Black Bear Hampster

Question
I have noticed that my hampster "Bubble Jean" has patches of fur missing and black spots where the fur is missing on a couple parts of her body.  when i pick her up and play with her and if i touch the spots it does not seem to bother her.  also her fur is not as shiney as it used to be. also can i give her any kind of fresh vegetables in addition to the items i get at pet smart?  

Answer
hi betty,

you didnt say where these spots are, so im going to assume theres one on either side near her back legs. these are called 'hip spots' and are completely normal. they are your hamsters scent glands and are much more noticable in males, so u might find you have had a boy and not a girl! lol. shiny fur is usually just when the hamster is young, shes just maturing, but you could try some vitamins, which you can buy cheaply at your pet store. there are plenty of veggies and fruits you can give your hamster. but only in very small portions 2 or 3 times a week. heres a list of their faves:

lettace
cucumber
carrots
apples (no skin)
melon
raisins
monkey peanuts (not salted)
a small piece of digestive biscuit.
but not anything citrus like lemons or oranges.

i hope ive managed to help you out and thanks for your question, please ask again if you need to.

joanne :)