Bailey’s leg amputation.

[Emma Marie]

Hi all,
I haven’t posted in a long time but I have unfortunately had a really rough few weeks.
I have a Russian dwarf hamster called Bailey. I have had him for six months. A little over a fortnight ago he got his leg trapped in a bendy bridge. I was able to free him but he wasn’t weight bearing. At the vets he was given pain meds and it was hoped it was a sprain but sadly he continued to not use the leg and it began to change colour. At the vets the decision was made to amputate the leg and thankfully he got through the surgery okay.

He is on metacam and baytril. He is currently acting fine but isn’t eating as much. Normally he gets through his bowl of food but he seems to be eating less which I am worried about.
He is obviously not allowed his wheel at present and I upgraded his cage to the savic plaza 100 so he has more floor space. I am really nervous because his incision site looks sore to me but the vet says it’s okay just slightly inflamed and I should continue with antibiotics and pain meds.

He is the sweetest hamster and I want to make sure I am doing all I can for him.

[souffle]

Aww bless him. I'm so sorry that happened.
Which foot is it that is affected front or back? Sometimes with a front foot eating can be more difficult as they can't sit up and hold the food to nibble it. Even with a back foot balance can be harder so that may explain the not eating as much.
Check his store as well. He may be eating a normal amount however as he has a missing leg may not be transporting food to the store and leaving it in the bowl instead which would explain why the bowl seems full. Emptying the pouches is harder on the missing foot side as the use both feet to push the food forward out the pouches.
He's likely still feeling sore and they can nibble at the wound so watch that closely. He may also be unsettled in a new larger cage. We normally use a smaller tank type cage after operations to restrict too much movement - a bit like a hospital cage.
Use lots of enrichment to keep him busy like cardboard tubes and boxes to trash and make puzzle toys for him to search food in. Hope he recovers soon

[Emma Marie]

Thank you so much for your reply!

It’s his back leg. I was really worried about him eating seeds and things like that but I watched him de shell a sunflower seed earlier 😊 that’s very true about the balance he doesn’t seem as interested in larger treats that he has to hold.
He’s quite nimble on 3 legs though and Is getting around well.
He definitely isn’t storing as much food so that’s reassuring.

Just hoping his wound doesn’t get worse. I see the vets again on Wednesday and they did say worse case scenario they would have to take him back into surgery. But hopefully it won’t get to that point.
His antibiotics are in his water because it’s too small an amount to give so it’s tricky to tell how much he is actually getting in.

[souffle]

If it is a small amount I would consider giving it by mouth or in a tiny drop of baby food. You have no control over how much they drink however the vet will have factored in a dilution so you won't be able to give him the full amount they said to put in the water.
If it is Baytril it tastes horrid and some don't take the water with the taste of it. I'd ask about that when you see the vets as you don't want an infection.
Antibiotics also can destroy the gut bacteria so their digestion is not as good. A bit of live yogurt, just a drop can help.