baby hampster

Question
my hampster "carmel" had her first and only litter.they are extremely loved and well cared for and checked for signs of illness.i recently noticed that one baby hampster in the litter of five has a red,inflamed anus.it looks dry(no sign of diarrhea/wet tail) and kind of looks like a scab or scrape.he is eating well and active and appears to be very healthy otherwise.his litter mates all appear to be healthy. they are 20 days old and still nursing.they all eat the nutriphase rat and mouse that the mom eats as well as shelled almonds and pumpkin seeds. i also supplement with small pieces of apple and carrot.i don't know what it could be and if it could be contagious. the only thing i could think of is constipation.if it is constipation,how should i treat it?  

Answer
Hi Shannon,

From petwebsite.com:
"Constipation usually occurs due to a lack of water, stomach blockage or eating too much dry pelleted food.

The symptoms of constipation are a lack of droppings, or a reduced amount of droppings, in the cage. Any droppings that are present may be small and hard. The hamster may also be seen to be having difficulting in passing faeces or may walk "hunched up" as if in pain. Other symptoms may include loss of apetite and some wetness around the anus.

If the hamster has constipation ensure water is available and feed some fruit and vegetable. Feeding a drop of vegetable oil may also help to relieve the constipation. If the hamster is not making recovery by the following day it is best to take the hamster to a vet who can give some medication to relieve the constipation.

Once treated by the vet the hamster should recovery within a few days."

If these symptoms don't fit, I would recommend you take your hamster to the vet to let him/her examine your hamster and properly diagnose it.

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

Kelly