Yes, a hamster can break its foot. This can happen in two ways: either by running into something or because the pressure on the foot caused it to break. When they hit something and fall, more weight is put on their feet, so when the bones try to move away from each other from this pressure, they can snap.
This article discusses what happens when a hamster breaks their foot and how to prevent that from happening.
What Happens If a Hamster Breaks Its Leg?
It will go into shock and start to shake, get cold, and shiver a lot. Then, they start to look sick.
Next thing you know, the leg will die and rot off, then the hamster’s blood starts pouring out of its body because it’s so fragile; this may be when it dies from hemorrhagic shock.
A hamster can also break its leg while struggling to escape its cage mate or claw at you if you grab it too hard. If this happens, the hamster will go into shock and die within a couple of days if not treated immediately.
It is best to keep the hamster as quiet as possible; This tends to make the hamster more relaxed and less likely to be anxious. It will also allow it to recover from the injury without being bumped around.
Hamsters should not be put in a bright room, as they tend to hide when they feel nervous or uncomfortable.
Painkillers are only given after the injury and before any further damage can happen due to blood loss. A vet should be seen as soon as possible after the break because if it is not treated correctly, the animal can die.
The vet will file down the sharp edges of the broken bone to restore the hamster’s natural shape. It may also need a splint applied to the leg and removed after a week or two when the break has adequately healed.
What To Do If Your Hamster Is Limping?
The first thing you should do is try and figure out why the hamster is in pain. There are a lot of possible threats to a hamster’s health. Some of these include: –
- Infections – A bacterial infection will likely leave pus behind and might smell foul; viral infections are more general and easier to spread, but they do not necessarily produce any pus or odor.
- Injuries – the hamster may have accidentally hurt itself or been attacked by a cat and injured itself.
You can help your hamster avoid many of these threats simply by knowing what is happening. For example, if you are out of the house for several hours and your hamster is in its cage, it may have gotten into something.
Make sure to find a vet with experience with small animals like hamsters when you need medical treatment for your pet—having someone professional helps you will save time and stress. Experienced veterinarians may prescribe antibiotic cream to treat injuries (the most common being staphylococcal).
You can help your hamster recover more quickly by starting it on gentle exercises now rather than waiting until the swelling subsides.
provide a small platform made of wood or cardboard that it can use to practice standing and walking. The small platform can be supported by a piece of wood or other material so that it is at the same height as the floor of its cage.
Then, you can place your hamster (still in its home) on the board while you hold onto its harness. You can also put some food just out of reach, so your hamster will have to walk forward to get it.
Ways Of Preventing Your Hamster from Breaking Their Feet?
You can prevent your hamster from breaking its foot by including a glass water bowl in with the hamster’s running wheel. The water will stop your pet from jumping and prevent injury.
You should ensure that there aren’t any power cords on your running wheel. Most hamsters have an instinctive curiosity about these things, so if there is the possibility that they can get into the power cord, put it in a place where they cannot reach it.
Ensure you do not overfeed your hamster. They will eat more than you think they are capable of eating!
If they are overweight, hamsters jumping ability may be impaired, which is an excellent way to hurt them.
It would help if you also avoided excessive fluctuations in temperature. Hamsters need a relatively constant temperature of around 82 degrees F; hamsters prefer to be in a warm room.
If their temperature dips too low, they will hibernate, which you want them to do but not because you are anxious about the hamster.
You can also put a soft carpet or towel on the cage floor. The more your hamster has to clear before hamsters get to the hard flooring, the less likely they are to injure itself from jumping.
A well-balanced diet is also essential for keeping your pet safe. When feeding hamsters, ensure you don’t put in too much protein, which can be converted into fat and cause obesity.
Hamster’s Foot FAQs
How do you know if your hamster’s foot is broken?
You know if your hamster’s foot is broken by checking to see if it usually walks. Suppose the hamster is sitting on its foot, touching the ground with its toes.
In this case, you can feel a lump or a sharp ridge when you try to move it along by sliding your finger between them, this could mean that the bone broke during metabolism and healed incorrectly, but there are other possibilities.
For example, the bone may have broken during healing. Bone heals in one of two ways: within six weeks, it will completely heal, and you can hardly detect that it is broken. Or, there could be a breakage where the bone shows some signs of healing but has not healed entirely at that time.
If you do suspect a problem, the best way to check out your hamster’s foot is to take it out and examine it with a bright light. If it is broken, you should be able to see a break in the bone.
You tell if my hamster’s foot is broken by observing its behavior. Ensure the animal is not struggling to walk and is in pain, as if it may be injured.
If the hamster’s leg reacts to touch or manipulations, it may be experiencing some degree of pain.
If this is the case, you can immediately seek veterinary care by taking the hamster to a hospital or vet clinic. More importantly, you should take steps to make sure the hamster doesn’t suffer.
If the foot is broken, it will likely be swollen and red; This can quickly be relieved by several drops of saline solution or warm water.
However, you may need to tie a sock around the affected leg to keep it still long enough for you to perform these simple procedures.
After this, keep the hamster immobile by placing it in a carrier or towel and transporting it directly to your veterinarian.
How can I help my hamster in pain?
You can help your hamster in pain by providing them with a heating pad. Make sure to put a towel underneath the heating pad to prevent it from damaging the floor, and make sure that there is enough room for the hamster to extend in front of it entirely.
Keep in mind that this does not solve the problem completely, but it can at least give your pet enough comfort to fall asleep through the night and thus help prevent further problems.
You can also provide your hamster with pain medication found at any pet store or pharmacy. Apply this directly into their mouth or mix it with water, giving them drops on their food every 12 hours.
You can provide your hamster with an anti-inflammatory (found at any pharmacy) and give them a small amount of food daily. Make sure to monitor the dosage and make sure to consult a vet if it’s not making any progress.
If your hamster is suffering from acute pain or any injury, it may be best to take them to the vet. Your veterinarian will examine them and ensure they don’t have any other injuries or illnesses that could cause this discomfort.
Your veterinarian will most likely prescribe pain medications, while others may recommend that you find a new home for them if they are not helping out with the problem.
Exercise can be a great way to keep your pet healthy and in good spirits.
Final Thoughts
A hamster’s foot is a vulnerable organ; naturally, they try to protect this valuable appendage. It’s essential in the hamster’s life to keep their feet safe; this protects their paws, which are pretty sensitive and don’t have tough nails like the rest of their body.
Hamsters can also slip-on leaves and end up with sores or injuries that could be potentially life-threatening if untreated.
If a hamster falls off their wheel, it can damage its foot. If a hamster falls from a high place, it could potentially break the bone of the inner arch in its feet.
Hopefully, this article was helpful; consider the guidelines discussed to prevent your hamster from breaking its foot.
