odd balding

Question
i read all of the other questions regarding this topic, but none of it really helped me.
i have had my hamster for 6 months, and just recently (about 2 days ago) we noticed that she is balding on the underside of both of her back legs, one is much worse then the other, the skin is soft and pink, and the rest of her fur is fine.
we use special hamster bedding (not pine chips) and she gets plenty of exercise; her water is fine, the only thing i can think of is that we feed her only sunflower seeds (she would pick them out of her special hamster food)
could this be the problem?
i have been trying to watch her and i havn't seen her pull her hair out, and she lives alone.  her behavior hasn't changed at all
any idea what is wrong?

(sorry my question is so long, but i figured the more information i could give the better)

Answer
Hamsters can go bald for a number of reasons.  One is old age, which definitely isn't the case for your hamster.  Another is that they continually rub part of themself against their house/toys etc which can cause a bald spot.  Some suffer from mites/mange which can make the fur fall out, but in these cases the skin is usually inflamed or dry and flaky.  Some hamsters just go bald due to hormonal imbalance.

Providing the skin is not inflamed, scabby, weeping, then I wouldn't worry too much.  However, I think you need to address her diet urgently - they need a balanced diet and it is quite possible that this is causing her problem.  I would suggest you getting her usual feed and removing the sunflowers seeds for a couple of weeks - in their place, give her nuts and other seeds - i.e. monkey nuts (not salted), almonds, Pumpkin seed, linseed, millett (you buy this for caged birds).  I would also ensure she is getting plenty of greens: give her some spinach, dandelion leaves, parsley, peas, raisins.  She only needs small quantities i.e. one dandelion leaf, a few raisins, half a dozen peas, a slice of apple, a grape etc.  Avoid giving lettuce as this has no nutritional value and can cause diarrhoea. Remove any uneaten fresh food from her nest each day so that it doesn't go moldy.  You could also try getting some multivitamin drops specially designed for small animals that you put in their water, and also another good thing to feed occasionally is human baby food - if you buy a packet of the dry powder (porridge, or rice which is designed for babies aged around 4-6 months), mix a spoonful with water and put this in a dish for her every few days for the next few weeks this will make sure she's getting plenty of nourishment.

If this doesn't work, or if her fur loss increases and her skin gets dry and scabby/weeping, then I would suggest you getting her along to a vet as she will need antibiotics and some other medication.

Hope you get on OK with this - I'd be interested to hear what happens.
Regards