about my hamster dropping fur

Question
My pet is a winter white dwarf hamster and is about one year old and her fur has been dropping recently on the underside of her body and now a quater of her fur is gone. i have consulted the pet shop keeper and she says that is because she has certain allergies to the wood shavings or food,or maybe it is because she is shedding. but i don't think so as she has been eating the same food . i had recently also changed her wood shavings to a different brand though. is it because i haven't cleaned her for a week? what should i do to let her regrow her fur back?

Answer
Hi Olivia,

The problem may in fact be her bedding.  Make sure that you are using Aspen or Carefresh.  These are two inexpensive, safe brands of bedding.  Pine and Cedar beddings, however, are dangerous as they are known to cause allergies and respiratory infections in small animals (due to their strong aromatic oils).

Or, there could be another reason, such as mites or mange.  Mites can be seen with the naked eye by smoothing your hamster's fur down and observing the skin.  If your hamster has mites, you will see very small black "specks" running through the fur.  Mild cases of mite infestations can be treated with an anti-mite spray designed for caged birds or small animals available from pet shops. The head of the hamster should be shielded to avoid spraying into the eyes and the body sprayed. The cage should be cleaned, sprayed with the anti-mite spray and clean bedding should be provided. This treatment should be repeated as directed on the anti-mite spray.  If you properly treat the hamster for mites, mange won't develop.

If you have any other questions, please feel free to ask.

Kelly