Very Ichy Hamster, Any Help Appreciated! <3

[Littlelotti24]

I got my hamster 6 days ago from pet smart. Day 1-2 I noticed she was scratching a lot and is loosing fur
on her belly from itching. I immediatly made her a appmt. for day 3(sat.) and the vet said that she may have ringworm from the store. I called store and they swear none of the other hams are infected. Does this mean it could be a allergy? her test for ringworm won't be back for tw weeks but I can't wait. Vet gave me Miconozole and she's had it 3 times a day for 4 days now, but it looks the same. She was negative for mites or lice. Im just anxious and worried. She has a second appmnt wed. to check her and a second opinion appmt.. Friday with a diff doctor. Could it be her care fresh unscented bedding or anything else?
20 gallon glass tank- cleaned 3 days ago.
she eats Hazel Ham with corn and peas picked out( I have taken this out too, in case she is allergic to nuts or corn?) so lost.
oxbow pellets
sunflower, pumpkin, meal worms once a day or every other.
care fresh confetti bedding (now paper towels ripped up)
cheese chew
whimsies alligator chew(now taken out too)
toilet paper roll
water bottle
silent spinner 6.5
ANYONE FEEL FREE TO COMMENT I APPRECIATE ANYTHING. Thanks for any opinions.

[IMG]file:///Users/lorihart/Desktop/MY%20HAMSTER%20MOO!/IMG_1900.JPG[/IMG]

[cypher]

Some hams can be allergic to carefresh as it is a bit dusty but that's fairly unusual so I would imagine it could be ringworm but you can't do much until you get the results really.
I wouldn't remove anything from her Hazel Hamster mix, it's very unlikely she's allergic to the peas or corn & by taking them out you will be upsetting the overall balance of her diet which won't help at all, she doesn't really need the oxbow with HH either, it's fine on it's own.
While you wait for the results you could give her some extra flax seeds (linseed) which are very good for both skin & coat condition also a tiny drop of evening primrose oil on her food might help too.

[Littlelotti24]

Okay, she I will get some flax. She is loosing the fur on her belly and inner legs mostly but she scratches all over. I looked on her back and she is very dry, and pink. I don't think it's just dry skin but rather dry bc of something. She is still on paper towel ripped up and seems ok with it, but its not helping the itch sadly, which makes me think it's not the carefresh. I agree I have to wait for the results but it's so hard waiting 2 weeks for the test. Seeing her get worse and feeling helpless. She has a second appmnt in a hour and another Friday with a diff doctor. Her main doc wants to give her ivermectin but I don't want too bc there is no guarantee it's even ringworm and that could be a lot for her little body if it isn't?

[cypher]

A lot of vets do seem to give ivermectin as a precaution in case of mites, I can't question a qualified vet obviously but I would query it personally if there was no evidence of mites (did they do a skin scrape for that?) sometimes they do need it but when they don't it can just put more strain on the system.
I meant to say before (got distracted sorry!) is she a dwarf ham, I can't see the photo?
If she is you might do better feeding a dwarf specific mix which is more suited to them, if you can get it Burgess dwarf hamster harvest is good.
I know it's hard to see her like this but these things can take time to clear up so you may just have to be patient.
While flax & evening primrose oil aren't a treatment as such they really can make a big difference & help with itching & dryness, I've had great results using those as supplements.
Good luck with her, you're obviously doing your best & really care for her & I hope she gets better soon.

[Pebbles82]

Cypher has said it all really. Is there anything else in the cage she could be allergic to? I've heard of some people usign scented granules under the substrate that have caused issues. Also you mentioned cleaning the tank 3 days ago. What do you use to clean the tank with? Some disinfectants and so on can be too strong for hamsters whose sense of smell is much stronger than ours. Usually just warm water or warm water with a bit of dish washing liquid in is fine - you only really need disinfectant if there's been illness or disease.

Just trying to rule things out

[Littlelotti24]

Hey, Yes she is a Russian dwarf, and she was on oxbow when I got her and I just added a half tablespoon a day of Hazel but the doc told me to keep that away but I pray its not the food- seriously I want her to be able to have seeds! Ok so I went to the doctor yesterday again, and told them my concerns about the Ivermectin(spell) maybe not being needed if she doesn't have mites or ringworm but she insisted bc she wanted to cover all bases and so she gave it to her, she has been asleep all day today so I don't know if she is still itching but it will be 24 hrs tonight so I usually set up camp by her and watch her for a couple hours every night since I've got her. I can't help myself. she also on a antibiotic in case it is bacterial? the vet was worried it could be. again too soon to see if it worked. Vet told me to continue her diet I've been doing since Monday, Oxbow and mealworms only until nut allergy, corn or treat allergy can be ruled out. I HATE not being able to give her chews or seeds. I hate it. bc I dontknow what is causing this. I hope its the bedding bc thats a easy fix but since it was care fresh confetti I just doubt it was.i have also bought flax and she has had 2 sprinkles of nutritional yeast for stress and VitB. I didn't mention that to the doc bc she also things meal worm is bad and that the wimzees dog treats are bad. I disagree however I have kept them from her for now. I have another appmnt tomb morning with a different doctor for a second opinion if we wake tom and she is still itchy-- I pray something is working. I will be more sure tonight. waiting for answers is death to me. thanks so much for all the help. Talking or typing helps me too.
I cleaned the tank with vinegar water last Saturday and a cruelty free organic cleaner then rinsed the cage out fully with hot water and wiped it down- however she was itchy before I ever did this, so Im positive its not the vinegar mix or organic cleaner.
the second time I cleaned with hot water only.
she is currently on paper towel ripped up in a 20gallon tank
only one wooden rainbow bridge added today- since thats not what did it obviously.
paper towel rolls
6.5 silent wheel
water
wood chew, millet, half of a chessy chew( Idk if this had anything to do with it, but I took so much away I let her keep the cheese chew)
plastic hide house
oxbow pellets, sprinkle of nutritional yeast only 2 times this week, 2 meal worms( all daily)
and thats all she has been aloud since Monday... tom is 5 days with all these limits and as of yesterday she was still scratching constantly.
her meds she is on is 6 days now on Miconazole-still itchy and hairless
day 2 on Ivermectin and oral Sulfamethoxazole &Trimethoprim.
thanks again for advice ALSO if you want to see her now, she is on my Instagram- littlelotti24

[cypher]

My worry with the food would be that she won't be getting the nutrition she needs which could make things worse & oxbow & Hazel hamster aren't the easiest things for a dwarf ham to eat.
I can understand your vet wanting to cover all bases with the meds but I do think denying her an appropriate food mix on the off chance that she may have an allergy to nuts or corn which would be extremely rare in a hamster does sound counter productive to me.
Mealworms aren't good in large amounts but in moderation they are fine & shouldn't cause any problem at all, whimzees should be fine too, not much in them that could cause a problem either.
Personally I think putting her on a good quality, dwarf specific diet like Burgess dwarf hamster harvest could make a big difference in itself.
I don't think there's anything else in her cage that should be removed.
I'm not sure what the cheesy chew is though.

[Littlelotti24]

I agree, I'm at the second vet now and he doesn't think it's the food at all, he believes it's mites or ringworm or some skin ailment, he is putting her on oral anti fungus as opposed to the topical one bc he thinks that could be adding to the stress of her scratching, I took the cheese chew away, it is a cheese block for teeth, but it does have dairy in it? I intend on giving her seeds back soon, whether she heals or not bc she hasn't improved without them- so I doubt that's the issue at this point. He said bedding could have started it but doubts that as week since it's been a week on new bedding now. Unless it had mites or something on the bedding- idk. I believe I can microwave it and kill anything on it if I were to try it again- if she ever heals. He said other than what I've been doing there isn't much more he can do. Very hard to hear but I understand. I just have to wait.

[AmityvilleHams]

Microwaving is not a good idea Baking would be fine though.

Substrate can cause allergic reactions,but Carefresh is definitely not likely.If you were using something like aspen or any type of wood for that matter,I'd see it as common,but not Carefresh.I know that people have issues with the dust,but that is not the same as an allergic reaction.Kaytee Clean and Cozy is a good alternative though,as long as you get the plain white or brown with no scent.Oxbow Pure Comfort is supposed to be great as well,but I've not tried it myself!

Dairy is not easily digested by hamsters.They have propylene glycol(a very dangerous component of antifreeze),added sugar that is not healthy,artificial dyes,gelatin(boiled bones,so not exactly digestible),and questionable flavors(along with ingredients which are of questionable quality).Stick with high quality treats that are natural and species appropriate rather than most of the junk pet stores sell,which are rarely if ever appropriate and beneficial!

Whimzees will be fine,they're excellent quality and wouldn't cause an allergic reaction.I'd say the previous vet was extremely uneducated at best Luckily the second vet seems good so far!

[cypher]

It's hard to wait & see when they aren't well but I think your new vet is probably on the right track, I hope the meds & a good diet get her on the road to recovery soon.
It is possible if unusual to get mites from substrate, if you have a fresh batch of carefresh she should be ok with that.