female syrian/teddy bear hamster

Question
We have a hamster that we purchased at a petstore last June, who transmitted to us ringworm, that is now resolved.  But we have noticed that there is some yellowish-white material coming from the other opening near her tail, not her rectum.  We assume that hamster anatomy is close to our own when it comes to openings down there, but she is so small, it's hard to tell!
We were just wondering what this material might be.  Is this normal when she goes into her heat cycle?  Or could this be a urinary infection?  She appears to act normal in all other ways.  
 She has not been exposed to any other animals.  Her bedding is kept clean, we give her commercial food, chew toys and sticks. She gets fresh water and fresh food every day. Does this sound like it could be a problem that we should take her to the vet for?
Thanks,
Rheba

Answer
Hi Rheba,

    Does she have this discharge all the time or just every 3-5 days?  If the discharge shows up every 3-5 days only, then this do to her being in heat. If she is having the discharge all the time, then it is more than likely a urinary infection which some vets will see a hamster for, but sometimes the antibiotics are worse on the hamster than the problems itself. I would suggest if she is having the discharge all the time to just make sure she drinks plenty of water. If she starts showing signs of getting worse, not active, not eating or drinking well, then take her to a vet.

    If you have anymore questions, please write again.

Thank you for writing!