Why is my hamster biting herself, causing bald spots, scabs, red skin?

Question

I have a female dwarf hamster. Her name is ruby. I got ruby about 2 and a half years ago,and she was an adult when I got her.I've noticed that ruby has been biting herself.I figured that she was just scratching and paid no mind to it,but when I took her out the cage to let her freeroam for a bit,I noticed that she had a bald spot and a scab like thing on her back. She was biting and scratching at it. The skin around it appears red.Is this a serious problem or a simple fix? what is wrong with her. Pet's info: Bird | Unknown - Bird | Male | 40 lbs

Miranda Sadar, DVM, DACZM · Accepted Answer

I am so sorry to hear that this is happening with Ruby. Self mutilation in hamsters is often due to stress or disease, and with her age, I would be concerned that there may be an underlying disease process going on, and this could be causing her irritation or pain. I would recommend taking your hamster into a veterinarian. They can evaluate the area and see if there is an obvious underlying reason for the wound and hair loss, and they may recommend diagnostics, including evaluating the hair and scraping the skin. They then can evaluate the samples under the microscope. Depending on the results, they may recommend treatments, and if it is determined that treatment is not a good option for you and Ruby, they can also assist in humane euthanasia. I hope that gives you a place to start, and I wish you the best of luck.

Why is my hamster biting herself, causing bald spots, scabs, red skin?

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