My hamster's fur looks messy. Is she ill or not grooming herself?

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.

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.

I'm sorry your little hamster is not feeling well. These little guys can be delicate! There are a couple of things you can try at home- give her a little bit of syrup or honey water if she has not been eating to make sure her blood sugar is not too low. Make sure she is not too cold- like near an air conditioning vent. You can use a warm water cotton ball to remove the stool piece on her rear end so it is not stuck. But overall, she looks like she is very ill and needs to see a vet- I'm not sure what is going on- these are non specific signs of pain, illness (like upper respiratory infection) etc and your little friend needs a diagnosis before we can get her recommended treatment

Hello, thank you for using Pet Coach. I think you should take the hamster to a vet for an exam. They will be able to give you the best idea as to what is going on. This may be a very treatable problem like skin parasites. Mites (mange) would be my best guess at this stage. The mites can be can be so irritating that they drop on the floor as you described. She looks pretty healthy from what I can tell in the photos. I think you should consider taking her for an exam before electing euthanasia. Hope this helps. Best wishes.

It sounds like your hamster could have a potentially life threatening condition called wet tail. This condition can be brought on by stress (which it sounds like yours may have had some of recently) and it can be quite dangerous. If not treated by a veterinarian asap, it can be fatal. Please seek treatment as soon as you can. In the meantime, clean the cage very well and minimize stress as much as possible; do not hold the hamster or have any new or abnormal conditions to his environment.

Yes you should as this could be due to a skin infection, possibly caused by a mite infestation. A clinical examination at your local veterinarian is essential to confirm these clinical suspicions and treat appropriately. Hope this answer was helpful, but 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. If this answer was helpful please let us know, this will be used to improve our service!

I am very sorry winter is not feeling well. I would recommend taking her to a vet due to the weight loss and hair changes. Typically hamsters do not carry disease like infect people but I would recommend discussing that with the vet at her visit. I would be concerned about possible dental disease, skin infection, skin parasites or even internal disease. Winter really needs a good exam to determine the cause and provide proper treatment. hope that helps

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.

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.

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!