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Old 07-01-2020, 10:33 AM   #1
magdap
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Join Date: Jun 2020
Posts: 5
Question How to care for Paralysed hamster

Hi everyone!! My boy Des had a spinal injury or a stroke as he's dragging his back legs. Doesn't look like he is bothered still eating and drinking and "zooming" when on the sofa. I will not put him to sleep if he is still a happy (as somewhat angry but thats his personality) hamster. We got him an Alaska to have more floor space instead of a tunnel and a platform. Someone suggested to have a towel instead of a bedding so he can walk easier. He does appear to walk faster on a sofa. Looking if anyone had experience with a disabled hamster.
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Old 07-01-2020, 11:44 AM   #2
HamsterLover30
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Default Re: How to care for Paralysed hamster

Hello.
First of all, I'm so sorry for your unfortunate occurrence. I have never owned a disabled hamster. However, I have a recommendation. A hamster youtuber I like to watch has owned many hamsters in the past, and I feel that your hamster may benefit from some care from her 'Aging hamsters' video. I'll leave the link for you below
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gnHA0BNkN9M

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Old 07-01-2020, 12:32 PM   #3
Pebbles82
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Default Re: How to care for Paralysed hamster

Hi. Sorry to hear he drags his back legs. Has he been diagnosed by a vet over this? And what species of hamster is he? It doesn't sound like a stroke. There are other reasons they can end up dragging their back legs. If it's a spinal injury it can lead to them having a lot of pain so a vet diagnosis would be good and some pain relief just in case.

The Alaska is good floor area. It is a bit high so it would need setting up carefully so he can't climb and everything is at floor level, or he could fall and get an injury.

One thing that worked for me, with a disabled dwarf hamster, was putting substrate in as usual (I use paper based - Fitch - similar to Carefresh - which can be pressed down well) and then I covered it over with hemp mat. So it was basically a flat surface for moving around on but higher up with the substrate underneath (so they can reach water bottle etc. The substrate underneath also made it a bit softer to walk on.

I wouldn't use a towel as that can be chewed and cotton threads get wrapped round legs and teeth - not safe really, Hemp mats are safe for hamsters and they like them.

I'll see if I can find a photo of our robo's set up with the hemp mat. And will link where you can get them. They cut up easily so you can cut different shaped pieces and sizes to fit round things (eg the wheel).

The other reason I put it on top of substrate was so his wheel was at the same level entry-wise, as the hemp mat, because he couldn't climb up into it. So the wheel was on the cage base - the substrate up to the level of the bottom of the actual wheel part and the hemp mat on top of that. Plus an extra piece of hemp mat as a step up. The Rodipet one is thinner and better - easier to cut. The other one is fine but quite chunky and difficult to cut.

https://www.rodipet.co.uk/cages-runs...-nagarium.html

https://www.zooplus.co.uk/shop/small...ll_pets/182988

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Last edited by Pebbles82; 11-27-2022 at 06:52 PM.
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Old 07-01-2020, 12:56 PM   #4
magdap
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Default Re: How to care for Paralysed hamster

This is amazing, thank you so much!! We have been to 2 vets one didn't know and prescribed painkillers and the other one thinks its a spinal injury. Im confused as he is scratching with his feet and is moving the legs but not as strongly? If that makes sense.. Ill get some hemp mat for him. He's a russian dwarf and thankfully never interested in climbing! I love that hanging bed, where did you get it from?
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Old 07-01-2020, 02:29 PM   #5
Pebbles82
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Default Re: How to care for Paralysed hamster

Oh he loved that It's a fuzzbutts mini stack a fuzz. Now normally fleece hammocks or any hammocks are a bit risky - they can be chewed and have rings at the corner they can catch their feet in. But our robo was so not that well really and he didn't bother to chew things so I took the risk and kept an eye on him and it was fine - no chewing. But to get rid of the risk of the eyelet rings I used very thick sisal rope to hang it up with so the knot filled the eyelet rings up. It was hung very low, almost at floor level so he could get in and out easily.

The fuzzbutts ones are made very well so no loose stitching - but they do have a cloth label on one side which can be dangerous if chewed with loose cotton threads etc. So I snipped that off and carefully pulled out any loose cotton threads left behind where it had been snipped off.

His main house is the wood one - he loved that too - I had to make a slope down to the entrance so he could still walk on the flat.

In his case he had a very large lump that affected his mobility. The hemp mat worked really well. You can also see easily if a bit has been peed on and just replace that little piece

How old is he? Our syrian started to drag his back legs a bit when he was quite old and it wasn't a spinal injury - they can get back leg weakness for other reasons.

If it's for a dwarf hamster then definitely keep everything at floor level,no shelves etc. I bet he'd like a labyrinth house as well though - and it will fill some of the space at floor level and the roof provides a very low level (like the house roof above)
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Old 07-01-2020, 02:33 PM   #6
Pebbles82
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Default Re: How to care for Paralysed hamster

These are the fuzzbutts mini sized ones for hamsters (they make them for rats mainly). If he's not a chewer you could try one but I would use the thick sisal rope with it to fill the eyelets as they can get their legs caught and end up hanging by a broken leg! The sisal rope is safe to chew but normal string and rope or anything cotton, isn't safe to chew.

If he chews it though you'd need to take it out again.

https://www.fuzzbutt.co.uk/homer/

The wood house I had was from rodipet. The Leif labyrinth house below is cheaper and fine for a dwarf hamster as well

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Trixie-6201...3-09163b7d9294

But you can also make a labyrinth house out of cardboard - a shoebox makes a good nesting box/house as well. They like them because it's somewhere dark to retreat to especially if no shelves etc and space above.

Last edited by Pebbles82; 07-01-2020 at 02:39 PM.
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Old 07-02-2020, 02:44 PM   #7
magdap
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Default Re: How to care for Paralysed hamster

This is amazing thank you so much!! Des is 1,5 years old. He had a growth removed and vet was curious what was the cause on his legs and it turns out he has growth on his spine below the mid section. He's not in pain and bit groggy after the op today but otherwise seems good! It won't get better only worse but i am willing to take care of him.
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Old 07-02-2020, 03:07 PM   #8
Pebbles82
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Default Re: How to care for Paralysed hamster

That is good news they found something and treated it. You’ll have to see I suppose whether his legs improve or not now but it’s not a bad idea to have a simple one level set up for an older hamster anyway.
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hamster, walk, sofa, space, personality, alaska, floor, faster, experience, disabled, easier, suggested, angry, platform, towel, bedding, tunnel, injury, spinal, stroke, back, dragging, des, boy, care

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