Anybody know how to treat a wounded hamster?

[ieatpaper]

I'm currently taking care of my friend's two male Syrian/Teddy Bear hamsters . . . my friend currently on vacation and all.

They're actually her kid brother's, but since he's been neglecting cleaning and feeding duties, she's taking care of them herself now. She's only had them for a couple of months and noted that one of the hamsters occasionally nips the other . . .

Well, in the course of the day when I was taking care of them, I noticed this happened more and more frequently, so I did some research online and soon learned that Syrian hamsters, as they mature, like to be left or kept in solitude, even if they were raised together. And if they start fighting, they should immediately be separated. One cage, one hamster.

Evidently the people at Petco didn't tell my friend that Teddy Bear hamsters shouldn't be kept together, she being a first time pet owner. And, I just learned this fact just a short while ago. And, if continued fighting progressed, well . . . one just might kill the other.

And these two hamsters have been kept in the same relatively large cage for about 3 months . . . And, I, being just a temporary caretaker didn't know what to do . . . Fortunately, I found an old aquarium to temporarily keep one, but not before one of the hamsters had already injured the other.

There is a wound in the back, but, not being able to get to this hamster, which seems to be continuously on the wheel, I'm not sure how deep or serious the wound is. I was able to get it out for a bit, but, it kept squirming about and it was really tense, especially after the attack.

So, anyway, I continued to do some research on hamsters and how to possibly treat such a wound. Here were some suggestions from various sources:

1. Bathe the hamster in 3% hydrogen peroxide . . . 1/3 peroxide, 2/3 water.
2. Bathe the hamster in a teaspoon of salt and water.
3. Let the hamster tend to it's own wounds.
4. Use a tiny bit of Neosporin.

And . . . it's been an hour since the incident, but, the wounded hamster still seems pretty nervous and it doesn't really like it when I pick it up now . . . Hence, I'm not even sure how I should approach this or how to treat the wound. And if the wound isn't treated, it might develop abscesses . . .


So, I would greatly appreciate some advice as to treat the wound and how I should treat the hamster. Should I try puting some hydrogen peroxide and water in a small tub? How exactly should I "bathe" the hamster? In a cup . . . a bowl? Or should I apply some peroxide with a cotton ball? Etc.

I've been told to go and see a vet in the morning, but, vets are expensive and these aren't really my hamsters, though I feel obligated to keep them alive as long as possible and from as little injury as possible.

But, I sure as hell can't give back one hamster that's alive and another that's dead.


And another thing about the aquarium . . . I interchanged both hamsters, but both seem to dislike the aquarium very much. Currently, the atacker is in the aquarium. He digs at the corners and jump up and down trying to get out of the aquarium for hours and makes a lot of squeaking noises. It obviously seems uncomfortable. I know it's a new environment and all, but . . . I can't put him back into the same cage with the other. I'm not exactly sure what to do about this either.
I've asked a friend to lend me her spare cage . . . but, I'm not sure if that'll help situations.



Advice is greatly and sincerely appreciated. Thank you!

[dwankrista]

ocuh,t hat's quite a situation to find yourself in. i'm so glad you did some research, however. it's a very responsible thing to do and i commend you. i'm glad you separated them as they would have eventually killed each other.

as for the wound, other than to take hammy to a vet i can't really tell you much. wearing gloves and applying a little neosporin wouldn't be a bad idea in a small amount, but, from my experience, only a vet can treat it properly. most vets will work out payment plans and, as your friend should know vet bills come with pet-parenting, i'd put down the minimum down payment and give her the bill when she gets back. i seriously wouldn't leave this untreated as rodents go downhill VERY quickly and something that seem trivial can really kill them.

good luck and keep up updated!

OH! i almost forgot to mention that should you bathe the hamster in anything, make sure you thoroughly dry the little guy as they can catch cold very quickly if damp.
:)

[ieatpaper]

Thank you for the advice . . . Was able to apply some hydrogen peroxide last night, but the hammie seemed rather uncomfortable and aggravated, so I let it back into the cage . . . I don't think it was enough to actually clean the wound though, they were two short dabs.

But, yeah. I'll look into the vet then. Thank you again.

[hamstermoo]

i would just leave it....it should heal by itself. one of my hamsters escaped into my other hamster's cage a while ago (he was much smaller than his captor) and he got quite a beating, including a bite near his eye which got all swollen. with a couple weeks it healed by itself, along w/ all his other bites. if you put stuff on it, you run the risk that the hammie might lick it.

the enzymes in their spit is probably enough to keep it clean.

[CookieDough24]

Don't leave it if you don't know how bad the wound is! Take him to the vet immediately!!