sick dwarf hamster

Question
Help!! My dwarf hamster was found this morning in the corner of her cage making a squeaky noise and going in circles. It looks as if maybe shes partially paralized? Im not sure, but her eyes are closed shut, and when I pick her up out of her cage she leans to the side that shes going in circles. Its like shes trying to convert herself into a circle. She has fresh water and food in her clean cage, and last night, she was doing fine! Whats wrong with her? Thanks!

Answer
hi v,
my hamster did the same for a while before he died unfortunately. if her head is tilted, it can be due to one of 2 things. she may have got an ear infection which can cause the head to tilt. if so this is treated with antibiotics which are available from the vet.however, if she is an old hamster(over 2) she may be dying.old hamsters tend to lose their balance and can go round in circles which looks quite distressing.its such a shame to see them like this but in most cases they are not in any kind of discomfort and just need a bit of extra tlc in their old age. if your hamster is old you can give her the extra tlc she needs by adapting her living environment a bit.if her cage has 2 or more tiers then it is safer to remove the tubes to the other floors so she doesn't fall off and hurt herself.move any food and water to the bottom floor so it is easier for her to access. if she is really unsteady on her legs,its better to remove the chippings from the bottom of her cage as they become an obstacle to fall over. just line the tray with newspaper instead. she will find this much easier to walk around on. if your hammy has a corner that she usually pees in, try putting a small, low level plastic plant pot tray in that corner with chippings in for her to pee in. it saves having to clean out her tray every day. put some of her wet 'toilet' chippings in it and a few droppings so she will recognise that this is the new place where she has a pee.most hamsters are successfully toilet trained so you shouldn't have a problem.
secondly, if your hamster is getting old, she may have difficulty eating her hard food after a while as her teeth may become wobbly. if you notice this happening, you can feed her small pieces of fresh fruit and vegetables (no oranges though!), muesli soaked in milk to make it soft, and bitesize pieces of cheese. AS THIS IS FRESH FOOD, IT WILL NEED CHANGING EVERY DAY.
i hope it is just an ear infection and the vet sorts it out with antibiotics. if she is dying though, don't worry about how she looks, she still has the same little character, she just needs a little more tlc now she's a bit older.
good luck with yo uand your hammy.thanks for your question,
jewel