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LazyHarpSeal · 10-18-2017, 06:36 PM

Hi

I recently posted a thread about my roborovskis foot injury. But now there is an entirely new problem so I thought I would post a new thread. I took my hamster to the vet once again and no sign of a foot infection or break, probably a sprain causing the swelling. The vet didn't want to prescribe meds at this point due to the risk of overdose in giving medicine to such a small animal. He advised I take the wheel out of the cage (which I had done the previous night anyway) for at least 1-2 weeks..... which brings me to my current dilemma

Tilly loves his wheel and is very active. I knew from a previous incident (the wheel I bought when I first got him was broken so I didn't use it in his cage the first night I had him and got a new one the day after) that he would be agitated and probably running up and down the sides of the cage. I thought this may be less of problem now he is in a larger cage to run around in but I was wrong

He has been running around and trying to dig at the plastic. I gave him more substrate to burrow and a lot of different diy toilet roll tube toys but this hasn't really helped. For the first time ever, he came willingly to my hand to sit in and be taken out to have a run around outside. I kept putting him back after 10, 15 minutes or so. I would leave him a while but then he would want to come back out again.

Tonight is the fourth night without a wheel and things just seem to be getting worse. I checked his foot to see if the swelling had gone down, which it had

However, there are now very sore patches at the back of each foot and bleeding. I think it is from overgrooming and biting as I have seen him groom more often and more vigorously than ever before

.

Any advice would be great. It is heartbreaking to see my little Tilly like this and I feel powerless. Should I take him back to the vet? And is there anything I can do to reduce the risk of infection (other than keeping a clean cage) where the bleeding is?

10-18-2017, 06:36 PM
LazyHarpSeal Newborn Pup Join Date: Mar 2017 Location: Nottinghamshire, UK Posts: 23	Hospital cage problems Hi I recently posted a thread about my roborovskis foot injury. But now there is an entirely new problem so I thought I would post a new thread. I took my hamster to the vet once again and no sign of a foot infection or break, probably a sprain causing the swelling. The vet didn't want to prescribe meds at this point due to the risk of overdose in giving medicine to such a small animal. He advised I take the wheel out of the cage (which I had done the previous night anyway) for at least 1-2 weeks..... which brings me to my current dilemma Tilly loves his wheel and is very active. I knew from a previous incident (the wheel I bought when I first got him was broken so I didn't use it in his cage the first night I had him and got a new one the day after) that he would be agitated and probably running up and down the sides of the cage. I thought this may be less of problem now he is in a larger cage to run around in but I was wrong He has been running around and trying to dig at the plastic. I gave him more substrate to burrow and a lot of different diy toilet roll tube toys but this hasn't really helped. For the first time ever, he came willingly to my hand to sit in and be taken out to have a run around outside. I kept putting him back after 10, 15 minutes or so. I would leave him a while but then he would want to come back out again. Tonight is the fourth night without a wheel and things just seem to be getting worse. I checked his foot to see if the swelling had gone down, which it had However, there are now very sore patches at the back of each foot and bleeding. I think it is from overgrooming and biting as I have seen him groom more often and more vigorously than ever before . Any advice would be great. It is heartbreaking to see my little Tilly like this and I feel powerless. Should I take him back to the vet? And is there anything I can do to reduce the risk of infection (other than keeping a clean cage) where the bleeding is?