"Bruised" Ears?

[BrainGirl]

Theo was especially energetic this afternoon and clearly happy with life, so I let him have a run in some deep clover in the back yard. He's half bald and a rather wrinkled old man at this point but he's still got a lot of life! Something I noticed when I got him out that kind of worried me though are that his ears have changed colour! Just the tops (outsides) of them where they fold when a hammie's ears are relaxed. I'd have said it was skin cancer or an injury but for the fact that both ears are affected in exactly the same way! The colour is a dark purplish-reddish-brown, just like a blood blister or a bruise and it doesn't cover the whole ear.

[jesselle]

Was it sunny out? He could have sunburn?

[BrainGirl]

Oh no, his ears were like that when I got him out of the cage and I didn't put him in the sun. I just mentioned his romp to show that there doesn't seem to be anything else wrong with him! Actually, that in itself is a bit of a change, I've never seen him so energetic.

[Gazmo]

have you got any pics of it|?

[BrainGirl]

I'll give it a try. My camera is ooold but maybe with a friend's help I can set up the shot so it works

[Gizmoandfriends]

Did you get a picture? Has the bruising gone down at all?

[BrainGirl]

No, didn't get a decent picture, but his ears still have those dark patches! I wondered if it was normal in extreme old age. He does seem to be getting deafer or sleeping more deeply, and he's more likely to react with alarm when he's awakened. Like just now when I moved his cage to get better light and he launched himself out of his bed and onto his back shrieking before scuttling into his tunnel I was talking to him but I guess he didn't hear me.

[BrainGirl]

He can't be too sick though because he dug a hug hole in his substrate and buried his toys

[Gazmo]

maybe he is just old, i mean you see old people with skin pigmentation stuff right?
Hmm, maybe you need another way to show him your there? take some smelly food or something

[Gizmoandfriends]

Haha!! Its hard when something is wrong but they act normal