hamster with broken back leg

Question
My granddaughters hamster fell and her back leg (only one)seems to not be working very well. Is there something I can do for her? She is a wonderful hamster and I want to do what I can for her. Please help.

Answer
Hi Nancy

Broken bones in hamsters usually heal well. There are different views on how to treat however.  Some believe that it is best to leave well alone providing the leg looks straight and the circulation is good.  Others believe that pain relief should be given.  Whilst you don't want her in pain if she is given pain relief the problem is that she might over use the leg and make the situation worse.

The key thing is to make her home hamster friendly.  It is important that she is only on one level and does not have a wheel.  If she is in a cage with tubes etc see if you can block any off for a couple of weeks so that she isn't tempted to walk too far - you want her to rest as much as possible.  It will take a few weeks to completely heal.

If there is any sign that the bone is sticking out, if the foot goes a strange colour or swells then she must be examined by a vet.  It is very rare that a vet would even attempt to pin a broken bone due to its tiny size, however, if the injury is severe and the circulation is affected sometimes they will amputate.  I have had several 3 legged hamsters and they all seem to cope really well - their cage just needs to be modified.  Hopefully it won't come to this and she will be fine.

I hope this helps and she makes a speedy recovery.

Regards
Sheila