Do you know what kind of sickness/disease my hamster has?

Question

Don't worry, I have a vets appointment booked for tomorrow in the morning.

He has 3 or 4 big fur spots missing.

He has two black scabby things where the fur is gone.

He is unusually hot, so hot I have to keep a fan on him 24/7.

I'm pretty sure he is a Syrian or Teddy hamster.

Heres a picture of him: http://img32.picoodle.com/img/img32/3/8/7/f_hammy001m_5739dba.jpg

And please don't freak out about now going to the vet ASAP, because I called and they said they only do appointments unless your pet is dying.

I love my hamster, and I don't want him to be in pain.

What can I do for him until I bring him to the vet?

Thanks for all your answers!

Oh and my hypothesis is mange or Cancer.

Answer 1

cool him down like youve been,...make sure he is eating,...make sure he is drinking,...hold him and maake him as comfy as possible!

good luck!

☺♥♥☺kisses 4 him!

Answer 2

i know it may not be the best answer it even may even be the worst but sit tight and wait til tomorrow its not dying so it will most likly survive till tommorow

Answer 3

This is not as simple as fleas at all.  those scab looking things growing on him/her are tumors.  they tumors can spread to other parts of its body very fast.  (humans can not get this type of tumor, don't worry)  my sister had a hamster named whiskers and she was the cutest thing ever.  but one day we noticed her butt fur was not there anymore and there were scabs on her belly and butt, so we brought her to the vet and they just said it was hormonal since breeding season was coming, but i knew something was wrong, so i brought her back to the vet and the other vet said that they might be tumors.  he said that they might be cancerous tumors, and if they are the hamster has no way of surviving and that there is no medicine for the tumors to go away.  we had the tumors tested and they were cancerous.  we decided to see if they would clean up.  but it only got worse, they started growing on her face, and i could tell she was in pain and she couldn't even eat.  she could barely even walk.  we had her put to sleep a while ago.  

your hamsters life could be at risk, and you don't want her/him to end up like whiskers.  bring him to the vet and if they say that you only can then tell them that the hamster is dying because it needs medical attention immediately.  

Syrian hamsters are prone to wet tail and tumors.  

wet tail is when there tail gets wet...DUH lol and they start sniffling.  it is like a cold, but deadly, but there is a medicine you can get and give to the hamster.  

tumors and like scabs on the animal that can spread quickly and are also usually deadly because there is not a medication for the hamtser

you have a beautiful hamster, and i hope he/she continues to live a healthy life, just pray and hope he/she will clear up, because sometimes it they aren't that big and you catch them soon enough they can go away be themselves, and since you made a vet appt. tomorrow the future looks bright for your little critter!!!

GOOD LUCK, AND BEST WISHES TO YOU AND THE HAMMIE

p.s. cancer is a big concern courtney!

Answer 4

I don't want to diagnose based purely on description, but that sounds like mites.

This can progress to mange, but since you're bringing him to the vet it can be treated. Just make sure to THOROUGHLY clean out the cage and everything around it with a bleach/water solution and let it dry in the sun. You want to make sure there are no mites left in the cage to get on your hamster again. If, that is, it turns out to be mites (or possibly fleas or lice). I don't think it's something life-threatening at this point.

Just keep doing what you're doing, make sure he's comfortable and not too cold or hot until you see the vet. ;]

EDIT: animalover, I don't want to be argumentative here, but your answer sounds like a definitive diagnosis and you cannot know with any amount of certainty that it's cancer, just as I can't know that it's definitely mites. I'm very sorry about your own hamster, by the way, but that doesn't mean her hamster definitely has the same thing. Either way, a vet would be the best person to make the call, so I suppose we can disagree on the rest and agree on that. :P

Mitch: Have you noticed your hamster getting more itchy lately? Are the scabs bleeding or dried with blood? This can help make the distinction between mites & tumors..

& just to point out.. wet tail is not when their tail gets wet.. ? It's an intestinal disease caused by stress marked by severe diarrhea (which is why it is called wet tail, because of the wet f***s) and lethargy.

Answer 5

He might have fleas or something