Hamster bite

Question
Hey I have two male hamsters and they accidentally got near each other, and one went for the other started fitting so I grabbed them to deprecate them and one bit me hard and held on for a second. It bleed a lot but stopped quickly do I need to get it checked out or have a jab? It's bruised a bit and has puffed up. Please let me know thanks

Answer
Hi Kimerbley

I'm sorry to hear about your hamster.  I know these bites can really hurt.  You could phone your doctor's surgery and ask them whether or not you need a tetanus injection.  I think with tetanus you need to be injected within a certain number of hours after the event, otherwise it is too late for the injection.  I got bitten recently and had the same dilemma.  In the end I decided not to do anything, other than to use lots of antiseptic, and make sure the area was kept clean for a few days - mine healed fine.  However, it is hard for me to know whether or not you need a jab, and that is something that your doctor's surgery can advise.

I hope this helps.

Regards
Sheila