Sore on dwarf hamster

[fuzzymomma]

My roomate just got a new dwarf hamster yesterday, and we noticed he had some poop caked on his belly, when we cleaned if off there's a bit of a hole that looks pretty yucky, what can we do to help clean it up?

[SnuggleHam]

I would assume that at this point you have done all you can to clean it. Now that you can actually see a swore. I think you should now contact a vet because the vet will be able to wash it with the proper antiseptic solutions and will probably put the hamster on an antibiotic to avoid infection, especially if it’s a gland problem.



Of course you can wait and see what other experiences and hamster knowledgeable people have to say.

[flogging_molly]

I'd probably go to the vet on this one. Dwarfs aren't really hamsters I know alot about, and because of their size they are quite difficult to check for these things, definitely a trip to the vet I would suggest is the best course of action on this one.

[Emma]

Hold it right there.......sounds like you have a hamster with a scent gland :).



Dwarf hamsters have a ventral scent gland right in the middle of their tummy. Especially in mature males, they can be quite large and look like a lump with a hole, which may be full of a pale yellow thick secretion. Unless there is redness/heat/swelling around the gland I wouldn't worry. Very often inexperienced owners (and vets!) can look at them and think they're infected/abnormal when they are a completely normal part of the anatomy of the hamster. If you are still worried then a trip to a vet who is familiar with dwarf hamsters (ring ahead first) will likely put your mind at rest, or you could post a photo here and we could say if it looks like a normal gland or not. Unfortunately I don't have my photos of normal glands to post to show you right now!



The secretion can sometimes cake up a little bit, in which case just gentle wiping with cotton wool/cotton buds and plain warm water or saline is all that's needed if anything.



He shouldn't have poop caked on him though - that's probably indicative of diarrhoea which I'd be more worried about. Has he been pooping normally otherwise?

[babyboos]

How is the wee guy doing? Has your flatmate given him a name yet?