Answer

Thank you for getting back to me. When a hamster starts shaking or getting wobbly, it is very sick. That often means dehydration or hypoglycemia is occurring. I can give you first aid measures. Start by putting a drop of two of maple syrup, pancake syrup, or honey in the hamster's mouth. Then, get some Pedialyte - made for human infants and available in discount stores, pharmacies, and convenience stores. Use a syringe to put a few drops in the side of the hamster's mouth. For the first hour, give her some every ten minutes. After that, give it once per hour. Be sure the temperature in the hamster's room is around 70*F. If it's not, you can place a heating pad under the cage - well out of the hamster's reach.

With the symptoms you're seeing, I don't believe the sore is the cause of the problem. However, you can clean it with some Betadine, and then put a little Neosporin on it.

The above measures are first aid only. What your hamster really needs is to be examined by a vet, but taking the steps I've given you may keep her alive long enough for you to do that. These sites have directories of vets who treat small rodents:

http://www.rmca.org/Vets/index.php?action=list

http://www.ratfanclub.org/vetref.html

If you have more questions, just let me know by clicking on REPLY. I hope your hamster will recover.

Anna