Hamster help

Question
Hi there! I got my hamster about 2 months ago and he is healthy and happy. But today when I picked him up I noticed his fur looked greasy but it was not wet. He is eating/drinking fine, playing and grooming as much as he always does. I greased his wheel the night before so I was wondering if that was what was causing his greasy fur? Thank you!

Answer
Hi Phil

Glad to hear your hamster is getting on OK.  I suspect the greased wheel could well have caused this problem.  As hamsters have scent glands on their hips they do tend to roll around to put their scent on anything that is new, or smells different in their cage.  Therefore he may well have rolled around in his wheel so that he recognises the smell.

He may well clean his coat himself, but if it still looks a bit greasy, then it might be an idea to buy some 'chinchilla dust'.  You get this from pet shops and it looks a bit like sand - only it is safe for a hamster.  If you put some in a low level dish that he will fit in and let him roll around in this.  This is the best way to clean a hamster.  Most hamsters really enjoy having a 'bath' from time to time anyway, but it can get a bit messy as they do tend to spill the dust everywhere!

Hope this helps you.

Regards
Sheila