Why is my hamster biting its fur out? What are the possible causes?
Updated On September 23rd, 2025
Pet's info: Small Animal | Hamster | Male
Why is my hamster biting his fur out ?
2 Answers
Most Helpful Answer
Published on May 9th, 2019
Thanks for reaching out about Candler and including photos. This skin lesion could be the result of a mite infestation, bacterial infection, or endocrine disorder, just to name a few. A veterinary visit is recommended for a skin scrape to rule in/rule out mites. Good luck.
2Pet Parents found this answer helpful
Related Answers from Veterinarians
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Published on September 28th, 2019
Hello, Hamsters commonly get skin infections with mites. I recommend taking him in to see a veterinarian to see if his skin needs medical care. I'm unsure what he is doing in the photograph. Your vet can guide you best after a physical exam. I hope this helps. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.
1Pet Parents found this answer helpful
Health & Wellbeing
My hamster really active ( day/night), he biting his fur a lot then before. I give hin sand bath for treating itchies on his body. But, I shocked when I looking his body getting weird (like on the photo ) is my hamster okay ? I afraid that he is not.
Hello, Hamsters commonly get skin infections with mites. I recommend taking him in to see a veterinarian to see if his skin needs medical care. I'm unsure what he is doing in the photograph. Your vet can guide you best after a physical exam. I hope this helps. Thanks for using Boop by Petco.
Updated on September 24th, 2025
Health & Wellbeing
So I noticed this on my hamster's back it looks like mosquito bite but I'm not sure that's it because he has also started losing his hair..
Thanks for reaching out about Bobo and including photos, although difficult to determine a lesion by the pictures. Do you have mosquito problems? External parasites such as mites or fleas are possible, as are bacterial skin infections. Try cleaning the area with a mild soap. If the lesion or hair loss progresses, a veterinary visit is recommended to assess and provide a diagnostic/treatment plan. Good luck.
Updated on September 24th, 2025
Health & Wellbeing
Hello! My hamster has been settling into her cage for a couple of days but seems to be a bit off. Anytime I try to talk to her in a soft voice she freezes and stares at me. She’ll stay in her hide till 10 pm and go to bed around 7-8 am. She also star
Thanks for reaching out about Peppermint and including photos (although they are a little out of focus). Hair loss and chewing at the skin could be an indication of a lesion (mites, bacterial, other) and being irritating and over-groomed. Most hamsters are nocturnal, so active at night. If having a skin problem could be more secretive. A veterinary visit is recommended to assess and provide a diagnostic treatment plan. Good luck.
Updated on September 24th, 2025
Health & Wellbeing
My male Syrian hamster has been biting/itching himself on his side. I noticed that he had two scabs and bare patches on his side, and Im worried he could have mites and mange. His scabs are almost black and hes missing fur around them. What should I
Hello! Salem may very well have mites, or possibly another type of skin infection, such as bacteria or ringworm. I would recommend taking him into a vet to find out what the cause of the scabs are, because the treatment is different for every cause. They will likely recommend a skin scraping and taking a sample of his hair to investigate what the source of the problem is. I hope this helps!
Updated on September 24th, 2025
Training & Behavior
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
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.
Updated on September 24th, 2025
Health & Wellbeing
Our hamster has lost some of her fur on her face and the skin underneath looks quite dry but is not flaking. She is acting fine in herself, eating and drinking the same and has plenty of energy. No sickness/diarrhea either. She does itch herself agai
Thanks for reaching out about Penelope and including a photo. The skin appears inflamed, causes of which could be parasites (mites), bacterial, fungal (ringworm) or a contact allergy. A veterinary visit is recommended to check for mites and ringworm, and thereby prescribe the appropriate medication. Good luck.
Updated on September 24th, 2025
Health & Wellbeing
My hamster is around 5 months old and has recently developed an area of fur loss with a red scab underneath it along with small patches. I can’t afford a vet check up and it seems to be getting worse. There’s nothing in my cage that would’ve done thi
Thank you for using Boop by Petco! It is a little difficult to see in the photo, but there is what appears to be a small area of scabbing and hairloss, both of which are patchy on the hip. This can be caused by a skin infection, certain cancers, fungal infections, or skin mites which are very common in hamsters. These mites live within the hair follicles rather than cage surfaces, so cleaning the cage will not get rid of any of the possible causes. Mochi should be seen by a vet who can perform some quick tests on this area of skin to determine the underlying cause and start her on the appropriate treatment. In the meantime, to keep her more comfortable, you can gently trim her nails to keep her from traumatizing herself as she scratches. I hope this helps!
Updated on September 24th, 2025
Health & Wellbeing
Hello I am here to talk about my four year old, male, Syrian hamster. He has been getting what looks like flakey skin and scabs behind his ears.
Thanks for reaching out about Bubbles and including a photo. Flakey dermatitis in hamsters can be due to skin parasites, bacterial infections, endocrine or metabolic disorders and other concerns. A veterinary visit is recommended to assess and provide a diagnostic/treatment plan. A deep skin scrape and microscopic examination is a good start. Good luck.
Updated on September 24th, 2025
Health & Wellbeing
Lately, my hamster's fur seems to be falling off near her jaw. Is there anything wrong?
That could be commonly caused by a mites infestation or a bacterial infection. A clinical examination at your local veterinarian is essential to confirm these clinical suspicions and treat appropriately. Antibiotics may be needed. Please do not hesitate to contact us again on the forum or by requesting a consultation if you have any more questions or to discuss it any further.
Updated on September 24th, 2025
Health & Wellbeing
Hello, Back in August we adopted some “Winter White” dwarf hamsters. They have both been perfectly fine as far as we can see until recently. One of them has been itching a lot and we saw today his skin looked very rough with weird skin sores. (W
Based on the photos I would say an infection is present but the cause cannot be determined by looks alone. Many times these small critters are prone to skin parasites such as lice/mites and fungal infections such as ringworm (which you can catch from them). If these lesions are not resolving on their own, I would recommend to find a veterinarian who knows about pocket pets as they will be able to determine the cause and the best treatment. Best of luck!
Updated on September 24th, 2025
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