Syrian hamster allergies - any advice?

Minnie · 03-06-2013, 04:11 PM

Hi

I took my Syrian hamster to the vet because he was constipated. It turns out that the reason he is having difficulty going to the toilet is because the faeces is full of fur.

The vet suspects that he has an allergy to something, which is causing him to wash himself and scratch more and as he licks his paws he is ingesting fur. The body can't digest this so it causes problems trying to come out the other end.

He's on Piriton syrop to ease the itching (which doesn't seem to be working), pineapple juice which has an enzyme in it which breaks down the keratin in the fur in his digestive system and lettuce to help move things along. The hope is that as going to the toilet becomes easier for him, his stress levels will also decrease which in turn will help with the itching.

I've also switched his bedding from wood shavings to the white paper "safe bedding" from Pets at Home.

Unfortunately none of this seems to be working. Treatment began on Saturday and I've seen no improvement.

Has anyone tried Bio Catolet as a form of dust free bedding? My vet recommended shredding napkins but when I did that I seemed to create more dust than ever before.

Any advice would be most welcome as it's horrible to see him in such distress.

Minnie

lucyeleanor · 03-06-2013, 05:00 PM

Did your vet check for mites, potentially causing itchiness and over-grooming?

ETA: Fitch recycled paper bedding seems to be quite popular for many reasons, one major one being that it is practically dust free.

Minnie · 03-07-2013, 02:44 AM

Yes, he's been checked for mites and is clear at present.

Thanks for that info. Is there any perfume added? I've heard that over time perfumes can affect hammies' respiratory tracts.

racinghamster · 03-07-2013, 03:43 AM

Hi Minnie, sorry to hear your hammie is having some issues. As far as constipation goes, introducing some fresh vegetables in small amounts will help. Hamsters eat their droppings to help reinstate the vitamins within them. It passes through the gut and is then eaten again. It`s natural to them.

Switching to a paper based bedding or even Hemp like Aubiose could help with any itching or fur related problems, although a lowered immune system can trigger mites naturally in small animals due to stress or their body not being able to repair itself. Mites will usually cause a lot of scratching around the face, neck and shoulder areas and cause little cuts and scabs aswell as hair loss/patches. So if you are not seeing these signs, then mites may not be present.

Feed a few small 5mm sized veggies like carrot, broccoli and fresh sweetcorn/corn on the cob. These can be bought in supermarkets and kept in the fridge and fed when required. A little piece of fresh tomato (without the seeds) will go down well also. Tomato contains lycopene which is a substance that prevents prostate cancer in humans. My syrian loved his little pieces of tomato as a treat.

Try not to do full cage cleans as the dust might affect him. I never do full cage cleans. It keeps stress levels down and retains the hamsters scent in the cage.

Piriton is something that is given as an anti-allergen/inflammatory but unless an allergy is known, it may not have any effect. Vets usually try these things but they never seem to work.

If it was me, I would try and stick with natural ways and go the veggie route and make sure his substrate and bedding materials were paper based or hemp. I use Aubiose myself but steer clear of things like Carefresh or cat litters. Cardboard substrates are also great but might be noisey underfoot and not very absorbent.

lucyeleanor · 03-07-2013, 03:59 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Minnie

Yes, he's been checked for mites and is clear at present.

Thanks for that info. Is there any perfume added? I've heard that over time perfumes can affect hammies' respiratory tracts.

Glad to hear it, keep an eye out anyway.

No it's perfume free, it's a bit like carefresh but cheaper & better. Here is the thread from when it reached HC, lots of reviews & opinions. Hope this helps.

ETA: Sorry, that was the wrong thread (but also potentially useful) Here is the one I meant.

Minnie · 03-11-2013, 07:14 AM

Thanks for all your advice. I have bought some of the Fitch bedding (which arrived in good condition and I'm introducing it into Ollie's cage a little at a time. He's still scratching but not ferociously and he has never broken the skin. However he is still swallowing fur so I'm keeping him on pineapple juice for now. The Piriton syrup doesn't seem to make any difference at all - he's on 0.02ml once a day.

If this change of bedding doesn't work I don't know what else to try. I've removed the flowers from the flat so there should be no pollen allergy and I have no other pets apart from a Russian hamster.

If anyone can think of anything else I could try please shout.

samzyzg · 03-11-2013, 07:58 AM

When Kiba all of a sudden had a massive cut on him, and I couldn't find any blood on any of his toys or substrate I realised the only think I changed was his substrate so I moved him onto just tissue paper until I could get the old stuff again and now things are clearing up. So is there anything new thats been changed cause that could be what is causing the problem.
I can't really think of much else but I wish him a speedy recovery

Minnie · 03-14-2013, 08:02 AM

Has anyone tried a drop of apple cider vinegar in the water? I have heard that this acts as a deterrent to fleas and mites in dogs. Just thought we might be able to apply to hammies, in miniature form, too.

GhostsInSnow · 03-14-2013, 08:38 AM

The only other bedding I can think of apart from those mentioned is Finacard. It's literally just shredded up cardboard, Both or my hams are on it and my mice.
Bio-Catolet can kick up a bit of dust so if he is irritated by it then I wouldn't use it, same with the back-2-nature stuff. I have a problem with dust myself rather than it being the hams having the problem and I have been fine with carefresh type stuff and finacard