problem with hind left foot

Question
We have a syrian dwarf hamster about a year old, male and is rather small and tonight my daughter noticed he is dragging his left hind foot and the area around his tail is missing fur and looks red. His foot also looks red.  He is housed with another   male syrian dwarf.  Sometimes they fight, not alot, but we've heard them squeak. Do you think these are battle wounds or does it have some sort of  infection. We clean the cage once a week.

Answer
Hi June,

They could be battle wounds, but it could also be mites,with the hairloss and reddness (another sign of mites is excessive scratching). Which could be caught from other hamsters or even bedding material. I would suggest checking over both hamsters to see if you see any small dots (mites) moving on the hamsters. If there are then a veterinarian should be consulted. If there are no signs of mites, then more than likely they are battle wounds. If one hamster is already hurt the tension between the hamsters will escalate rather than dissipate and they should be seperated. Small injuries can be taken care of with topical ointments. Make sure to check with a veterinarian however to make sure that the ointment you wish to use is safe for hamsters. If the wounds or leg don't seem to be getting any better once the topical ointment is started then I would suggest contacting a vet as soon as possible.



Thank you for writing!