loss of fur, dry patches, and scratching.

Question
QUESTION: my hamster has lost some fur on her back, just above her tail, and i've noticed her skin is dry and flakey in some spots, too.  she's been scratching around the area a lot, as well. i have examine for mites, but i cannot see any. A visit to the vet and just to have her looked at is $62 plus tax, so i'd really like to avoid it.
what could the problem be, and what can i do to try and solve it without taking her to see a vet?

ANSWER: Hello May,
it sounds like your hamster has mange mites. You need to buy some ivermectin which you can find in the horse section as it is used as a dewormer. I would ask the vet how much is needed to get rid of the parasites though. In any case you should talk to a vet about how to administer the medication to the hamster and by how much.

---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: thanks a lot.
i was hoping that it was maybe just allergies. i'm using soft pine/cedar bedding right now, and i've read that cedar can cause allergies.  

Answer
oooo may that changes everything. It's not mange mites, I should have asked what type of bedding you were using, but my mind slipped. Take the ceder and pine out now and replace it with tissue until you can get a better bedding. Personally I would avoid wood shavings all together right now and put in care-fresh or soft sorbent bedding or something that's similiar. He's suffering major allergies from the pine and ceder. They both cause horrible reactions that can sometimes mimick mange mites. They not only cause reactions they can also cause liver and lung disease.