Emergency

Question
I have a teddy bear hamster LUBI and he looks really sick. I've had him for about 2 years now. I wasn't there when he first got sick. My mom had called me and told me (I was away for a week). When i got back i saw that he was losing his fur and every time i took him out his back side was wet. Now 2 days later i take him out and i see him and he can't walk (it looks like his back side leg is hurting him). Then i notice that he keeps biting everything so i check his teeth and one of them is broken in half. I called vets but none of them want to take him in. I would be really happy if you have any advice to make him at least a little better. I don't like to see him suffer.

Answer
HI Saul

Sorry to hear that Lubi isn't well.

I don't understand why a vet has refused to see him - surely their priority is the health of animals.

There are a few things you can do:  Firstly, clean his cage out thoroughly.  Secondly, clean him up - you say his rear end is wet - is this his pee, or diarrhea?  You can use water for this - dry him off gently with a towel.

Clean up his leg - (I'm in the UK so I'm not sure where you are and what is available to you)  If you can, get hold of some Tea Tree cream that is specially designed for animals - you should be able to get this from your pet store - this is a natural antiseptic - you can use this on his leg.  If you can't get this, then I would suggest boiling some water and putting a small amount of salt in it.  Wait until it cools down, then wipe his leg.  It might be worth tasting the salt water before you do this so that you know it isn't too salty otherwise it will sting Lubi.

With regard to his teeth - you need to by a good pair of nail clippers - they look like pliers but are designed for cutting nails - you can ask your local drug store/pharmacy and they can advise you on this.

Gently 'scruff' your hamster - you will find they have a lot of skin on the back of their neck so you will have to gather this up - you need to hold him tight, but not so tight that you hurt his eyes - they tend to 'pop' out a bit when you scruff them, so you must be careful.  Roll him onto his back on your lap so he doesn't fall, then carefully cut his teeth to the same length.  Be careful you don't catch his tongue or cheek as you are doing this.  For the next week while his teeth are growing back, you can supplement his food with human baby food - buy a packet of the powdered variety (creamy porridge oats for babies 4-6 months is a favorite with my hamsters).  Mix a small amount with water and put it in a dish for him or spoon feed him.  This will make sure he's getting extra nutrients.  Also make sure he has plenty of his usual hamster mix and some fresh vegetables.

See if there is any improvement - if there is none, or if he gets worse you will need to get him to a vet somehow.  

Regards