My lil hamster broke both his legs, what to do?

HamsterBro · 08-19-2013, 11:11 AM

Dear HamsterCentral,

when I came back home i went to check up on my lil hamster. (russian dwarf hamster) when i noticed she walked very weirdly. looking closer it looks like her legs are both broken :/ When she walks she kinda drags herself along. I went to a vet and she gave me two options, either put her to sleep, or let her get some rest and see if she gets better. I removed her ladder and wheel, so she can relax. What can i do? will she heal? I really need help and advice.

Thanks in advance,

Hamsterbro

(p.s, the hamster is about 4 months old.)

ANGELBABIES · 08-19-2013, 12:52 PM

She is quite young and should heal provided she gets plenty of rest and some pain relief. Poor little wee mite - can n you remove her wheel and also put her into a smaller cage or make sure her current cage does not have platforms or anything she could trip over. Her water bottle should be within easier reach. Hope the little one gets better soon. You could also increase the amount of substrate. All the best - thinking of you both xx

evel_lin · 08-19-2013, 01:02 PM

Are the legs actually broken or could it be some sort of nerve problem like a spinal injury? If the latter then is she able to poo and wee normally? If they're both broken then she'll need pain relief, small animals can hide pain very well because they are prey animals but obviously they still hurt

Kirsty1987 · 08-19-2013, 01:05 PM

Any ideas on how she managed to brake both legs? If she is dragging them behind her, her back end could be paralysed maybe a spinal problem, does she get regular exercise and have a large cage? But I would also check to make sure she is peeing and pooping ok. If not then I would take her back to the vets. Keep the cage layout very simple provided there is food and water which she can easily access but no toys till she recovers properly.

HamsterBro · 08-21-2013, 01:34 AM

Hello, she drags her legs around but yesterday at night and today I noticed she was using them a bit more. I will try to take some pics when she wakes up, lil Nami is sleeping. I think that either her legs got stuck in her wire cage some way or that she fell from her ladder. (It's not super high, but still.) Thanks for the replies till now!

pelicano · 08-21-2013, 01:55 AM

What did the vet actually say?

I had a dwarf ham with a broken leg, and it was really obvious to the vet. I had to have her put to sleep.

If the ham is using her legs a bit more that implies that it's something a bit less serious.

I'm no expert but, as well as all the other possibilities, I wonder if it might a deficiency in the diet, eg. calcium/vitamin D?

racinghamster · 08-21-2013, 01:21 PM

Very sorry to hear this. I hope your little hamster recovers. If it`s a spinal injury that might have happened due to a fall in her cage, or she has done something to cause a nerve to trap, this could cause leg paralysis, but if it`s not severe, she could recover with rest and good care. The other members have already given good advice regarding lowering her water and making sure she can`t climb. If you can, keep her in a Duna tank or something that can`t be climbed.

Monitor her to see if she has any improvement or mobility using her legs. She may also wet herself if she can`t sit up to urinate, so you may need to keep her clean and dry.

I really hope it isn`t a break and she has just had a tumble. Dwarf hamsters are a little crazy when it comes to antics and although they will climb anything they see fit, they are ground dwelling rodents and only require to be housed in level cages. Best wishes and good luck with her. x