losing hair

Question
hi Sheila.i really do need your help! I have a dwarf hamster,he's just
over a year old.its the first time i have had a hamster (i now have 2,in
seperate cages) my male hamster has lost some hair around his
ear,and last night i noticed he was keeping his one eye closed,it
looks a bit red,like he might have scratched it.im not sure if the eye
and ear are related issues.Im very worried.he is still eating as usual
but it doesnt look good to me.thanks so much for this forum to ask
for your help.from Taryn

Answer
Hi Taryn

It is quite hard to know what is wrong with your hamster (if anything).  When hamsters reach about 18 months of age their fur can start to thin out a bit - this is quite normal.  Fur loss can also occur due to hormonal changes (I've had a few hamsters who have gone almost completely bald!), or if there is some sort of skin irritation (mites etc. or allergy to bedding).

Firstly, has anything changed in his environment?  Is he scratching a lot?  Treating mites in Syrian hamsters is easy, but it is difficult in dwarf hamsters because of the dosage of drug needed.  I have heard of vets who don't want to treat mites in dwarf hamsters because the dose is about 1/2 a drop of medicine, and this is very difficult to get exactly right - too much can have a bad effect on the hamster.  You might be able to buy other treatments that you spray on, or spray onto the bedding, but if you do try anything I suggest you read the label carefully to check it is safe for dwarf hamsters (as opposed to the much larger Syrian hamster).  If you have recently changed the bedding (wood chip) it could be that this contains something that is irritating him, in which case the easy solution is to swap the bedding for something else.

Regarding his eye - hamsters can get eye infections, such as conjunctivitis and this can be painful and a hamster will scratch a lot if they have this.  It is also possible for a hamster to get bedding/wood chip in their eye which causes an infection.  It would be a good idea to gently wipe his eye area with a damp cloth (soaked in cooled boiled water) and have a look at his eye.  There may be something obviously wrong with it.

If this is a painful infection, then he will be distressed with it. I therefore feel that you might need to see a vet.  If  you don't know of any local vets it is worth phoning a few to find out, firstly, if they have a vet that specialises in small animals, and secondly, what their standard consultation fee is for a dwarf hamster.  More often than not, if there is a 'small animal' vet they will have much reduced prices for hamsters, but it is worth checking otherwise you might find yourself with a huge bill.

If your hamster is looking dull and clearly looks unwell then it would be worth getting someone to check him out. Hamsters have a high pain threshhold and if they appear dull and in pain then you know that they really are.   If this is an infection your hamster may well need antibiotics - either eye drops or oral drops.  I suspect that the loss of fur may be unrelated and may not be relevant and in many respects I wouldn't worry about it at this stage.  The eye problem and his general demeanour are more important to investigate at the moment.  Hamsters produce a fluid that lubricates their eyes and when they are unwell they can develop 'sticky' eyes.  This means that the eyelid stays firmly shut.  It is important for a hamster to open their eyes daily to prevent pus building up behind them, hence the reason why it is worth you wiping the area and seeing if he can open his eye. Whilst a certain level of 'stickiness' is normal, if there is an excessive amount this usually indicates that the hamster is ill, either with an eye infection or it can indicate that there is possibly some other health issue going on.  Hence the reason why it might be worth getting someone to have a look if you feel that he definitely isn't behaving normally.

If you have a local pet rescue they may be able to offer advice if you can't find a local vet who knows about hamsters.

I hope this helps and that you get on OK.

Regards
Sheila