my teddy bear hamster

Question
I have a teddy bear hamster and he is old now.I've been dealing with a lot of different things goin on with him.he loses his fur and gets scabs on him and now he has like a.black sore on his body n his ear looks kinda black do u no what could be wrong with him or.do u jus.think its.old age getn to him????

Answer
Hi Bri

thanks for your question.

Your teddy bear hamster could just be showing signs of old age as they do tend to lose their fur and their skin can get dry and flaky.  However, all hamsters have mites, and when they are elderly or ill then they can become over-run which can cause their skin to appear very dry.  If they start scratching then they can cause bleeding or scabs.  

I would be tempted to treat him for mites and see if there is any improvement.  You can get the drug from a vet, or from a petshop or on-line.  The drug you are after is called Ivermec or Ivermectin.  Beaphar make a small animal anti parasite medication that contains this - make sure it is the one safe for hamsters.  If you can't get this brand, then just double check it contains Ivermec.  It is applied externally to the back of the neck and the dose is repeated a few weeks later.  If this is mites, then after the secon dose you should start to notice some improvement.  You can apply aloe vera cream to his skin if it looks sore, and if he does scratch himself and cause his skin to bleed then you can wipe the area with warm salt water, or apply teatree cream which is a natural antiseptic.

I hope this helps you.

regards
Sheila