My hamster has fur loss?

Question

my hamster of roughly 10 months has lost a little patch of fur on his back. i keep his cage very clean and i love him very much and im worried that im doing something wrong. he did go missing for three days a couple of months back but he returned to his cage. i thought that maybe it might have been stress? does anyone know what the cause might be? should i take him to the vets?

Answer 1

Fur loss can be due to a variety of reasons: molting, mites, diet, mange, skin infection/allergy, or thyroid problem.  Molting is pretty common in extreme temperatures.  Has it been really hot in your home recently?  Your hammie might have just molted a bit and has a bare patch, which is perfectly normal.  The fur will grow back in a couple of weeks.

Is your hammie old?  Sometimes hamsters can start losing fur due to old age (after 2 years old).

Check the site for any scabbing or sores.  Does your hamster scratch a lot?  Those are usually indications of a more serious problem like mites or skin allergy.  If this is the case, I'd first change the bedding/litter to see if that helps.  If not, then I'd take him in to see the vet to determine if he has a mite infestation.

Check out my source below for further information.

Hope that helps!

Answer 2

Sounds like mites to me! ....

If you take Listerine mouth wash and water, 50-50, it's safe to spray your hamster with the solution. Make sure you use ORIGINAL Listerine, the light brown stuff and can't be generic. We've used the solution on our rabbits for the last 20 years. Kills mites, helps with dandruff, dry skin....  

Answer 3

I really don't know. I was going to say signs of aging, but he's still pretty young.

Take him to a vet just to be sure. Cover pup his cage with a dark cloth in the daytime so he feels safer.

Answer 4

yes you should take him to the vets and it might have been all the stress if every one was running around the house looking for the hamster