Poorly paws

[LeiaTheWonderHamster]

Hello everyone, it's Leia the Wonder Hamster here. I hope everyone had a happy Christmas?

My mummy is getting a little bit concerned. I have attached some photos of my paws. You can see that it's been bleeding and they look swollen on both paws. Does anybody have any advice for my mummy please?

Lots of love, Leia (wonder hamster since August 2024)

 

[Hank]

I'm sorry to hear that. Can you please remind me what wheel do you have? Do you have any bending bridges?

 

[Socks Mum]

Poor Leia, I hope her paws get better soon. Could she be trying to dig something that is rough? If you can find a good exotics vet, it would be worth seeing one as she might need medication

 

[Maz]

The wheel is the usual culprit which is why Hank is asking which one it is .

They need a wheel with a solid/smooth running track.

 

[whortleberry]

I hope leia is better soon

 

[LeiaTheWonderHamster]

Hey everyone, thanks for your responses. This is the Wheel we have. Though its not used much.
We do also have this Bendy bridge.

Bridge was taken out Saturday for cleaning and not home back in yet, so we can monitor paws from this..

 

[Socks Mum]

I wonder if she is chewing on her toes. I think you can get collars for hamsters, but whether they stay on I'm not sure. I hope they get better soon

 

[Socks Mum]

Cleaning the wheel might help in case there is any residue that is making her toes itchy. I think a good exotics vet would be the best resource. In guinea pigs, you can bathe the feet as they are prone to foot infections, but I'm not sure what people use to treat hamsters' foot problems

 

[Maz]

I can’t see that wheel would cause any foot problems. It’s more like she has cut her foot on something - the bendy bridge might have been the culprit. If she caught a toe and a nail got pulled out when she tried to pull her foot out then that would bleed. Can you see if all her toenails are there?

You can bathe her feet in boiled water or saline (a teaspoon of salt in a pint of boiled water) but that might sting. I’d just wipe them with the corner of a cloth dipped in boiled water and squeezed out so it’s not too wet - and see if you can see where the bleeding came from. If the pads of her feet look sore or raw then you would need to see a vet.