my hamster Katie either broke...

Question
my hamster Katie either broke or sprained her hind leg - any advice on what to do.  She seems pretty calm considering.  She was fine last night so not sure if it was her wheel

Answer
Hi Debi,

Assuming your hamster broke her leg (instead of spraining her leg), it will have to heal naturally.  (However, if you can see any exposed bone, the hamster must be taken to a vet, as infection is likely.)  Exercise should be limited while your hamster's leg is healing, so remove her wheel.  If she is in a cage with bars, it would be very helpful if you moved her to an aquarium (at least 10 gallons) so that she won't be tempted to climb the bars.  Feeding some bread soaked in milk or dog biscuits high in calcium will help the bone to heal as well.

The leg should heal within a week or two.  Your hamster may be left with a slight limp, but don't worry - she will learn to adapt to it.

When the leg is healed, you can put a wheel back in her cage (and move her back to her original cage if necessary).  If the wheel has rungs, that's likely the cause of her break.  A hamster's legs can get caught in the rungs, so a solid wheel is needed.  Here is a link to a solid wheel for a Syrian hamster:

http://www.ferretstore.com/812suppetlar.html

If you have a dwarf hamster, here's link to a solid wheel made specifically for dwarves:

http://www.ferretstore.com/sp-61412.html

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

Kelly