Trix is going bald

Acorn · 10-05-2014, 07:38 PM

We adopted Trix almost a year ago. Her previous owners had her for at least a year before us. Over the last two weeks, we have noticed that her hair is falling out. She is eating and playing and acting fine. Her whole head as of now is pretty much bald. Two parts of her body are also bald. The fur on her face is very thin, and her fur in general is thinning out. She is still eating well, and playing on her wheel. She is not scratching. Is this just perhaps a process of aging, or should we be worried?

Nancy's Hamsters · 10-05-2014, 08:03 PM

Sounds like possibly Cushings though that usually starts on the rump and works it's way forward and the head seldom goes bald at all. I've had old age dwarf Hybrids go bald like this with age. Best solution would be to arrange a Vet visit so the possibility of demadex mange mites and Cushings might be ruled out.

Acorn · 10-05-2014, 08:37 PM

Thank you for your reply. We are pretty worried about her, and yet, as I type this, she is running like mad in her wheel! I will call the vet tomorrow, hopefully she will make a house call...I would hate to pack Trix up for a drive

Acorn · 10-06-2014, 09:16 AM

Unfortunately, our vet is not in today. I am hoping to touch base with her tomorrow. I do hope that this is just a matter of aging. The hair loss seemed to happen fast - at first, it looked like she was getting some grey patches, but then she quickly began going bald (her fur has been thinning out over the last few weeks, but the more noticeable bald patches began to appear about a week ago, and this has increased over the last few days).

Ellie Bee · 10-06-2014, 10:13 AM

This sounds like Alopecia - it can happen at any age but it most common in older hamsters. It can be an illness by itself, or a symptom, so it is imperative to get it checked out by a small animals vet.

Woodshavings and hard wooden or sharp plastic toys can tear and scratch the skin when there is no fur, so your best options are to use soft, paper-based substrates like Carefresh (a fleece can be used instead for hamsters that don't chew/dig much) and no wooden toys at all or plastic ones that have sharp bits. If the belly fur is still there, then it is not important to not use woodshavings as substrate, but definitely remove sharp toys. If you're looking for toy substitutions, try using egg/cardboard boxes and toilet paper tubes.

If your hamster still seems happy, healthy and normal, then it may just be old age, but the fur may never grow back. Could you explain a bit more about their environment? Their cage? (You could send a picture) I would then be able to tell you the best things you could do to make your hamster's life more happy when dealing with fur loss. I really hope it isn't something serious!

Acorn · 10-06-2014, 11:20 AM

Thank you for your reply. Trix lives in a 30g aquarium. Substrate is carefresh, and in her nest is a mix of carefresh and toilet paper. She also has some 'hamster litter' lining the back of the tank. She has a plastic wheel - it is a bit chewed up on the back, so there may be some sharp edges there (I will check on that when I get home from work). She has a small wooden house that she rarely uses, in fact, she usually sits on top of it, and I am pretty positive there are no sharp edges on it. Her toys consist of cardboard boxes, plastic tunnels, a flying saucer, and tupperware containers.

I have not seen her rubbing against anything or scratching. She stretches her legs an awful lot though!

I will try to get a decent pic of her tonight when I get home.

Acorn · 10-06-2014, 05:07 PM

Got home to find a mark on Trix's backside - although I think it might be her scent gland?! Maybe I just never saw it before when she had all of her fur! I took these pics with the ipad, so not the best quality:

Acorn · 10-07-2014, 11:44 AM

I spoke with our vet this afternoon. I also sent the same pics that I posted above. Our vet would like to rule out cushingtons, cancer, and mites. She said that she will look at the pics and decide if she can do a house visit, or if we need to bring her in to the hospital. She said some skin scrapes and blood samples might be in order.

I do hope a home visit will work, as Trixie is very anxious....she likes her tank, her room, and the hallway outside of her room. She, however, becomes very anxious when take away from those areas (i.e. the kitchen or wreck room). We have had guinea pigs that never displayed this behaviour - but I suppose, just like humans, hamsters may have their own form of separation anxiety!

Acorn · 10-07-2014, 12:27 PM

I don't care if it is advice or plain friendly support - I feel alone, and I am worried about my girl. At a loss, and feeling quite alone.

cypher · 10-07-2014, 11:42 PM

It does seem hard to have to stress Trix out but if the vet can't do a home visit I think you'll have to take her in for a check, that's the only way you'll find out what the problem is & if it can be treated so it would really be worth it. If you have a travel cage or box to take her in put some substrate from her cage in so she'll feel a bit more secure & less stressed.
Try not to worry too much until you've seen the vet & I really hope she can help you & Trix out.