Declining Hamster

[HanDaves]

Hello everyone,

My Syrian hamster Red is two years old, and usually very healthy but I have noticed him declining in the past few weeks, and I'm not sure why.

Firstly, his eyes are almost always stuck together when he wakes up in the evenings, to the point where I have to gently swab them with lukewarm water to help him open them. I understand that this is common in older hamsters, however, so I wasn't too worried about this by itself.

Now I've noticed patches of crusty yellow scabbed skin over his body, most noticeable on his feet. I can't get a picture at the moment as he's asleep and I don't want to disturb him. He doesn't seem to be excessively itching or anything and no visible mites. He has hair thinning in places, but nothing drastic. He is less active than usual, but again, I don't know if this is age related.

Google has not helped and I can't find any picture with a hamster who looks to have a similar skin problem. I have sent a message to the vet requesting an appointment but I'd be very grateful if anyone has any idea what's wrong in the meantime as I'm very worried about him.

Thanks in advance x