dieseise? infection? HELP!

Question
dear Sheila
Sorry for pestering you because I am sure you are very busy! But I am worried about my Syrian short haired -1 and a 10 month old hamster. She has lately acquired a bald patch on her side and i have kept an eye on it and slowly hair is Re growing. Then I noticed 2 spot things on her tummy. It is close to each other and have little yellow tops on top. It is quite worrying! should I clean her cage more often ( I do it once a week) ? should I wash her? I dont Know!!!!! Thank you for your time!
xox
worried

Answer
Hi

Around this age hamsters can start to show signs of old age and fur thinning is quite common.  Also, hamsters do have scent glands on their hips and sometimes the fur can get very thin around these areas in particular.  Has she been scratching at all?  If the fur is just down to hormonal changes then it is difficult to treat, however, it might be worth treating her for mites in case this is the cause.  You can buy an anti-parasite treatment in pet shops made by Beaphar - make sure it is the one that is designed for hamsters and contains a drug called Ivermectin.  You apply the phial externally to the back of the neck and the treatment is repeated a few weeks later.  It won't do any harm to try this even if she doesn't have mites.  Some people do this regularly anyway as a preventative.

Regarding the spots on her tummy - it is hard to know what these are without actually seeing them.  Is there any sign of bleeding or pus coming from them?  Hamsters of this age are prone to getting tumors but the description you give doesn't sound like this - they are normally very raised, red/purplish and can be shiny.  It is only if they rupture that you see blood/pus.  If these are concerning you, then it might be worth getting a vet to have a look - also if they get any worse then that would be adviseable.

Apart from this how is she?  Is she behaving normally?  Does she still come out for exercise, and is she eating/drinking as usual?  Is there any sign of diarrhoea?  Does she look bright when she is awake or does she sit hunched up looking dull?  If she is dull and clearly looks unwell, or if there has been a sudden increase in the amount of water she is drinking or any sign of diarrhoea then I suggest you get her to a vet.  They will have a better idea of what is happening and may be able to put your mind at rest.

Cleaning her cage weekly is fine.  You shouldn't wash her as such.  The only time you should wash a hamster is if there is a medical reason to do so.  You could let her have a dust bath however - if you get a low level dish and fill it with 'chinchilla dust' that you can buy in pet shops most hamsters love rolling around in this.

I hope this helps you.  

Regards