My Hamster (caution, he’s hairless)

[Uberhoust]

@OliveFish05 I am really sorry for your hamster. The fact that this is spreading rather than getting better in spite of the improved care you have provided suggests this is either a serious infection or there is something in the environment that is causing the issue. You might want to simplify the hamster's dwelling and provide cloths for nesting and comfort but wash them daily, you will want to avoid moist conditions especially those created by urine or feces. I would change the cloths before the hamster's quiet time so that it sleeps in clean bedding (washed in fragrance free detergent if possible). You may want to consider bandaging the wound with antibiotic ointment, but I don't know how you would do that with a hamster. You might be able to find someone with vet experience online. You may have to apply ointment multiple times a day.

Is it possible that the hamster is chewing on himself do to irritation on the skin?

Good luck

 

[OliveFish05]

@OliveFish05 I am really sorry for your hamster. The fact that this is spreading rather than getting better in spite of the improved care you have provided suggests this is either a serious infection or there is something in the environment that is causing the issue. You might want to simplify the hamster's dwelling and provide cloths for nesting and comfort but wash them daily, you will want to avoid moist conditions especially those created by urine or feces. I would change the cloths before the hamster's quiet time so that it sleeps in clean bedding (washed in fragrance free detergent if possible). You may want to consider bandaging the wound with antibiotic ointment, but I don't know how you would do that with a hamster. You might be able to find someone with vet experience online. You may have to apply ointment multiple times a day.

Is it possible that the hamster is chewing on himself do to irritation on the skin?

Good luck

Thank you for the suggestions! I don’t think he’s chewing himself, but I do wonder if he maybe knicked Himself when his teeth were bad, and it got infected? I do have bandages I can use, and he is very patient when we are applying the medicine, I think he would allow us to put a small bandage in (we did it with a duckling which lost all the skin on its leg) I sount have in scented detergent, but I could clean his bedding every 3 ish days? I am going to be away at camp and have my sister take care of him, and she isn’t able to change the bedding every day

 

[Uberhoust]

A lot of waste can build up in three days. I would try to make some sort of "trade" with your sister to encourage her to change the bedding more frequently. Considering the location of the lesions your hamster should have very clean conditions. I do understand you are in a difficult situation so you will do what you can.

 

[Anonymous Fox]

can you take him to the vet (exotic vet)

 

[OliveFish05]

can you take him to the vet (exotic vet)

Unfortunately we don’t have one locally. My mom called our old vet (who we used to take our dogs to, before we found a higher quality place) and they said they don’t care for hamsters but that they are able to euthanize them, since it is a simple procedure, for $10. I talked to my grandpa and showed him the scabs, and he suggested an anti fungal cream, so we are now applying an anti fungal cream daily and every morning we rinse the wound in either betadine or this pink liquid my mom calls topical solution. I am out of town right now so haven’t seen the wound in almost 4 days, but my sister said the scabs are starting to dry up and loosen from the skin, and that it is looking tons better! It does worry me though because he has started getting super skittish, and shrieks when you reach into his cage (he didn’t do that before) but I am hoping he will settle down once it’s all healed up!

 

[DancingBetta]

Unfortunately we don’t have one locally. My mom called our old vet (who we used to take our dogs to, before we found a higher quality place) and they said they don’t care for hamsters but that they are able to euthanize them, since it is a simple procedure, for $10. I talked to my grandpa and showed him the scabs, and he suggested an anti fungal cream, so we are now applying an anti fungal cream daily and every morning we rinse the wound in either betadine or this pink liquid my mom calls topical solution. I am out of town right now so haven’t seen the wound in almost 4 days, but my sister said the scabs are starting to dry up and loosen from the skin, and that it is looking tons better! It does worry me though because he has started getting super skittish, and shrieks when you reach into his cage (he didn’t do that before) but I am hoping he will settle down once it’s all healed up!

The shrieking worries me too… Hamsters scream if they are afraid or in pain. Hopefully he gets better quickly.

 

[Uberhoust]

I am sure the little one doesn't really like the treatments but it sounds like they are helping. Consider everything is changing in its life right now and new people are coming in to treat him/her, it has to be scary. I wish the little one a speedy recovery.

 

[OliveFish05]

I am sure the little one doesn't really like the treatments but it sounds like they are helping. Consider everything is changing in its life right now and new people are coming in to treat him/her, it has to be scary. I wish the little one a speedy recovery.

Thank you! I am hoping he does well as well!

The shrieking worries me too… Hamsters scream if they are afraid or in pain. Hopefully he gets better quickly.

yes, I talked to my mom and she says if it isn’t improving we will take him in to have him euthanized

 

[Anonymous Fox]

Unfortunately we don’t have one locally. My mom called our old vet (who we used to take our dogs to, before we found a higher quality place) and they said they don’t care for hamsters but that they are able to euthanize them, since it is a simple procedure, for $10. I talked to my grandpa and showed him the scabs, and he suggested an anti fungal cream, so we are now applying an anti fungal cream daily and every morning we rinse the wound in either betadine or this pink liquid my mom calls topical solution. I am out of town right now so haven’t seen the wound in almost 4 days, but my sister said the scabs are starting to dry up and loosen from the skin, and that it is looking tons better! It does worry me though because he has started getting super skittish, and shrieks when you reach into his cage (he didn’t do that before) but I am hoping he will settle down once it’s all healed up!

That’s good! The shrieking is fine, it should not concern you, as you said, he’s just nervous, I would recommend leaving him alone and only reaching in his cage to give him food and water (btw, I s he a male? Does he have the long bottom?)

 

[OliveFish05]

That’s good! The shrieking is fine, it should not concern you, as you said, he’s just nervous, I would recommend leaving him alone and only reaching in his cage to give him food and water (btw, I s he a male? Does he have the long bottom?)

Yeah we only reach in for food and to apply his ointment, he has a water bottle so we can do that from the outside of his cage. Yes he is most certainly a male

 

[OliveFish05]

The shrieking is fine, it should not concern you, as you said, he’s just nervous

The thing that concerned me was that it started overnight, he never squealed then as the scabbing progressed he started squealing and it made me wonder if he was so scared (cause he knows he’s injured) that he would be happier to just put out of his misery

 

[I Like Rare Fish]

Random scabbing is actually a symptom of mites. If he got it randomly, take him to the vet. Anti fungal cream will not solve it. Find an exotic animal vet. Depending on where you are, I can link some great vets. Hampsters Are not hardy animals. You would have to spend some for this guy. Trust me, this is not simple. Euthanasia is the last resort.

 

[OliveFish05]

Random scabbing is actually a symptom of mites. If he got it randomly, take him to the vet. Anti fungal cream will not solve it. Find an exotic animal vet. Depending on where you are, I can link some great vets. Hampsters Are not hardy animals. You would have to spend some for this guy. Trust me, this is not simple. Euthanasia is the last resort.

Well, see, I’m not sure if it’s exactly “random”. he was in pretty nasty condition when I rescued him. As of right now the treatment we are carrying out seems to be helping. If this stops working or doesn’t clear it up we will have him euthanized. Unfortunately getting him diagnosed by a vet is outside of our budget

 

[I Like Rare Fish]

If you know of anyone with a super high powered microscope, scrape off some Skin, and look at it under the microscope. You should be able to see mites moving around in the skin.

 

[OliveFish05]

If you know of anyone with a super high powered microscope, scrape off some Skin, and look at it under the microscope. You should be able to see mites moving around in the skin.

Eek. I talked to my mom today and she said the scabs have come off completely! Does this make any difference? Is there any way to treat mites, such as dawn dish soap?