Broken rib

Plush · 05-06-2005, 02:15 AM

One of the babies from Honey's litter has what seems to be a broken rib. It juts out and can be felt prominently poking out just under the skin of the chest. I'm not sure how this little hamster got this injury but it could have been from a fall in their cage.

I don't know what to do for him exactly. Should he be put to sleep? Will it ever heal? He doesn't seem to be in pain and runs and plays just like the others.

SnuggleHam · 05-06-2005, 12:06 PM

Its probably be best that you contact a vet, maybe you can ask over the phone about it and see what the vet thinks. Maybe there is a possibility it could heal and be fine, but if it's poking against the skin I don't think that sounds too great

aww poor thing.. I guess you better find a way to make the cage more safe for the babies incase another one gets hurt..

Emma · 05-06-2005, 12:15 PM

Broken (even fractured) ribs are incredibly painful in people, I'd have thought a broken rib, if that's what it is, would be painful for a hamster, but then small animals can be very good at masking pain.

If it isn't bothering him (ie he is eating, drinking, alert, moving around as usual) I don't see a reason to put him to sleep just because he has a bump. It would be worth having him checked over by a vet to see what it is, it might also be responsible to not rehome him (if you were going to) until you know what is wrong and the prognosis.

If you think he might have been able to take a tumble in the cage it might be an idea to rearrange the cage so that can't happen again.

Plush · 05-07-2005, 01:15 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Emma

Broken (even fractured) ribs are incredibly painful in people, I'd have thought a broken rib, if that's what it is, would be painful for a hamster, but then small animals can be very good at masking pain.

If it isn't bothering him (ie he is eating, drinking, alert, moving around as usual) I don't see a reason to put him to sleep just because he has a bump. It would be worth having him checked over by a vet to see what it is, it might also be responsible to not rehome him (if you were going to) until you know what is wrong and the prognosis.

If you think he might have been able to take a tumble in the cage it might be an idea to rearrange the cage so that can't happen again.

It's definately broken but he is acting normal. I had planned to give all the babies to their perspective owners, this weekend but I will keep him. I had planned to keep the other boy but for now I'll be keeping both.

They're in a 3 level cage right now. Even if I remove the floors they could still climb the walls and fall down. All the cages I have are 3-story cages. So I'm not sure if I can change that right now.

Emma · 05-07-2005, 08:50 AM

Even if the others can't be rehoused, I think it's quite important for healing that this little boy can't be climbing around, if you're sure he has a broken rib.

Vet advice for healing broken bones in small animals is to take away any exercise activities (wheels, opportunites for climbing etc) and any multi-levels so they cannot fall, but to try to balance between being a safe environment and a boring one! (maybe lots of cardboard tubes and ground-level hiding/gnawing toys). Plenty of bedding so he can make a comfy nest. Some people also say to supplement calcium by giving milky porridge or similar (many breeders will be giving young pups porridge anyway). Having said all that small animals usually break limbs or tails not ribs

but I think if asked I'd give the same advice. You could still allow him play out of the cage if it is safe, ground-level exploring - no exercise balls or sofa mountaineering! I would be extra gentle when handling, I do think it will be painful for him.

My mum fractured/broked her ribs recently (they never x-rayed as current UK treatment is the same - just wait for them to heal) and it was incredibly painful for her just breathing, never mind coughing or sneezing which was agony - and my mum has asthma and allergies! So if a broken rib is half as painful in a hamster as it was for my mum, the poor boy will be feeling it, even if he isn't showing it, as small animals can mask pain very well - I've seen baby hamsters that were attacked by a rat in a pet shop come in with legs hanging off by threads, or completely missing, and they were active and eating like there was nothing amiss. They must have been in pain but didn't show it with their behaviour.

If you don't have a suitable cage you could even use a plastic storage box or washing-up tub, just get some wire mesh to sit on top (bend over the edges to form a lid). It isn't an ideal cage but it's better than him re-injuring himself before he's healed, and it would only be temporary. Hamsters do heal quite quickly so he'd probably only need to be in there for 2-3 weeks or so. I'm not sure how you'll tell when it is healed (with limbs it's when they're weight-bearing, with my mum's ribs it was when they stopped being painful, but we can't tell that), but it may always stick out at a funny angle.

This way you have two of Honey's gorgeous babies though!