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Old 09-16-2012, 02:43 AM   #1
atrixa
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Default Thinning fur- age related?

Hi everyone,

I have noticed in the past fortnight or so that Richard, my 16 month old Syrian has some hair loss around his back and around his face. It's not bald patches as much as thinning fur, really. There is a thin layer of what looks like dandruff on the skin where the thinning fur is on his back. He appears to be in generally good health, with no changes to his behaviour, apart from he has changed his bedding around the cage a bit. I've started to clean him out a bit more often now, as his cage seems to have a stronger smell of urine (I assume because he's refusing to wee in a pile of bedding anymore). Could the thinning fur just be age related or should I be more worried?
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Old 09-16-2012, 05:24 AM   #2
csockman
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Default Re: Thinning fur- age related?

What you are describing can be attributed to several different root causes. One of them is a fungal infection. What you described mimics how it started in one of my hamsters. It was a small thinning patch of hair on his right shoulder (closer to his back). If we looked closely at the thinning hair, we could see very small white specks on his skin (that did not come off). We made several visits to the vet (different vets!) to get a diagnosis. In a matter of months it evolved to what you see in these pictures on our web site:

https://sites.google.com/site/ourrobohamsters/

My advice is to find a good exotic mammal vet (we can help you do so if you ask). The treatment is simple and effective, but it is important to get a diagnosis first. If you take your Syrian in to the vet and the vet says, "It looks like it could be mites, let’s start with this", then turn around and get a different vet . The vet needs to do the proper tests to come to a diagnosis (fungal cultures, skin scrapes, etc.).

I hope this helps!
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Old 09-16-2012, 08:05 AM   #3
atrixa
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Default Re: Thinning fur- age related?

Thank you! He woke up before so I had a close look at him. His fur is thinning pretty much all over, worse than I thought. I've found a vet relatively close to me, so I'll hopefully get an appointment for early next week. Has anyone had any experience with Vets4Pets?
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Old 09-16-2012, 08:23 AM   #4
Humphrey Furball
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Default Re: Thinning fur- age related?

Fur loss can be age related, but 16 months is not so elderly; my last hammie had fur loss around the same age, a few months before he passed away, and he was checked/treated for mites, ringworm and even Cushings disease but nothing came back definitive; he remained cheerful and playful until he passed, and his fur regrew a bit but never regained former fluffiness. I have since read that dog biscuits often given to keep teeth down can cause a skin reaction in some hams, and my hammie always had one of those available, so I'm not sure...?

Anyway, I think it is worth getting him looked at, as the quicker he gets treated the better.

I didn't use Vets4Pets, so can't give you any info about them. Hope Richard is ok. x
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Old 09-16-2012, 10:27 AM   #5
csockman
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Default Re: Thinning fur- age related?

If you have never used Vets4Pets before, maybe you should try to find a vet that someone in these forums have used in the past:

Exotics Veterinarian in the U.K. - Ailments & Injuries - Hamster Hideout Forum

Good vets finder

This link lists vets in the UK that have a special interest in small exotic mammals
AEMV - Association of Exotic Mammal Veterinarians - Select U.K. for country, leave the top drop down list
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Good luck!
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