Midnight's hurt his paw,

[SecretlyDying]

Hi i'm looking for advice as my youngest ham (he's about 4 months old, and a Syrian) seems to have hurt one of his back paws - it looks like a cut inbetween one of his toes but also looks like the bottom of the paw is missing a layer of skin? and some of his nails, mainly one looks overgrown/bent. Will he need to see a vet? He hates being handled so i couldn't get a picture and this is whats worrying me as he still dislikes being handled - i can't hold him to clean the wound, check it or anything like that so i'm.not sure if the vet could - last time i took my dwarf to her she could barely keep up with his speed. What should i do? Any help appreciated :)

[Nancy's Hamsters]

I'm afraid you will need a vet to look at the paw and they will most likely give you antibiotics to be sure the wounded paw doesn't get infected. You may have to get on heavy gloves and handle him so he becomes used to the handling as to dispense medications properly you'll have to drip it into his mouth which of course will require handling.

[Thin Lizzy]

I'm with Nancy, when you take him to the vet, offer to hold him for her and wear gloves. It's better you holding him because he knows you. I know he doesn't like being picked up but, try and stay calm when you do as hamsters can sense if you're nervous.
I hope his paw is ok.

[SecretlyDying]

Thank you both for your reply, i'll tell my dad when he's awake later and we'll try get a vet appointment sorted - its a busy day today (results day) but i'll try make sure Midnight is sorted too - will gloves stop him from jumping as this is what he does to get out of being handled, he jumps and forces his way out - never bites, could the antibiotics not be mixed with babyfood or would this lessen the effect? Also should his wheel be removed until his paw is better?

[Thin Lizzy]

If you use rubber gloves - the ones used for housework this'll give you a better grip.
Just make sure if you find gloves in the house they haven't been used for anything like bleach.
It depends how serious the paw is, usually if the antibiotics is by mouth, you can get little food syringes or you could put it into his fave fruit and vegetables.
Have you got a suitable sized carry box? You might need to hold him while keeping him in the box to prevent him jumping.

[SecretlyDying]

Thanks for the quick reply Lizzy - we dont own any rubber cleaning gloves but i can easily.go buy some, thanks for the tips on the antibiotics - the box i have is a small plastic container i bought and drilled holes in, it isnt that big tbh - i'll take a picture now and post it in a minute :) I don't mind having to find/buy another tub if you think i need something a bit bigger :)

The diy carrier -

[Thin Lizzy]

I used to use one like that. I got a bigger one. But, it should be ok, if you've got a big cardboard box, you could put him in the carry you already have and put it in the bigger box so that when it comes to the vet, you can take him from the carry box and put him in the biggest cardboard box, to get a hold of him.

[SecretlyDying]

Again thanks.for your reply i really appreciate it - i'll look for a cardboard box but if not i know of a plastic storage container i can buy (or borrow) - had my.eye on one for awhile tbh as the carrier i have now was made specifically for dwarfs - do you think his wheel should be removed?

[Thin Lizzy]

No problem, I couldn't sleep and always end up on HC.
I would remove his wheel until his paw gets better.
If you leave it in, he'll continue to use it which could slow down the healing.

[SecretlyDying]

Thank you, I'll remove it in a minute then :) Thank you for all your help

[Thin Lizzy]

No problem, keep us updated on how Midnight gets on.
Good Luck with your results xx

[SecretlyDying]

Well my mum just got off the phone to the vets - he has an appointment for 20 past 5 - i made my mum tell them over thebphone he doesn't like being held so hopefully that'll help abit as vet will be aware, i also managed to get a pair of rubber gloves off my.sister that i'll take as well just incase

[Thin Lizzy]

That's great you've got an appointment later on and telling them that he doesn't like being held, it let's them know that you have a nervous hamster and will need a calming atmosphere. I'm sure he'll be fine if he knows you're there. Twinkle's last visit to the vet was awful, the vet had no chance of holding her, I managed to hold her in her carry box but, she wriggled about.
How did you get on with your results?

[SecretlyDying]

Thanks Lizzy i'm really nervous and scared the vet might drop him - my mind thinks about everything that could go wrong. On a positive(ish) note the carrier is all set up - i used the tub we put crisp in, cleaned it out first. I had to make a makeshift lid as one half of the lid is missing - i'll be watching him the whole time in the car though so it should be alright :/ My results weren't too good - better than i expected as i expected to fail all my exams, hopefully i'll be able to get into college :p

[Thin Lizzy]

I always got nervous too going to the vet.
Good on you in your results, you did better than you thought,you gave it everything. As for college, I'm sure you'll get a place.
That carrier looks much better!

[SecretlyDying]

Thanks Lizzy, just got back from the vets - she respected that he doesn't like being handled and instead put him inside a clear sided container and looked at his paw that way. Her conclusion is he's split/cut the skin between one of his toes and the wound continues onto his paw pad, and his nails are abit long - she prescribed baytril just incase of infection - his cage is pretty much full of cardboard rn - no plastic except his water bottle.holder. I'm heading out now to buy some babyfood to mix his baytril in :)

[Thin Lizzy]

That's so good Midnight's experience at the vet went well. Did he behave?
Baby Food is great for disguising the baytril, be careful to check the sugar content in the baby food, the vegetable foods are better than the fruit.
That was clever of the vet putting him in a clear container.

[SecretlyDying]

He behaved quite well - he did look at her with his grumpy face when she first disturbed him, i wish i could've took a picture his expression was so cute :) i picked up a carrot and potato babyfood and cauliflower & cheese, i was hoping to get some porridge oats but couldn't see any. Midnight doesn't seem to like not having a wheel - he's taken to knocking over the toys (mainly his house) in his cage :D

[Thin Lizzy]

The Carrot and Sweet Potato, Peas and Courgette and Brocolli & Cauliflower Cheese are also good for hamsters. Grumpy Midnight, that would've been a cute pic. When Twinkle hurt her leg, she had such a tantrum because I removed her flying saucer, it was amusing ! I kept her saucer out for over a week and when I did put it back, she went crazy spinning very fast.

[SecretlyDying]

Well tonight was his second night without his wheel and not having it is driving him nuts - he's knocked his diy cardboard house over & flattened it and he keeps climbing his water bottle holder - he seems desperate to come out his cage :) I wasn't very well today so none of the hams got playtime. On a positive note though he's eating all the babyfood i give him (taking his medicine well) and seems more willing to walk onto my hands - probably cause he wants out so badly :D

[Thin Lizzy]

Poor Midnight! Good to hear he's eating all his baby food with the baytril. Does the vet want to see him back after he finishes his meds?
How long did she say for him to take the baytril?

[SecretlyDying]

Thanks Lizzy, I feel so bad for him really its like he doesn't know what to do with himself :D The vet doesn't want to see him again - she never mentioned it. He's on baytril for a week - twice daily :)

[Thin Lizzy]

Hi Secretly, how's Midnight's paw looking now?
Just think of all the fun he'll have when he gets his wheel back,, Twinkle went nuts when she got hers back and I had to intervene a few times to make sure she had some water.

[SecretlyDying]

Well midnight paw seems to be better - no more cut/scab on the bottom or top. is it safe to put his wheel back in or should i wait the full week (so till thursday?) and should his antibiotics still be given till thursday just incase? :)

[Piebald]

Always finish the course of antibiotics or you risk creating a resistant strain that comes back and is harder to kill. Why don't you try some limited supervised wheel time and see how it goes? Glad Midnight is doing well :)

[Thin Lizzy]

Hi Secretly, totally agree with Piebald, it's always better to finish the course and supervised wheel time is fine. After he finishes his antibiotics, you can put his wheel back in his cage.
Good to hear his paw is healing.