Hmaster hurt his leg!

Question
He was probably climbing the wire cage and I have the hamster wheel next to the wall of the cage. The wheel is solid but i think when he was climbing he fell and got his leg caught in between the wheel and wire of the cage because the wheel is like right next to the wire. Its like getting your leg caught between the back of a desk and the wall.When i got him out he wasnt bleeding but he was limping. I examined it more carefully and saw his leg was alittle black. I'm not sure if its dried blood or the blood clotted. I tried cleaning it and he didnt seem to be in pain and the q tip turned black but some of it didnt come off. He can walk but he just drags the leg. I also noticed a spot with no fur which is where the leg was caught. Is he going to be disabled for ever? ...this is all my fault. Someone please tell me what i can do! :'[

Answer
Hi Winnie,

Poor little guy :(  It's not your fault, though - it's just an accident.  

It sounds like your hamster may have broken his leg.  Since hamsters are so small, they can't just get a cast on their legs, like dogs.  Instead, the bone will eventually heal on its own.  Feed your hamster small amounts of bread soaked in milk and plain dog biscuits for added calcium (to help the bone heal).  Eventually, the leg will heal, though your hamster may always limp.

However, if you see the bone sticking through the skin, you will need to take your hamster to the vet, since the leg may become infected.

Also, be sure to remove the wheel from the cage.  Since your hamster has an injured leg, exercise should be kept to a minimum.  If you normally let him run in a hamster run-around ball, you'll have to wait until his leg heals before you can put him in it again.

I hope the little guy's okay!

If you have any other questions, please feel free to ask :)

Kelly