Hamster 911 Emergency!! Help

MarcosD · 08-04-2015, 04:51 PM

My mom tried to introduce a new hamsters to my two current hamsters and it just got beat up. It has injuries to its anal area and it can't open its eyes. His fur is also very oily. Please help! I'm not sure if he's drinking or eating and I can't take him to the vet. Should I give him a bath or any medicine or...?

Jeir · 08-05-2015, 03:56 AM

Oh dear. I'm assuming they're hybrids or robos? Introducing a hamster to another one is something that can take a very long time, and often doesn't work. =/ Even pairs that have lived together all their lives can break up, and the results can be very bad (I had robo brothers living in a, what I now know as unsuitable, modular cage, and they had a fight and one ended up losing half of one of his back feet).

If you really can't take him to a vet yet, take these steps:
1. Keep him away from the others. Another room if possible.
2. Stir a teaspoon of salt in a cup of warm-lukewarm water, and use a tissue/cotton pad to gently clean the wounded areas with it. Hopefully the reason he's keeping his eyes closed is due to blood sticking them. Use a towel to dry him after, as you'll want to keep him warm. Cleaning them will also let you check the damage; if it looks superficial (just bites/scratches and not too deep) then just continue with cleaning him. If it looks deep/there's damage to his eyes, then you must get him to a vet as soon as you can. Check over his wounds and clean them once a day for a few days/until they scab over properly and there isn't much risk of the wounds opening.
3. Keep the cage as quiet as possible. He'll be freaked out by what happened and will need time and space to recover. Talk gently to him if you see him up and about, but other than when you're checking him over, let him rest.
4. Move the food bowl and water bottle as close to the house as you can, if you can. He'll appreciate not having to go far to get what he needs. You can also offer some cucumber for hydration.
5. Watch out for infections. If the skin looks red and sore, or starts to leak yellow/green pus, it's infected and you must take him to a vet.

The above is pretty much the bare minimum you can do without vet help, and it may not be enough, depending on how badly he's hurt. Also, as he's new, he wont trust you yet (and after that experience with the others, will be terrified) and may bite. Accept that he's just a scared baby who needs you, and this time could be used to try and bond with him a little (wash your hands and then rub them in his substrate to get his scent on you; it may help.

racinghamster · 08-05-2015, 04:10 AM

Hello. The fact that your mom put a strange hamster in beside a pair who were already bonded wasn`t a good idea. But the damage has been done so your priority now is to make sure the hamster with the injuries gets treated. Seeing a vet if the hamster is in a bad way is the best action and keeping small pets means you should be able to access a vet in emergencies like this. He may require antibiotics for any serious bite wounds or possible infection. Treating him at home means just cleaning his wounds with saline (salt water) and hoping for the best I`m afraid and hope he manages to recover from this attack. It can shock their system and kill them.

He will need rest, peace and quiet and any wounds gently cleaned. Boil some water in the kettle and pour one pint into a sterile glass jar and add one teaspoonful of salt. Allow this to cool right down. Once warm/tepid, it can be used to gently clean the worst wounds using a cotton ball/pad. Use a clean one with every application.

He needs to be drinking okay or he will dehydrate. If he doesn`t have the energy to go to a low water bottle, offer him a small piece of apple. And no, never wash or bathe a hamster. They clean themselves by licking, scratching and pulling at their fur. You only need to clean any bloodied wounds. The anal area is usually attached when Roborovski hamsters chase one another. Are the hamsters all Roborovski dwarf hamster or another species?

Let us know how he is. x

MarcosD · 08-05-2015, 10:37 PM

Hello thanks for the replies. I will apply the saline water first thing in the morning. It'll be difficult because he doesn't like being held.. I'm not sure if he's drinking water so that's what worries me the most. My bottle leaks a little so i can't measure. He does run on his wheel still so I'm hoping that's a good sign. His tank is in my room which I only go in there to sleep so its really quite. Is a 10G tank too small for him? I'm worried that it might be stressful for him.

racinghamster · 08-06-2015, 06:38 AM

I don`t know what 10 Gallons is but hopefully someone will give the dimensions. It sounds small to me but he needs rest right now and even though he`s running on his wheel, he could still be stressed. Don`t apply the saline if he`s too unhappy or you find it difficult to hold him safely. Ideally, the wounds need cleaning, but we can`t see how seriously he was attacked or the shape he is in so it will be down to him being able and strong enough to bounce back from what he went through.

Are your other two dwarf hamsters okay? As for water, he really does require the bottle to be low down and working. Place a shallow ceramic dish in with a little water if you need to. Leave a little fingernail sized piece of apple nearby for him to enjoy. Are his eyes open now? How is he doing now that he`s in his own tank?

charcobain · 08-06-2015, 08:48 AM

I do believe 10 gallons is too small and 20 is the minimum, someone can correct me if im wrong..

cypher · 08-06-2015, 09:09 AM

I'm not sure about dimensions but from what I can find on google a 10 gallon tank is 20" x 10" x 12" which is really very small.

kelza · 08-06-2015, 07:15 PM

A 20 gallon long tank is the minimum you want for a dwarf, hybrid or robo. The measurements are 30.25" x 12.5" x 12.75".

MarcosD · 08-06-2015, 10:22 PM

I didn't apply the saline because he kept moving and I didn't want to injure/stress him even more. My other hamster are perfectly fine. They are in a 40G Breeder which Is 36"x18". I really don't have anywhere else to keep the other hamster except a 10G. I have a hamster cage but its even smaller than the 10G. Would that be ok temporarily until he is healthy and I can rehome him? I lowered the bottle so he doesn't have to strech to reach it, although u saw him drink and eat today!

racinghamster · 08-07-2015, 01:07 AM

Hi Marcos. Have you heard of a Bin cage? They are made from clear plastic storage boxes and could provide your single hamster with a nice cage. will post an image of one for you. All good hardware stores and DIY/supermarkets stock these. You want one that`s around 75cm x 45cm floor space. You either need to mesh the top, or the front panel, which is easy enough once you have a few tools to hand. There are tutorials on `how to make a bin cage` on here and on google.

The tank and cage you have do sound very limiting, so a Bin cage could provide the answer. Anyone you rehome him to needs to know this too if he`s to be kept well and happy. x