hamsters life

Question
My little sister's hamster is about 2 1/2 yrs. old. It has always seemed perfectly healthy. She cleans his cage every week and did it this afternoon. She said he was fine then, but we just noticed him dragging his back two legs and moving very slowly. He seems very sick or hurt. We have no idea what happened to him or if he will live. Do you have any clue what it could be?

Answer
It sounds as though your hamster may have either had a stroke (which is common in senior hamsters), or is suffering from a calcium deficiency. My advice would be to get him to a veterinarian who is experienced with rodents as soon as possible. With the symptoms he is presenting, there is really no way to treat him at home. A vet will need to examine him so that they can diagnose, or rule out, any possible illness he may have, and determine an appropriate course of treatment.

Hope this helps!