Hamster-not moving back legs

Question
QUESTION: Hi. I was hoping you could help me before taking Sara to the vet. She's not in any pain but I noticed after putting her back in the cage Sunday night (after being in her ball) she was dragging her back side and not using her back feet to walk. It's like she has no use of her back legs. I have looked and there's no visable injury and again she doesn't seem to be in pain when we touch her. She can move her legs a little when we massage the area but they kinda shake and she won't walk on them. She can get around outside the cage but not too much inside. She can't climb up her tunnels but tries. Do you have any idea what could be wrong with her?

Thanks for you input!

ANSWER: I am very sorry to hear this.  I am certain I know what this is.  I am NOT a veterinarian so please don't rely on my experience to diagnose any illnesses.

This exact thing did happen to one of my hamsters a long time ago. Your hamster is paralyzed.  She has broken her spine and has lost use of her back legs.   Chances are that she fell or hit something with such great force that it broke her spine.    There is really not too much I think a vet can do for her at this point, but it is never a bad idea to try.  I suggest you take her A.S.A.P.     

Be VERY careful, Hamster balls should be placed on the lowest possible area of the home, if your home is 2 stories high then you have to place the ball on the first floor, to prevent the ball from rolling downstairs.  If you have younger siblings, or even adults who are unaware of what the hamster ball is (hamster balls can get cloudy after a few times of use if they are not washed) then you must inform everyone around of what the hamster ball is and inform them NOT to kick the ball.

Take her to the vet.  Line the inside of the cage with paper towels rather than the shredding because she can only walk of flat surfaces.

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QUESTION: Thank you so much but now I have a few more questions.
Would she be in pain from this injury (broken spine)? She doesn't show any pain and can also move the legs once massaged but not walk. Will she get sick from eating the paper towels in the cage? Also how will she keep warm without her bedding. We don't have stairs but could even a light accidental kick do something like this (I have a 2 year old)? Do you think maybe it's her wheel that could have done it. I told my husband I thought the wheel was too small and maybe her back was arched too much and she hurt it that way. How long did you hamster survive after the incident? Thank you so much for helping me.
ANSWER: She is not in any pain right now.  You can build her a nest yourself so she can crawl into it, she will not get sick from eating paper towels so long as they are clean.   An accidental kick (even a very gentle one) will do it, this is how my hamster got it's back broken, My father was unaware of what a hamster ball was and the ball was really clouded, he gently kicked it out of the way and this gentle kick was enough to injure her back.   It is also possible if she was in her wheel or ball that she could have been injured (but I believe that type of injury can be reversed)  if the hamster is a Syrian breed and is using a small wheel like that for a dwarf hamster (6" in diameter) then that could cause some injury.  You could try some therapy to the hamster's lower back area to see if the back is still salvageable, but only a veterinarian can tell you at this time if it is.

My hamster (given therapy we preformed on her at home) lived for another four months, but her back was definitely broken.

I can get back to you on what kind of therapy to preform on the hamster in a few hours (leaving for work right now)  I hope this helps you out!

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QUESTION: Yes, that would be great. Thank you so much for all your help.

Answer
Alright, this is what I did for my hamster when her back was broken.  I did all this to make her life a little more bearable before she passed on.

Housing Changes:

Replace the litter in her cage with either non-scented paper towels, or newspaper.  This will help her get around the cage easier.  I don't believe it would be safe to offer her tunnels because she may get stuck.  If you want to still offer her tunnels then just make sure they are wide enough for her to turn around on her two front paws. you can make her a nest yourself by shredding up lots of paper towel or Toilet paper and placing it in the corner where she used to sleep before.  If you are afraid of her getting cold then try to cover the nest with a box or draping an old towel around the cage before she goes to sleep.

Lower her water bottle so that she can reach it better.

When feeding, try to offer her large pieces of food,  this way instead of instinctively trying to hoard the food in her pouches she will be forced to eat on the spot.  Offer her de-shelled nuts as well, basically just feed her items that she will not have to peel herself.  Place these near the area where she used to store her hoards before her cage cleanup.

Since she will likely not be able to go to her special restroom spot you may have to do frequent cage cleanings.  Pick her up and with a damp warm napkin cleanse her rear so she can easily defecate (she might not have too much of a problem doing this).

For the Therapy part:

If your hamster has completely lost use of her lower legs, it will be important for you to exercise her legs for her.  If she does not get blood flow to these parts of her body, then they will start to rot.  Hold the hamster's toes and gently push them up and down and back and forth, making sure that her legs receive complete manipulation.  Repeat this with the rest of her leg and to the lower part of her body.    Do this at least five times a day.   It is possible that you wont be able to do it as often as I was able to because your schedule may be more demanding.

Gently massage around the lower part of your hamster as well.  To allow more circulation.  But do not press on the spine (of course).

Make sure you examine her belly every few days to make sure she is not getting sores from crawling around.


This last part is not a necessity, but just an idea I am pitching at you.

I made my hamster a little exercise area where she could walk around without having to drag her body.  I hung a small piece of cloth (sort of like a pet walker) where she could slip into,  her front paws could go through a long hole in the front and the rest of the cloth would wrap around the back part of her body snuggly, a string would be tied through to top portion, holding the hamster off the ground just barely centimeters off the ground.  This was the new equivalent to her hamster wheel.    

of course not too many people would take the time to do this, then again I do not believe too many people have ever had a hamster with paralysis live for very long.  This did give the hamster more ease when she was alive.    

I wish I had a picture of the setup I made for her to show you to better give you an idea.  This is all the advice I have to give about the therapy of the hamster's back by myself.  A vet could probably do better, but I am not one of those so this is as far as I can go.  I wish you good luck!