patchy fur

Question
My hamster puddin is a year and a half old male who is very large and is generally fine. however he has lost some fur. he lost some fur before and the vet said it wasn't mites because it was scabby enough and it was probably hormonal because it was symetrical. the hair grew back. recently he lost some some fur again but it has not grown back as quickly this time. Some patches have grown back but others have then appeared and it is not symmettrical. i don't know whether to take the hamster to the vets again or not. I have not changed brand of food or bedding since the last time. another point i'm worried about is that we seem to have a small mouse problem in our flat over the last month or two, could this be a factor? we have a anti-mouse high frequency deterent in the kitchen(away from the hamster)but i do not have it turned on for Puddins sake? how would this affect him if i turned it on seeing as he is large and in a different room? should i turn it back on if the mouse is causin the hamsters furrloss?

Answer
Aww poor puddin! I would certainly take him back to the vets again as the problem has reoccured. however some points to consider first may help the vet to understand puddin's problem.firstly,mites is common in hamsters.they are so tiny you wouldn't be able to see them but they burrow into the skin and irritate the hamster so much that the hamster pulls out his fur.is puddin scratching excessively? also you may notice tiny scabby areas or redness on the skin where your hamster has been scratching, these are also indications of mites,however if it is early days then these may not be apparent yet.
if puddin has had the patchiness before and has grown fur back then it is a possibility that it isn't mites as mites don't just go away on their own. however it might be worth getting your vet to give him a few drops of mite killing solution on the back of his neck as a precaution.

another possibility causing patchy fur is allergies.have you changed your hand cream or soap as this may cause an allergic reaction.

the mouse deterrant devise i'm not so sure about to be honest. if it works on sonic waves then it is likely that if a mouse can hear the frequency then so can your hamster and if it is turned on it could be causing puddin to become stressed. there is a stress-related illness in humans called alopecia that results in the loss of hair so maybe there's a similar thing in hamsters.however this is an educated guess so don't take my word for it.

definately take him back to your vets and discuss these possibilities

good luck with helping your furry friend get his fur back!
thanks for your question, jewel