Lumpy balding hamster!

[cosmic7elephant]

Hi folks

My hamster Hugo Moonpie is 1 year and 11 months old. I'm looking for some advice, as the vets I've seen were at a loss!

For the past few weeks, Mr Moonpie has been rapidly going bald. His hair is now very thin on his head and front end. His skin has recently become quite flaky; I've treated him with ivermectin but there was no change. He has a small (~7mm across) completely bald and pink area on his head between his eyes, which may be the beginning of a lump. His right eye is occasionally sticky or not opening properly when he first wakes up in the evening; this usually sorts itself out pretty quickly. He's eating, drinking and toileting normally.

The vet I saw suggested that this could be Cushing's, or another endocrine issue, or cancer, or just old age - or indeed some other issue! I doubt it's Cushing's, as the hair loss is on his front end, and his drinking is unaffected.

Has anyone had a similar experience with their hammy and could point me in the right direction?

Thanks everyone!

[Drago]

Have the vets you’ve visited been exotics veterinarians? If not, I highly recommend visiting one as they tend to be the most educated when it comes to hamster care. If they were, you may want to consider getting the opinions of a few more vets. Pictures of your ham will also be able to help us point you in the right direction. To me personally, it doesn’t sound like it’s a death sentence. I’m sure with more information and opinions, he may be able to be treated fairly quickly. I’m sorry you’re going through this with your little one I hope he gets better soon!

[cypher]

Sorry to hear about your hams problems, sometimes things like this can be hard to diagnose. I agree that a photo might help give a better idea of what may be going on.

[cosmic7elephant]

Thanks everyone!

I've tried taking a picture, but little man is not impressed with the idea of keeping still, so it's a bit blurry! The lump is on his forehead, and mostly looks like a slightly raised area of bald dark pink skin.

The good news is that he's looking a bit less bald on his body today, and I've managed to get an appointment with an exotics vet for Thursday morning. Hopefully the 45 minute drive won't stress Mr Moonpie out too much, and hopefully I'll get some answers!

I'm glad y'alls think it might not be as serious as I feared, and I'm keeping my fingers and toes crossed.