Hamster skin irritation from pine?

[SnoWolf]

I've noticed that my hamster has been scratching himself a lot and I have no idea if that's normal or not but he spends a lot of time wiping and scratching himself. My bedding is made of pine and I am very well aware that it is harmful if you wish to know why my poor hammie is in this horrible substrate you can view one of my previous threads. He also bites the cage bars and burrows very very frquently. Are these also signs of stress? He is drinking plenty and I'm pretty sure he eats only that it's at night when I'm asleep. He'll also use the wheel when he needs to. I'm worried for him and I hope someone can bestow upon me information so that I can either do something about it or worry less.

[AmityvilleHams]

Burrowing is normal,but cage bar biting is definitely not a good sign although it wouldn't necessarily be related to an allergy.I'd still change the substrate out though,making sure to do a thorough rinsing of the cage base with plain water and drying that completely before replacing with a truly allergy free substrate and toys etc.

In terms of bar biting however,it's generally caused by an improper habitat.Most commonly this won't be 100% fixed with cage setup changes however,so a cage upgrade is definitely a good idea(especially keeping in mind that hamsters would travel miles in the wild and really do need more space than most people would consider adequate).

[Crystalroborovski]

As amity said burrowing is natural behavior and nothing to worry about.

He could quite possibly have an alergy to the bedding. I'd change it ASAP.

Bar chewing is usually a sign of stress or boredom but sometimes it can just be a bad habit. He might need more toys and stimulation to keep him busy. Bar chewing is not a healthy habit as it can cause damage to the teeth, jaws, nose, snout, and mouth. Could we see a picture of his cage? That might help us determine if you need to change anything

[Pebbles82]

It could be an allergy to the pine substrate. You will know if you change it and the scratching stops. Burrowing is normal as Amity says. Bar biting isn't good - it can damage their teeth and then they can't eat properly or need vet care. It could be cage stress (eg if it's a bit small or something isn't right in it for him). It can also become a habit. You could maybe make a bin cage and change the bedding for paper and see how he goes. Do have Ikea where you are? They sell a 78cm Samla storage bin that is quite cheap. You need to do a bit of diy and cut out panels to mesh so it has ventilation, plus it needs a lid. Your current cage may be fine with a bit of adjustment. Sometimes they chew bars to tell you something isn't right - eg if the wheel isn't working or is too small or they can't reach their water bottle, or it's empty. So have a check and see if everything is ok. Does he have plenty of nesting material? (Different to the substrate for the floor of the cage). Torn up strips of plain white toilet paper are good - put a big heap in the cage for him to build a nest with. He might be burrowing more if there isn't any nesting material - just a thought. Although it's normal for them to burrow it's nice if they have options to nest somewhere other than under the substrate They also need somewhere dark to retreat to - so it there isn't a dark house in his cage he might be burrowing to get out of the light. A cardboard box like a shoe box or tissue box open underneath and sat on the substrate with a door cut in can make a good house.

[Cinnamon Bear]

Bar climbing drives me crazy. Hope you find a solution to distract you hammy. I have only a Critter Trail cage which I don't use that has bars and past dwarves who were in it, some did climb and bit the bars. That cage is always temporary cause of it's rather smaller size. XX