I dropped my hamster

Duffy · 04-29-2017, 04:19 PM

My hamster, Duffy, usually sits quietly on my legs while waiting for me to give him snacks. Tonight, he jumped off my legs and landed on the marble floor. I panicked and went to pick him but he resisted and fell out of my hand. He landed on the floor TWICE! I gave him extra foods and snacks tonight as a way of saying sorry. Do hamsters get concussions? Should I take him to the vet? (He is a Syrian hamster and he is 1 year and 1 month)

Drago · 04-29-2017, 05:31 PM

How far did he drop? Has he displayed any abnormal behaviors? Typically, hamsters will be fine and can survive fairly impressive falls, but you should always be cautious when handling. Check him over for any broken limbs/ribs and keep a very close eye on him. If he seems in pain or off at all, I'd recommend taking him to the vet. Hope all is okay with him, please let us know

JLPrairie · 04-29-2017, 07:43 PM

Here's a link to help you:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eCNzPzv1lWQ
I wouldn't worry toom much about it, though. Hamsters are resilient creatures!

Jennie F · 04-30-2017, 12:16 AM

We've all been there and done that! I think its part of the initiation into being a hamster owner. As Drago and JLPrairie have said already, just keep an eye on your little one and check them over . If it is anything serious you could probably tell straight away but watch them for a day or so just to be sure. Get them to the vets if you see anything obvious or are still concerned. Good luck and keep us posted x

Duffy · 05-01-2017, 05:24 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Drago

How far did he drop? Has he displayed any abnormal behaviors? Typically, hamsters will be fine and can survive fairly impressive falls, but you should always be cautious when handling. Check him over for any broken limbs/ribs and keep a very close eye on him. If he seems in pain or off at all, I'd recommend taking him to the vet. Hope all is okay with him, please let us know

About 40cm. Is it serious? btw, his nails are getting long. I went to the vet but she said that I should get sand papers and people online said I should get rocks. I couldn't find any rocks in pets at home but found some sanded papers(although it is for birds but the vet said it's fine). How can I cut them when he wouldn't stop moving.

AdrianPops · 05-01-2017, 05:33 AM

If you drop Duffy from a small height such as 40 cm it is uncommon that he will suffer any wounds. He should just freeze for a moment and then make sure to give it a small break before picking him back up.
Don't worry as it's unlikely that anything happened to him, but make sure to always check him out after such a thing happens. It happens to us all.

As for the long nails, don't get sandpaper. Surely it would help blunt them a little, but what about the skin? It's gonna get sore eventually.
Try getting some rocks which your hamster can step on, make sure they're plain and flat. Place them in your cage where your hamster steps the most. It's actually going to like the variation!
I don't recommend trying to cut its nails with anything as it's going to bleed, due to a vein named "quick" that a hamster has in its nails.

If you get rocks from outside, be sure to clean and scrub them spotlessly, and be sure that they're suitable for your hamster to easily step on over and over again as it roams in its cage. It might take a while but it will help regulate his nail growth.