or two slightly thinner than the width of the wheel and long enough to circle it and weave it through the bars around the whole wheel to create a "solid floor". This will prevent their legs from slipping through and hitting their shins on the bars. Many hamsters will have thinning fur and callouses on their shins from these kinds of wheels. It's not very pretty but it will make the hamsters happier. Some of mine chewed on them, some never did. The "floors" that didn't get chewed had to be replaced eventually as they can get dirty.)
-Janice
http://www.holmdenhillhaven.com
2007-02-01 16:13:09 · answer #1 · answered by radiocricket 4 · 1⤊ 0⤋
If you think your hamster has a broken leg, take it to the vet.
2007-02-01 06:25:34 · answer #2 · answered by Angela B 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Best to take him to the vet. His leg could have gotten fractures by his wheel...never know. Vets see hamsters, too.
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2007-02-01 03:09:18 · answer #3 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
you need to take it to the vet and see what's wrong with his little legs
2007-02-01 03:31:51 · answer #4 · answered by kat_luvr2003 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋