dwarf hamster itching

Question
Hello,
We have a dwarf hamster who is itching and has lost a patch of hair across one side over his back hip.  We have looked in his fur and don't see any black spots moving around to indicate mites.  His cage was very dirty when we cleaned it this time, I think we had forgot to clean it when we should have.  We do use aspen bedding as well.  Do we need to take him to the vet, or bathe him?
Thanks for your time.

Answer
Hi Crista

Thanks for your question.

Your hamster might have mites as these can be found in bedding however they are difficult to treat in dwarf hamsters because the treatment for mites is designed for Syrians and it is hard to calculate the dosage.  It could also be an allergy. It would be worth changing his bedding for a week to see if there is any improvement.  If you just give him paper bedding you will need to clean him out  daily.

Providing his skin isn't broken or bleeding you could give him a dust bath. You can buy chinchilla dust - put some in a low dish and he will roll around in this which will clean him. If his skin is sore or broken don't use this - instead you could apply a little teatree cream - you buy this in pet shops and it is safe for animals as it is a natural antiseptic. This might help.

If the condition doesn't start to improve after a few days or he gets worse then it would be a good idea to see if you can find a vet who treats small animals.

I hope this helps.
Regards
Sheila