Missing toes

[Smysha]

Aeons ago (well, nearly a year ago) I noticed a black mark on my hamster's toe the last toe from her bottom right paw. It looked like the toe was still healthy but just black. I thought it was a bruise. Some time later there was no more toe. Being a good mother I made sure that there was nothing in her cage that she could catch her toe on except in a freak accident sort of situation. I also kept an eye on her and she showed no signs of discomfort. She didn't even limp!

Now recently I was playing with her and I noticed another toe missing. This time the last one from her top right paw. I check her nails quite frequently to see what length they are so I'm not sure how I've missed this. Again I never saw any obvious signs of discomfort from her and again there is nothing in her cage or in any of the toes I own that warrant a toe being caught and lost.

What am I missing? Or is Jenga just seriously retarded?*




* Please note that if this is the case then I, for one, will not be surprised.

[LoveMyHams]

Maybe a trip to the vet to make sure she's healthy? Hamsters shouldn't just be losing toes! I'm assuming the black toe was dead and that's why it fell off. But why was it dead? And was the other toes lost also black and dead?

[Jaybee]

Sounds like gangrene or necrosis, I would take your hamster to the vet. Don't wait around.

[fluffymunchkins]

hmmm how very strange!
It s quite possible she has bad circulation and its leading to thetoes becoming dead. But if this keeps happening it could become a serious problem, especially if its her front paws.

[SnickersTheFirst]

I've never heard of anything like this before, how strange. I'd get a vet to check it out incase she starts to lose anything else.

[souffle]

It sounds to me as if she has had some sort of injury either to the nail bed or some sort of cut which as led to the circulation being cut off and the toe had died and fallen off. Sometimes this will lead to a deep bone infection which spreads across the limb and cound even travel up her leg. She will not be limping because she will not have any feeling in the toes that are dead.
I think you need to see the vets so she can have some treatment in case it is still latent inside her foot.
What type of wheel do you use? Some wheels have little gaps (silent spinners do) between the two coloured plastic areas and toes can get stuck in them and injured. We tape over the gaps or you can fill with silicon sealant. I think the new style ones are OK but the old ones have a different design.

[Jaybee]

Today I was at a hamster show and someone brought up a hamsters tail falling off which made me think of this topic. People said it could have to do with poor circulation due to diabetes.

[Smysha]

Hiya,

Well, I feel seriously stupid, daft and all things idiotic. She just messed up her nail. That was all. The toe itself is fine! The old wound is definitely from where the toe fell off but as it's an isolated incident and happened a long time ago I'm sure she's fine.

Thank-you for all your advice! I had booked her an appointment at the vet which I can now cancel! I'm so glad that it was just me not seeing it right and not some bone disease or diabetes!