Strange Behaviour

Question
Lately my hamster hasn't been eating as much.  He takes most of the food out of his bowl and puts it in a corner.  He'll pick at it a little, but not as much as he used to, and I've also noticed parts of his coat have gotten very thin.  I got him when he was only a couple of months old, and I've had him for about two years.  I've checked him for other signs of illness such as abscesses, but I haven't found any.  I was just wondering if something other than being sick could cause him to lose some of his coat and make him not want to eat his food?  I don't know if it will help, but I use cedar shavings, the cage is 20x10x12 inches (length, width, and height), and he has a plastic igloo for a toy.  I've also been feeding him vitamin drops along with his regular food.  I know you can't answer medical questions, but I'd really appreciate your opinion anyway.  Could you please tell me if there's something besides an illness that can cause a hamster to lose fur and not want to eat, like stress or something else?

Answer
Dear Amanda,
thank you for your question.
To me, it sounds very much like your hamster is getting old. He's now almost 2.5 years old, which is a good age for a hamster. Loosing fur is a normal sign of old age, but check for mites anyway. Get a piece of clear adhesive tape and press it on one of the bald spots. If the hamster has mites, you will see some of them on the tape. A fungal infection would cause the skin to flake and redden.
Give him everything he likes to eat. He might start to sleep much more than he used to, that's normal, too.
I hope I was of some help to you
Jennifer