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Old 06-28-2020, 12:23 PM   #1
xartemiss
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Join Date: Jun 2020
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Default Me and my itchy hammy need your help. It's bad.

Someone on Reddit suggested I post here, so here it goes.

My hamster is a Winter White Dwarf, male, about a year old, I think between 40-50 grams weight. His name is Zoom.

He has lost all the fur on his belly, and most on the side of his hips, has scabs on both sides, that he keeps picking when scratching.

I have been to the vet, but don't think the vets in my town specialize in small animals. He traumatized both me and my hammy, would barely touch him even with gloves, tried to pick him up by the scruff with a huge metal instrument, and then applied some sort of ointment all over his body besides the head (using the medicine tube, not his hands). This ointment was a cat and dog treatment, but diluted - it's called Veteusan (crotamiton 100mg, acid p-hydroxybenzometylester 0,65mg, acid p-hydroxybenzoproylester 0,35mg). It helped a little but then he started scratching again.

In the meantime I've ordered from the UK a spot-on treatment for rodents, containing ivermectin ( Beaphar Anti-Parasite spot-on) - applied it about a week ago - still no change. I used a towel to keep him in the same place, perhaps the towel absorbed some of the treatment.

Also, I've cleaned and disinfected every item in the cage, and the cage after every treatment.

He also sneezes occasionally, the vet said it might be from parasites. (he didn't do any tests, just looked at him)

As for eating and drinking, he still eats, but is a picky eater, and drinks less than before. Also, way less running in the wheel, and mostly sleeps.

Today he ripped off a scab and I tried to clean the blood off of him, but he wouldn't keep still ((.

His bedding is from paper pallets, but I've ordered some hemp one, in case it's also a factor.

I'll try to do the witch hazel and Listerine treatment, but I'm not sure it will work.

I don't know what to do anymore, my heart breaks every time I look at him. The vet is not really an option, not the ones here, and I can't travel. Thnk they might actually do more harm, and it was sooo stressful for the little fellow, he was so scared and shaking. So, please, maybe someone can suggest something, besides going to the vet. I live in Eastern Europe so I might not be able to find specific products or brands.

*the photo was from a week ago, after the spot-on treatment

Thanks for reading! Hopefully, someone will reply.
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Old 06-28-2020, 11:12 PM   #2
cypher
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Join Date: May 2014
Location: Wales UK
Posts: 24,789
Default Re: Me and my itchy hammy need your help. It's bad.

Sorry to hear you had such a bad experience at the vet, I would keep searching around to see if you can find a better one or even maybe a good one who would be willing to do a phone consultation.

It's not that unusual for hams to lose fur on their abdomen as they get older & it doesn't usually mean a mite problem when it's there, it can happen if they pee in the nest & sleep in wet substrate.
What substrate do you use?
Spot on treatment or anything similar should only be used when a vet has confirmed a problem with mites it really isn't good for them & should only be used when absolutely necessary.
Witch hazel & listerine is not suitable for a hamster & could do far more harm than good so please don't use that.
If there are any open wounds or scabs you can bathe them with cooled saline solution but nothing else.

What food do you give your ham? Things like this can be nutritional problems.
Not knowing what the underlying problem is it is hard to suggest much but you could add a pinch of flax seeds (linseed) to his diet everyday along with one drop of evening primrose oil on food, the two together can make a big difference.
If you're not already using a paper based substrate like kaytee clean & cosy then it may be worth switching to that just in case there is an allergy or just an irritant problem from the substrate.
Not sure what else to suggest but I hope that may help a bit.
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