hamster scabs

Question
Hi there.  My daughter has a lovely little hamster with a very gentle nature but a few days ago we noticed small scabs appearing which have got much bigger in the last few days on her right side , ears and face.  she is itching quite a lot also.  Apart from that she still seems in good health.  We took her to the vet and he didn't really know what the problem was but gave us antibiotics and said it could be cancer.  However, I have trawled the internet and cancer seems more related to tumours and lumps not scabs.  Ringworm or mites seems more plausible but i would have thought the vet would have spotted this.  I have some pictures if it helps you give us some advice.  The hamster is a syrian called Shimmer, is about 14 months old and lost one of her rear legs last year.  The vet told us then what a healthy hamster she was (considering her amputated leg!)

Any advice before I prepare my daughter for the inevitable?!

Thanks,

Ross

Answer
Ross thanks for taking the time to ask me your question and for using allexperts. I am sorry to hear that your hamster is not doing well. How odd that even a vet is stumped. I think that if the antibiotics do not help that you should call around and find a vet that does handle rodents that may help you more..

As for your research you are absolutely right that cancer usually comes in the form of lumps and things like mites, fleas, parasites usually produce scabs. This is because the rodent will itch and scratch till it creates sores. As well as using the antibiotics there is other things that you can try.

If it is a mite infestation then you can use Lyme sulfur dip twice weekly  for 6 weeks . This is a liquid that has to be applied thourghly to the hamster. It can be bought online for about $15-$20.

There is also using regular Neosporin on the sores to heal them from the outside while the antibiotics the Vet can heal from the inside.

Remember to keep the cage cleaned at least twice a week with fresh bedding and wash all plastic items with bleach water to kill anything that may be on it. Usually 1tbs to a gallon of water is enough.

I hope that is has helped you and thanks for taking such great care of your pets :)


Here are some sites that may help you more.
http://www.simplepetcare.com/pet-diseases/10/HAMSTER/

http://www.popularpets.net/hamsters/health/mites.php

http://www.petwebsite.com/hamsters/hamster_mites.htm

http://www.entirelypets.com/limesulfur16.html