Who raises the hamsters? Imbrium?

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Hahaha I'm pretty sure that Jennifer still has like 8!
I think they can have meal worms and they can have kale. I remember Jennifer feeding that stuff to her hammies. Here's a hammie safe foods list.
http://www.hamsterific.com/hamsteruniversity/foodlist.html

I don't know how much room they need, but I think they're pretty easy, low maintenance pets. I think you just have to make sure the wheel you get him lets him run with his back straight and not like bent backwards.
I think there's a hammie forum somewhere. BAM hammie forum.
http://hamsterhideout.com/forum/index.php?act=idx
 
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Su-weet! I wasn't thinking and fed him a strawberry which he really liked. Thankfully it's on the safe list. Apparently these hamsters are the longer lived species at three years. Crrrraaaaap.

I didnt realize either that hamster are like a real God made creature found in the wild. These ones live in the mongolian deserts. Who the heck knew?
 
They're god made creatures? I didn't know that either. They seem like some pretty tasty hawk food to me. haha.

Awww. He'll live a happy life with you Kaley! Maybe you'll be able to find him a good home where someone will understand his special needs. Maybe you can take him over seas with you and he could be your literal pocket pet!
 
He's such a little darling and I've already named him. I think I'm stuck with him. See how it pans out once he gets right. See what vet says tomorrow. Probably just take him back with us and see what our Lawton vet says. I trust her and she's cheaper. You think four days would make that big of a difference?
 
I've had over 50 hamsters in 20 years. This is literally my area of expertise.

First: That's not a Roborovski. It's an opal Campbell's dwarf. Campbell's are semi-social--if they have enough room. If they don't, they can become VERY territorial and fight like anything. Their life span is less than a Robo's, maybe 1 1/2 to 2 years (although my first hamster ever was a Campbell's and she lived to be 3 1/2, so you never know). They have a reputation for being the surliest and most inclined to bite of the dwarf species. That said, they're also my favorite hamster species and have found they don't deserve the bad press. I love the little buggers and it pisses me off when I see them mistreated like this. :(

You said he (or she? Has it been sexed?) is missing a back foot. That's actually not terrible news. Hamsters can get along fine with three limbs as long as they have their front paws; otherwise they can't eat. I would keep him/her quiet and immobilized and continue treating the injury. The fact that he/she hasn't bled out from the wound is half the battle. The other half is infection, so keep the area sterilized. I would take him/her in to the vet as soon as possible...an exam for a hamster is extremely cheap compared to pretty much anything else, although at this point there probably isn't a whole lot they can do (wound care, antiseptics) that you aren't already doing yourself.

You're doing an OUTSTANDING job, and I vote for keeping him/her. Hamsters are my favorite pets ever, and Campbell's my favorite hamster. I think it's awesome that you saved this particular furry little pirate. :)
 
It probably won't. Just make sure to keep his wounds clean and keep putting stuff on them. And as always, make sure he's eating, drinking and pooping.
I doctored my chicken after a horrible raccoon attack and he did well with home doctoring. I know chickens and hammies are different, but same concept. He found a good place with you and im sure he'll pull through. I would just monitor his behavior,, like with any animal. I don't know much about hammies, im just kind of giving general wounded animal advice.

I know with a wounded chicken, i gave him electrolytes in his water. Mashed hard boiled eggs, yogurt and fruit. That made him happy and he came through and healed well. I cleaned his wounds 1-2 times a day and loaded him up with neosporin. He still favors that leg, but no permanent damage. Hopefully your hammie will be the same way, a champ!
 
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Sweet now I know exactly what he is and a color! That's more than most in this household get. He is so teeny tiny does this mean he's a baby?

This sounds like a bad idea to me but maybe not. Could I put him in my 30 tall with the two gerbils? Not now but when he gets fixed up?

How much tank space are we talking for him? It's recommended ten gallons per gerbil. Same with hamsters?

Gerbils are colony creatures and enjoy each others company. Same with hamsters or does the territorial part mean he doesn't need a friend and will be just fine without one?

I'll have the vet sex him but I'm worried he'll loose the rest of his foot. His little front paws aren't so beat up and he uses them.

The Gerbils are the only rodent creatures I have and I enjoy them because they're actually really intellegent. I dont want to compare apples to oranges but they're all I have to go on.
 
Mmmkay, on closer look I'd recommend switching to a water bottle instead of a dish (unless that's what he's used to drinking)...hamsters, God love 'em, aren't Mensa contestants and he/she's likely to flip it over. I'd also like to get a closer look at the injury itself, but I don't want you to put him/her through any further stress.

Part of a strawberry is okay, but hold off on the fruit for now...hamsters are native to arid regions where they subsist on a diet of seeds, grasses and insects, and too much moist food (specifically fruits and vegetables) can cause intestinal problems. I would recommend a high-quality pelleted diet like Mazuri or Oxbow. Seed mixes are fine as supplements (although corn has been linked to diabetes--MAJOR issues with diabetes in hamsters, FYI), but the hamster tends to pick and choose what it likes from the mix and may not receive a balanced diet. Mealworms and crickets are fine if you've the stomach for it, and hamsters will LEAP at these wriggling, tasty treats.

Campbell's dwarfs have only been widely kept in captivity since the 1960s-70s, so they're still for all intents and purposes a non-domestic species (hence the label of "mean"--well, duh, it's basically a wild animal, what do people expect?). They still retain all of the behavior that served them in the wild: digging burrows, fear of predators (a frightened hamster will roll onto its back and squeak), and extreme paranoia and suspiciousness. They strongly dislike open spaces, and will flatten themselves to the ground if caught in the open. Hamsters will also spontaneously groom themselves as a self-soothing behavior when startled...unlike relaxed, I'm-just-waking-up grooming, this has a frantic, nervous quality to it.

Once he/she's well enough, you will need a wheel, hamster-safe bedding like aspen or paper pulp, a suitable cage (the carrying case is much too small as a permanent home--think along the lines of a 20 gallon long in terms of size), a water bottle, a sleeping house, some hamster-sized chew toys and tubes. They're very easy, cheap pets to keep. Everyday objects like empty toilet paper rolls and Pop-Tart boxes can be converted into makeshift hamster toys. You can also get a dwarf hamster-sized "busy ball": a clear plastic ball with a locking door for safe inside excursions. Just block off stairs and make sure that you don't have any curious cats or dogs in the vicinity when you let 'em roll. :)
 
Absolutely do NOT cohabit him with gerbils. Hamsters are iffy enough with their own species, let alone others, and dwarf hamsters are aggressive enough that, despite the size difference, he could do some serious damage even on three legs.

Keeping hamsters together is very, very difficult. If he'd been together with a same-sex sibling from birth, I'd say if you have at least a 20 gallon then proceed with caution, but if they're separated for even just a day, they "forget" and will attack any other same-sex hamster in their territory. Opposite-sex is another story, but then you'd have a whooooole new set of problems: 6-12 extra problems, to be precise. :) Hamsters aren't super-social like gerbils, and I assure you it would not bother him one second to be alone for the rest of his life.

I've kept dwarf siblings together from birth (back in my younger, stupider, "oops litter" days. To be fair I kept all the pups...ask me some time about raising 20 hamsters at once for two straight years! NEVER AGAIN). Some did fine. Some went Hannibal Lecter on their siblings. It's not worth the risk.

Dwarfs are smaller than Syrian (aka "Golden") hamsters, but what they lack in size they make up for in activity. Ten gallons is the absolute bare minimum size I could comfortably recommend for a single dwarf. Twenty is better if you have a spare or can find a leaker, although if you have a spare ten you can add to it with wire cage toppers. You can also make homemade hamster cages out of large plastic storage bins. I've never gone that route (by the time I learned about it, I already had enough spare cages to start my own rescue), but it's great for dwarfs...they don't have the jaw strength to chew through plastic like Syrians do. You can also go the plastic console route--you know, Habitrail, Crittertrail, S.A.M. tube systems--which hamsters love for the tunneling opportunities, but they can get pricey and lack floor space. You would need to hook two or three together to provide sufficient room.

Hamsters don't climb and jump like gerbils. They're more ground-oriented. Vertical space and levels that a gerbils would enjoy would be lost on a hamster, and may even lead to injury from a fall. They can't balance very well (if at all), and aren't remotely athletic (unless digging is an Olympic sport). When buying a cage, think floor space. Also, as burrowing nocturnal animals, hamsters have very poor eyesight. They can only see up to six inches in front of them; after that things get a little fuzzy. They appreciate lots of hiding spaces and houses.
 
I'll try to get better pictures tomorrow and maybe a video. He is so pathetic with his little ruined feet. He's very wobbly

He had a water bottle at the pet store but he couldnt stand up tall enough with his hurt feet. I'll switch him over when he gets to feeling better and I find a more permanent solution for him.

Thank you all for the help. Hey Lorelie are you anywhere between Oklahoma and Texas and want a cute but special needs little critter?
 
Aw, man, I'm in West Michigan. No can do. Besides, my boyfriend's still in basic, and I promised him I wouldn't bring home so much as a single betta without his express consent and permission. :) Too bad, since if there's anyone qualified to take on a special needs dwarf hamster, it's me.
 
wow I'm so glad I got myself into this

hey I've been in the Army seven years and we have two dogs, two cats, a goffins cockatoo, three rabbits and the two gerbils. Whats one little hamster gonna do to you!
 
He is pretty darling maybe I can con Jennifer into taking him. (hehehe)

Hey that's a good idea, y'all can just meet in the middle, at least you don't live on this side of Houston, I hate getting though it to get to San Antonio. And Katy traffic is just...the worst. Makes me want to blow my brain out
 
It's not the hamster itself, but what it represents, ya know? I made a promise, and I'm sticking to it. :) I have two cats, my rabbit, and two corn snakes...I've spent the last few months researching how to transport my pets across country and overseas, if need be. My boyfriend loves my pets (well, not the snakes so much, but he knew I had them when we met!), but he asked that I keep my current pet population at status quo until we figure out where we'll be.
 
katy freeway sucks... and even worse is 610 between I-10 and 59. I hate that stretch of town with the fire of a thousand suns, it's bumper to bumper traffic even on a freaking saturday.

and no, much as I feel for the little guy, the last thing I want is another hamster :p

if you give me your address, I'll mail you a goodie-box with some hammy care stuff in it, including some vetricyn to spritz on his wounds (it's made for animals and won't harm him if he licks it off), 5 ml tubes of sterile saline, benebac, chew stuff and some other first-aid goodies that I have tons of because of my sugar glider store.

I can send you a little bit of the hamster food I feed if you'd like, but you won't want to feed it for very long - it's excellent for syrians and robos, but apparently yours is a Campbell (glad someone else said something, because I know nothing about specific dwarf breeds, lol) - what I feed is NOT ideal for them because they're diabetes-prone.

here's where to go to figure out what food to feed him (looks like there's only three good choices for diabetes-prone dwarves): http://hamsterhideout.com/forum/index.php?showtopic=71864

safe/unsafe food list: http://hamsterhideout.com/forum/index.php?showtopic=41940
(note that fruits are only safe for Syrians - dwarves shouldn't have the sugar)

here's my bin cage tutorial: http://www.rabbitsonline.net/f18/nala-gaz-70961/index17.html#post942215

you'll need to talk to someone more knowledgeable about dwarves than me, though, and find out if they can get through 1/2'' bar spacing - you may need to use 1/4'' hardware cloth to make it safe for him.

bin cages are by far the best for mice and hamsters.

hamster hideout is the forum I use.
 
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for the love of pete!

aren't robo's a dwarf breed? Like the smallest one!

And hamsters dont even seem that smart! No offense. He is so lucky he's really really cute
 
Don't take this the wrong way, it's the same thing I would think if I were in your shoes but sheesh with all the injured animals in your care you should be a vet :)

I've seen pretty much the same thing at Petco but with lizards, I swear out of 20 lizards I looked at not a one did not have part of a missing tail, missing toes or missing feet. I've also seen the wrong set ups at pet smart and overheard the wrong advice given. That's what really gets me, it's bad enough with a smaller pet store but how do these big ones get away with such terrible conditions for the animals there!
 
yeah, it sucks when pet stores know next to nothing about animals they sell... and even moreso that they push cages that are way too small for whatever is going to be living in them :(. if I see someone cage-shopping for a bunny, guinea pig or hammy, I'll sneak over and discretely advise them about C&C/NIC/bin cages, hehe.
 
I'm working on the vet degree slowly but surely. I was a vet tech for six years before the Army.

When I got my gerbils they recommended this itty bitty thing. I bought it thinking I would use it as a travel/vet visit cage. Once I got to looking at how extensive their housing needs could be I was thankful for omar's aquaraist hobby. Happen to have a 30 tall and with over 8 inches of bedding for burrowing they're happy little buggers.

You're nicer than me Jen I walk right up like "hey that's totally wrong and let me tell you why."

lol I've been shopping for the wrong food. I dont know why oxbow stuck but that's not right. Thankfully I couldn't find it. Now I'm off again to find the right food. :pullhair:

He is so, SO lucky he's cute!!

*Edit: Does ANYONE want a hamster? Lol
 

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