Content

• Steps

Hamsters are small and agile animals. However, hamsters are very active, so it is easy to fall from above and are at risk of fractures, mainly the hind bones. Fractures are a serious problem, so your hamster has to be given the best care and priority. If your hamster has an open fracture, you should see your veterinarian immediately. If there is a closed fracture, resting in the cage will help the hamster's bones recover.

Steps

Part 1 of 2: Reaction to hamster fracture

1. 

   Look for signs of a fracture. You may notice that your hamster is in pain. When in pain, the mouse will no longer be active and want to move as before. In addition, there are other signs of fracture such as:
   • Swelling
   • Make a strange sound because the broken bone is rubbing itself together.
   • The bones come off and become visible when the skin is torn (rare).

2. 

   
   
   Distinguish open fractures and closed fractures. If you suspect that your hamster has a fracture, you should determine what kind of fracture the hamster has. If the hamster has an open fracture, you can see the broken white bone through the broken skin. If there is a closed fracture, the broken bone, as well as the wound, will not be visible. Instead, the broken bone is closed between the calves. If your hamster has a closed fracture, you will notice the following:
   • Mouse dragged legs
   • The mouse avoids placing the focus on the broken leg
   • You will feel like bones crackling when you lightly touch the injured area of ​​the mouse

3. 

   
   
   Know when to bring your hamster to the vet. Hamsters with open fracture should seek immediate veterinary attention. You cannot treat a hamster's open fracture at home. In addition, without medical treatment, the bone root will become infected and then spread to the tissue, poisoning the blood and causing the mouse death. When the hamster has an open fracture, the hamster will be in pain and become sluggish, so bring it to the vet immediately.
   • You should also prepare yourself mentally, as your doctor may euthanize the hamster (give the rat a gentle death) so that it doesn't suffer any more pain. If medical treatment cannot help the rat to treat the leg, euthanasia will save the rat from the pain.

   

   
   

   Pippa Elliott, MRCVS

   Veterinarian Elliott is a veterinarian with over thirty years of experience in veterinary surgery and pet disease treatment. She graduated from Glasgow University in 1987 with a degree in veterinary surgeon. She has worked at a vet clinic in her hometown for more than 20 years.

   

   Pippa Elliott, MRCVS
   Veterinarians

   Pippa Elliott, veterinarian, advises that: "Please Take the hamster to the vet, even if you suspect the mouse has a fracture. Hamsters may have been in pain for a long time and need to be assessed for pain relief. "

4. 

   Prepare the mouse for surgery. If your hamster has an open fracture, your veterinarian may order a leg amputation or immobilize the broken bone. Both of these surgical procedures are dangerous, needing to be done under strict sterile conditions to avoid infection. The rat will be anesthetized so that it does not suffer pain. You should be aware that the success rate of surgery is very low and the mouse may die during surgery.
   • Can not Replace bones in mice without anesthesia. Hamsters will be extremely painful without anesthesia.Only a professional veterinarian has the ability to anesthetize and operate the hamster's bones.
   • Are not use pain relievers for hamsters because they are too small and are at risk of overdose. Taking too much pain reliever in hamsters is dangerous, can cause stomach ulcers and even death.
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Part 2 of 2: Controlling the treatment of closed fractures

1. 

   Give your hamster plenty of rest. You should keep your mouse wheel to prevent further damage. If your hamster lives in a multi-level Rotastak cage system and a climbing pipe, remove all pipes, racks, or ladders so the hamster can sit still. You should also avoid playing with the ball if you want your hamster's bones to heal. In general, avoid allowing the hamster to move or walk when the leg is broken.
   • Prevent your hamster from working too hard to reduce the gravity placed on the broken leg, thus helping the cracked bones to reconnect and heal.
   • An active hamster and a running wheel will create a breakdown of damaged tissue as well as hinder bone repair and repair.

2. 

   Feed the mouse full of nutrients. Consult with your veterinarian about a healthy mouse diet that includes fruits and vegetables. You might consider feeding your hamster dried vegetables or pellets to prevent rotting of fresh vegetables when they try to store food in a corner of the cage. You can also give your hamster milk because the calcium in the milk helps with bone healing. However, you should give your hamster raw milk and every 2 hours at least you should change the milk to avoid infection. Do not overfeed the hamster to avoid gaining weight and placing more weight on the broken leg.
   • Not all hamsters can tolerate milk. Therefore, if you find that the pellets are soft or the hamster has diarrhea, you should stop feeding the rat milk immediately.

3. 

   Avoid dressing the mouse fracture. Hamsters are too small to bandage a broken bone. Ice poses a risk of rubbing the skin, causing sores and pain in the mouse. In addition, the mouse can chew ice, or even swallow. In addition, bandages can put pressure on the fracture and cause pain in the mouse.
   • Remember that you can bandage broken bones on other animals such as dogs or cats to aid in bonding, but hamsters are too small to be bandaged.

4. 

   Be patient and watch for signs of recovery. Usually, a hamster fracture is reversible in as little as 4 weeks. However, some rats take 12 weeks or more to recover. In the meantime, you can check for signs of recovery such as walking on a broken leg or reducing swelling at the fracture. When you gently touch the broken leg, the hamster will not respond or screech. If the mouse responds to pain, do not touch it.
   • The most obvious way to tell if your hamster's bones have healed is by taking an x-ray. X-rays can be quite expensive and you will also need anesthesia for the mouse.
   • If the hamster's leg bones are healed, you can either continue to wheel the hamster or reinstall the cage multistage system. There are also cases where the bone bonding process is wrong and dislocated the mouse leg. If this happens, don't panic either. Just watch and hamster will gradually get better.
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