Hamster is balding

Question
Hi! I have a two 2 1/2 year old hamsters. As I was cleaning their cage today, I noticed that one of them has lost a lot of fur on their right right, inclusive of their forearm and under his chin. It is not rough skin, it is actually white and smooth, no bumps or redness. My other hamster has no fur loss at all. Also, his right eye has been closing shut on him and I help with sterile artificial tear drops to re-wet it. The fur loss began a couple weeks ago. Any suggestions on what this hair loss may be caused from? Thank you for your help, I apprecaite it greatly.

Answer
Hello Kristy,
It sounds like your hamsters are having an allergic reaction to something. What type of bedding are you using? Pine and ceder bedding cause fur loss, eye irritation and respiratory problems. Switch to a bedding like aspen and if you are using aspen I'd switch to soft-sorbent bedding or carefresh bedding. Also, are there any scents or any type of oils near or around your hamsters? If so remove any scents or anything near the hamsters. I'd also take them to a vet because the eye infection needs to be treated with an antibiotic for the eye. Good luck and keep me posted.