So many pet stores sell tiny wheels, some even as small as 10cm.
These wheels, coupled with lack of knowledge, can result in hamsters developing deformities in their legs and their spine.
We talk about curvature of the spine a lot when we explain why a big wheel is needed, but as you can see in the video, a hamsters legs can also be affected.
But how does this occur?
The small amount of room a hamster has while using a wheel as small as the blue one in the video, doesn’t give the hamster enough room to move it’s legs properly. The hamster ends up compensating for this space and moving their legs in unnatural ways just to take a step forward. If a hamster is subjected to this for too long, it’s joints can become deformed.
Hamsters that develop these problems need adjusted enclosures, everything has to be easy to reach, platforms have to be low and have ramps, not stairs, as they cannot climb even the smallest of ledges.
These hamsters can’t even walk properly. Watch this video to see the affect it had on a Winter White dwarf.