My hamster has a red, swollen toe for months. What should I do?

This presentation could be due to a trauma or localized spot of skin infection (likely to be caused by bacteria). A check up, appropriate disinfection and possibly antibiotics (oral, topical or in a shampoo formulation) may be needed to solve the problem. Disinfection may be started at home with very diluted hibiscrub or betadine or salted water baths. Hope this answer was helpful, but please do not hesitate to contact us again on the forum or by requesting a consultation if you have any more questions or to discuss it any further.

Poor Teddy! The swollen toe may be caused by a fracture, which is very painful. You should have Teddy seen by a vet for this condition, as he may need pain and anti-inflammatory medications prescribed. As for the cut, I recommend cleaning it with warm water and applying SSD (silver sulfadiazene) ointment to the area once per day to avoid infection. You may also want to consider a weight loss plan for Teddy if he is overweight. Excessive pressure on the feet can cause sores and infections. I hope this helps!

This is usually and commonly the result either of a trauma of an infection. Unfortunately without more clinical informations is going to be hard to give you more specific advices. A clinical examination at your local veterinarian is essential to confirm these clinical suspicions and treat appropriately. Hope this answer was helpful, but please do not hesitate to contact us again on the forum or by requesting a consultation if you have any more questions or to discuss it any further. If this answer was helpful please let us know, this will be used to improve our service!

Poor Zoey, this is a very painful condition. You can try to cool the leg with a cold wrap on and off ( 2-3 minutes at a time, but make sure that she does not start to get cold.) to help with the pain. She may have a little abscess there as well. Inspect the leg thoroughly and make sure that there isn't a hair or string wrapped around it that cuts off the blood flow. She really needs to be seen by a vet ASAP.

It looks like it may be infected. This would need to be confirmed by your veterinarian after a physical exam. Hero may need antibiotics if this is the case. In the meantime, keep the cage clean and dry. Keep him warm and as stress free as possible.

With the swelling, I would be concerned that Midnight has an abscess. I think it would be a good idea to take her into the vet for antibiotics. This should make the infection clear up quickly. Otherwise it could take weeks to heal and it can rarely become chronic which means it does not heal. I hope this helps!

She may have an infection in a tooth, jaw or mouth. If she will allow, check her cheek pouches for impaction. Hamsters will sometimes hoard food for so long that it will actually begin to rot in the mouth causing inflammation and infection. You can apply gentle pressure to get her to empty her pouches. They may need to be flushed with an antiseptic solution and she may need antibiotics or pain medication. Unfortunately, these medications must be dispensed by a veterinarian. A physical exam will be required in most instances before antibiotics or other prescription medications can be dispensed.