How can I stop a hamster pulling its fur out?

[Queen Of The High Teas]

Twilight's got bald patches, and I'm not sure how to stop her pulling the hair out. I don't know if she's doing it from lack of handling (I don't hold her much because she bites and doesn't like it) or what, but she's looking a bit of a mess. She isn't scratching and her skin is perfect so she's not got 'unwelcome additions' in her fur. And before someone suggests the patter of tiny paws, that would be a bigger miracle than baby Jesus, because she lives alone, and unless there's a ghost hamster around, she has not been anywhere near others. If she's doing it through lack of socialising with me I'm not sure what to do though, because handling her more isn't an option.

[purple_x]

Are you sure she doesn't have mites? A trip to the vet may be a good idea.

Could she be allergic to the substrate/bedding you are using?

Is she really bored?
I know some small furries will over-groom and self-mutilate if they are bored.

[SinNyx]

As said, a trip to the vet is advisable.
Does she actually pull it out? Just over scratching? Is she showing other signs? Stress? Change in drinking/eating?
If there has been a change in substrate then it may be allergies as purple_x said. Maybe a picture of how it looks could help?

[SyrianMomma7]

Where are the bald patches forming?
I had a syrian who loved to bite cage bars, and she had a bald patch on her nose for the longest time.

[Char]

My hamster Daisy is losing fur around her bum. I thought it was stress as it happened while I was on holiday. That was September, now last few days she's lost more. She's her normal self eating and drinking. I don't know what is coursing this either.

[Queen Of The High Teas]

She is eating and drinking fine. She's a pedigree hamster, not a pet shop one so should be very healthy. She's not biting bars because there are no bars in her cage to do so. Surely if she had lice or mice the other hamsters would have too, given their all housed in the same space? I will try and get a picture, but I'm sure she's pulling it out, the places she's bald is just where she could reach grooming herself, underneath, on either side of her hips / by her behind, and that bit on her shoulders where they reach round to. Her face and top half are perfect because she obviously can't reach there to pull it out! She has lots of chewing things, stuff to dig and tubes to play in, and the bedding is aubiose which has never been a problem. She was changed out about a month ago (they get lots of extra deep bedding in winter which lasts ages) so its nothing to do with a sudden change in the cage. I have given her a new wheel earlier so hopefully she will be too taken with her new toy to think of removing any more hair for now.

[Char]

If you look on Daisy's thread you will see pics where she's losing fur. She's happy and eating and drinking fine. She's like yours nothing has changed in her cage same bedding etc

[Queen Of The High Teas]

Your Daisy is adorable, and such a pretty pattern! Her orange colour is keeping well too, my Syrian was really orange when she was young, but she's getting on now and it's faded to a washed out ginger.

But that's just what my dwarf's coat looks like on her bottom, thin very sparse hair, and little bald patches where she's actually pulled it out. Underneath her is almost bare, I think she pulled all of that because it was within easy reach and now there's nothing left there she's started on other parts of herself she can get to.

[kimlck]

Is Twilight a syrian or dwarf.
My Robbi (dwarf) usually gets a bit bald on her butt and under her nether regions when its nail trimming time.
So i would check her nails.
Also Robbi is the only one of mine that ever had a problem with mites.

[Nancy's Hamsters]

If the mites are the culprit and they are demodex Mites then it can easily be on one Hamster and not others as Demodex mites are on all animals including you and I but our bodies keep them under control until something stresses or and illness when the mites multiply so fast the body can't keep up and they cause major itching and discomfort to who they are attacking. You can't see Demodex mites with the naked eye so a skin scrapping on the bald area by a Vet and then a Microscopic view will tell if there's mites or it is something else.

HTH