What is wrong with my hamster???

Question

she is new. like a week ago i got her. she scratches herself alot. like a (dog scratches its back with its leg). i kno hammys do that but she does it alot! and sometimes she rubs against the side of the cage on her back

( like a cat would do to your leg)and she poops a LOT!! i cleand her cage and then 1 hr later i looked in her cage and i looked where she pooped and there wuz 12 turds!!!!!! i dont feed her too much because i just have a bowl 4 her and she barely eats out of it!!! wtf?!

Answer 1

when hamsters are nervous they scratch themselves and rub on stuff a lot, just give her some time

Answer 2

mabey she thinks shes a dog....or a cat. talk to your vet. i no that sounds crazy but i had a bunny that thought it was a cat and it tryed to meow....

Answer 3

Here's the likely scenarios:

She could have mites.  Not terribly common in hamsters but possible.  

She could have an infection.  An ear infection would cause them to scratch the area frequently.

She could have an allergy.  That sounds crazy but we just brought one to the vet and the vet thought it could have an allergy.  It was scratching itself until it was bloody.  We had to change the type of food we gave it.

A vet would be the best choice but if you're too young to take her and pay yourself, I understand your dilemna.  Here's a few things I'll have you try:

Change the food.  If you were feeding blocks, try something else.  Also give her some fruits and veggies everyday (taking out the old stuff daily).  Apples, cabbage, oranges, dehydrated bananas.  All good choices.  Finely chopped.  There should always be food in the cage.  Hamsters don't overeat but they can have too many treats.  Let her eat all she wants of the good food.

And this next one will sound super crazy and I wouldn't recommend it to others but since you're out of ideas and options, here's a go.  With a couple rodents I've had over the years with skin problems, one thing I've tried is soaking them im slightly warm water for a few minutes.  Nothing hot and not enough to drown them but miraculously, it's worked a couple times.  Maybe try it once and see if it helps at all.

A lot of p**p is normal.  My hamsters have potty boxes which keep this under control.  (A little plastic box in the corner with normal clay cat litter in it.)  If they don't use it right away, put a little of their p**p in the box and place the box where they go the most.  The hamster may also roll in it--that's normal and not unhealthy.

You could also return it to the pet store.  Petcos send all their animals to the vet when they're sick.  They also have a 15 day return policy.  You could bring her back and then you would know she'd be taken in.  I'm not sure where you got the hamster, but if you call the store, they may have similar policies.  That may not be what you wanted to do, but it would get her to the vet.  Even if you didn't get her there, you could donate her to a pet store that takes their animals to the vet when sick--but you'd get no money back and surrender her completely.

Well, I hope that helps.  Good luck!

Answer 4

It could be possible it has parasites, the little worms or fleas that crawl through you body and make you itch a lot also can affect the hamsters digestive system. but just in case you should send it to a vet

Answer 5

12 turds is not a lot. That's totally normal but it does sound like she has some skin condition. Take it to the petstore where you got it and tell them whats happening, if you only have had it 4 days, they should be responsible with helping you make it better or give you another one if thats what you would want. If nothing else they should be able to tell you what to use for parasites or skin problems.

Answer 6

of course she poops alot all rodents are like that

Answer 7

its just a hamster

hamsters can act weird like that sometimes.

Answer 8

Um ok. lol. Well my hamster scratches herself like a dog too. Nothing to worry about. Pooping a lot is actually good. Unless they are all mushy and nasty(lol).

I don't think there is anything wrong with her.

Good Luck!