Hamster with wound under paw

[SunsetPets]

Today when my hamster put his paw up against the glass on his cage, i noticed that he had a big wound underneath his paw. I am unable to get a good look at it because he has just started taming, and is very scared of my hands. He doesent seem in pain when he walks, but he hasnt used his wheel in two days. His paw was fine when I brought him home two weeks ago.
I know i should bring him to a vet, but I really dont want to stress him out so much so early, as it is a 45min drive each way.
Is there anything i can do at home?

[alpacassei]

It’s hard to tell from the pictures Has he got any wire/mesh platforms, wheels, or ladders in his cage? Walking on wire can cause painful blisters called bumblefoot. Also check all his toys for sharp edges or splinters. What substrate does he use? Some woodshavings can be sharp If his substrate spikes your hand when you squeeze a handful, then change it to something softer.

Apply saline solution to his paw twice a day until it’s healed and remove any sharp or rough objects. You can make saline solution by mixing 1/2 teaspoon of salt in a cup of boiled water and letting it cool before applying. Salt is a natural antiseptic and will help his would to heal as well as clean it. Do not apply any human medications, and if it’s not healing within a week, looks worse, or infected then take him to a vet asap!

[SunsetPets]

Thanks! He has no wire or mesh things in his cage. His wheel is an 11" trixie wheel. Most of his toys are wood, so I will check again for any sharp edges. For bedding I use a soft hemp bedding.

How should I apply the saline solution to minimize stress for him? We just started taming and he is really scared of my hands still.

[alpacassei]

Really it’s best to hold him still and apply gently using a cotton bud/pad. Don’t try to scruff him, scruffing can be painful or dangerous if done wrong. If he wont let you hold him at all, all I can think of is to soak a cotton pad in saline solution and let him walk onto it (use folded tissue instead of a cotten pad if you think there’s a chance he could try chewing it).

[cypher]

It's a job to tell from the photo but that does look quite raw, it will stress him out if you try to bath it, if you think you can do it without too much stress then worth a go otherwise maybe best to just try to keep an eye on it, it may heal on it's own but if it shows any signs of getting infected you will have to take him to the vet.
Wooden things can have sharp edges, splinters, even small tacks, chewing can make them rough too so it's best to do a good check on everything.

[SunsetPets]

I found no toys with sharp or rough edges, so how it happened is still a mystery. What I did was soak some kitchen paper in the saline solution, and line the bottom of his travel cage with it. I got him into a coffee cup filled with treats and put him In the travel cage for 5 minutes. What looked like a really big wound turned out to be a tiny little cut, that had just bled a lot and made it look much worse.
Thanks so much for your help

[cypher]

Good to hear the cut isn't too serious, that sounds like a neat trick for getting some saline on it!
It's possible there may have been something in his substrate possibly if nothing else in the cage looks like it could have caused the problem, what do you use?

[Sasha04]

Glad you seemed to have figured it out! Crossing my fingers for a speedy recovery!

[alpacassei]

I’m glad it’s noting serious and that you found a way to saline his paw I’m sure he will recover well!