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use this, it costs $10.

 

Topic: Gerbils & Hamsters

Expert: Nadia Vella
Date: 8/10/2008
Subject: mite

Question
hey!! I am Catrina. I am 15 years old. recently i noticed some thinning in my hamsters hair and scratching a lot. So i brought him to the vet. They checked him and saw no mites, but gave him an injection for a demodex mite,, which apparently cannot be seem. I had to save up 109 dollars for this, and he still scratches like crazy. Even though i payed with my own money my mom wont let me bring him back and i am worried about him and really sad that after saving all that money the vet did nothing. I was just wondering if you could help. Thanks so much


Answer
Hi Catrina,

Thank you for your question. I'm sorry to hear that that method did not work :/ Hamsters can catch mites and these should be treated by an anti-mite spray intended for hamsters. Disinfect the whole cage and apply some anti-mite spray on the hamster bedding and on the hamster. Do not apply the spray directly on the hamster but apply some on a small brush, comb the brush on the hamster and then use a small cloth or tissue paper to dry off the hamster.

The most common signs of hamster's fur problems are: loss of fur, sores, dry, itchy skin, reddened skin. These problems may be caused by tiny skin parasites, allergies, hormonal imbalance or improper diet. Mother hamsters shed fur around their teats when they are nursing their young baby hamsters. Old hamsters have less fur due to a drop in certain hormone levels as the hamster gets older.

Hamster having an allergy can be one of the most common reasons for hamster fur loss. Cedar Shavings can cause allergic reactions. Pine shavings are preferable to Cedar but paper based shavings are the best used. A hamster may become allergic to certain foods. It is important to consider if anything was changed to the hamster's diet, location, or routine which could have caused the hamster the allergic reaction.

Wood shavings as bedding can be replaced with tissue paper to establish if the bedding material is the cause of the allergy, feeding the hamster a plain diet for a few days may establish if the hamster is suffering from a food allergy. When you establish what is the source of allergy that is making the hamster losing fur, the source should be removed immediately.

If you have any more questions, you can always drop me a line anytime on nadia@hamster-club.com

Kind Regards
Nadia Vella
http://hamster-club.com