What could it have been? (Illness)

Question
My question is actually in relation to a hamster, but I'm hoping that maybe you have seen this sort of thing while handling gerbils.

I checked on my "son," Mel (short for Mellow) this evening and I know that he is dying.  His body is shutting down in the same way the my 4-year-old hamster, Nibbles, did.  (His right eye in completely crusted over; he's lethargic, not eating, and becoming disoriented).  I could handle this better, were he not only 7-8 months old.

Not even a week after I had gotten him, I noticed a cyst-like sore on one of his hind legs.  It eventually cleared itself up, but Mel was unable to use this leg for several weeks.  About a 4 to 6 weeks ago, I noticed wat looked like a black mole on his side.  Then another one popped up in almost the same spot on his opposite side.  Both were comletely black, slightly raised, and the tiniest bit crusty.  I took him to the vet, who said there was a little bit of bacteria present on the spots, and she gave me an anti-everything ointment to try.  It temporarily smoothed the spots out, but that's all.

A little over a week ago, I noticed, on his left side, that his top layer of hair surround the spot (he's a long-haired hamster with a down undercoat) had shed.  A few days later, the same thing started happening on the opposite side.  And now, he's as I described earlier.

Have you ever seen anything like this?  Do you have any idea what it could be?  I know he'll pass soon, and be in a much better place, but I'd like to have some idea of what took my baby from me.  (People where I live only seem to care about cats and dogs, otherwise I would probably have an answer and not a $37 vet bill and a fading hammy.)

Thanks in advance for any insight you can pass on.

Answer
Hi Jessica

I know they have scent glands on their body which can look like black moles, but the missing hair and the bacteria on them is strange. I actually haven't seen anything like this before, and so can't really advise you.....i know it must be really frustrating for you, and i am not sure what you could do....

Maybe ask some of the other hamster experts in this section, as they may well be able to tell you what it could be!!

I am so so so sorry that i can not tell you more, and i hope you do manage to find out what it is!

Charlie.