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Old 03-05-2006, 03:24 PM   #1
DaisyChain
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Default Matilda Losing Fur

Matilda is about 14-15 months old. She has started losing fur around her bottom and back legs. This has happened with my other hammys in the past, but was when they were older, an ageing thing. Matilda doesn't have mites, but is looking quite tatty on her balding/thinner back end. Surely she is not ageing already? (dreading this, as when this happened to my past hammys, most passed away within months of losing fur and every time the vet said it is an age thing) She is a short haired Syrian, pic is my avatar.
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Old 03-06-2006, 01:46 AM   #2
Emma
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Is the pattern symmetrical - is it the same on her left & right sides? Any chance you could get a picture? Is she itchy at all? Have you seen her grooming as usual, is she looking stiff when moving about? What bedding & cage litter are you using? Have you changed bedding, cage litter, food, cleaning products or anything else near her recently?
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Old 03-06-2006, 03:36 AM   #3
DaisyChain
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I haven't changed the bedding or anything. She seems to be less active, not sure if she is stiff, but doesn't cahrge about like she used to. She still grooms herself the same. The baldness is not exactly symmetrical, it is on her back towards her bottom, her legs and underneath a bit. She looks a bit tatty from bottom back and all round the bottom back area.
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Old 03-07-2006, 12:27 AM   #4
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I think it would be worth treating for mites, even if you think she doesn't have them. You could also try changing the bedding to something non-irritant if you are using wood shavings.



A possibility is a hormone imbalance - hyperadrenocorticism or cushing's disease. This is an increase in the level of corticosteroids, usually due to a benign functional tumour of an adrenal gland.



Other symptoms of this would be an increase in drinking and urinating, and an increased appetite - is she showing any of these signs?
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Old 03-07-2006, 03:20 AM   #5
Pendragon
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There's a good article on hamster hair loss on the British Hamster Association website:



http://www.britishhamsterassociation...dermatitis.htm



Hopefully this might give you some more insight into Matilda's problem. It's interesting to see that occasionally hair loss can be helped by diet.



I wonder if getting her a general check up is an idea if she seems less active? I understand that uterine infections are unfortunately rather common in female hamsters, sometimes very mild and low-level - not enough to make the hamster appear very unwell, but perhaps enough to make them just slightly below par, maybe also affect hormonal balance or, as described in the above article, allow a mite infestation to take hold.
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