I’d mark the day on the calendar, just in case. Clean well with soap and water, maybe polysporin, and use watchful waiting. Any swelling, redness, oozing get looked at immediately, as well as any unusual fever, etc.

Pet store hamsters *can* carry some nasty stuff, but a healthy kid and a normal immune system, I wouldn’t freak out unless something indicating infection happens.

This isn’t directed at you specifically, but I wish petstores would stop pushing hamsters as good pets for kids. They do t usually like to be handledand kids want something they can play with.

Anonymous wrote:I wouldn't worry unless the bite begins to show signs of infection, such streaking or abnormal redness or swelling. My gerbil bit my finger when I was a child, and I'm totally fine. Obviously I'd be more concerned if it were a wild rodent.

Ditto -- gerbil for my sister and hamster for me. A friend's hamster. It kept trying to nestle down in the crook of my arm and when I moved it, it bit me.

I'd just clean it out, put neosporin or another antibacterial cream on plus a bandaid, and keep an eye on it for a week or two to make sure no infection. Of course if you want to be certain you could call the nurse's line at your ped and ask. Cat bites I know are associated with infection -- I've never heard the same of rodents, but the nurse would know.

Bad hamster! No more electronics for the day!

Sorry OP, I couldn't resist after reading a few pages of an earlier thread.

Bad hamster! No more electronics for the day!

Sorry OP, I couldn't resist after reading a few pages of an earlier thread.

Anonymous wrote:Wash the bite, put on Neosporin, cover with a band-aid.

Also, try to determine what happened to make the hamster bite your child.

haha, have you ever seen a young child handle a hamster? They probably deserved the bite.

I wouldn't worry unless the bite begins to show signs of infection, such streaking or abnormal redness or swelling. My gerbil bit my finger when I was a child, and I'm totally fine. Obviously I'd be more concerned if it were a wild rodent.

Wash and band aid. He will be fine.

I lived in Colorado Springs and the Guinea Pigs there carried the plague. Just a fun fact.

Wash and band aid. No it would not make a difference if I know the hamster unless it was wild. Like living on the street with street rats.

Nothing except wash with soap and water, but perhaps I'm clueless... maybe google what disease could be transmitted by a pet rodent. Wild rodents can carry diseases deadly to man, but pet store rodents?

Anonymous wrote:I would probably do nothing except say, see, I told you to handle the hamster gently!

Washing is probably a good idea.

+1 From experience. Also, a band aid if it's bleeding.

I would call a vet and ask if there is an issue

I would probably do nothing except say, see, I told you to handle the hamster gently!

Washing is probably a good idea.

Wash the bite, put on Neosporin, cover with a band-aid.

Also, try to determine what happened to make the hamster bite your child.

If your kid was bitten by a hamster or a gerbil, what would you do? Just a band aid? Would you ask the pediatrician if there's anything more you should do? Would it make a difference if you know the hamster and the family vs. if you don't? Thanks.