Mites

[littlemaddie]

Hello, I'm a beginner hamster owner and had some questions about mites and was hoping someone could help me. My hamster was brought just over a week ago and his cage is in my bedroom. I noticed a bald patch on his back a couple of days ago and was worried about it. It got noticeably worse and I noticed some future balding around his mouth. I took him to the vets today and the vet sad that it's mites. I changed his bedding and gave his cage a thorough clean. I put on the ointment the vet gave me (which has to be used once a week) and let him be for a couple of hours. He just came out and has lost a significant amount of hair between his eye on top of his nose. The skin underneath looks redder than on his back and around his mouth, I understand that the skin will be irritated but it worried me as I do not know if it should be this red (it's not bleeding). Shall I take out his sand bath as when I put the ointment on i am unsure as if he washed it off. His activities seem normal and he is still as active as he was before. I am just very concerned. Can hamsters die from mites? I am hoping someone with previous experience can help me. He is a winter white dwarf hamster. Thank you

[cypher]

Sorry to hear your ham is having problems.
I'm not sure what the treatment you have is but it is unusual (as far as I know) for hams to be given ointment for mites, the most common treatment is drops which are absorbed into the skin, anything that stays on the skin will be washed off regardless of whether you have a sand bath or not. Sometimes they can have a reaction to the medication too so if the skin actually appears to be worse it might be an idea to contact your vet.
It does sound as though it could well be mites but there are other things to consider too, hamsters can be allergic to things & although not common wood shavings can be allergenic for them so that's something to consider.
Also anything in the cage that could be sharp or rough or any holes that are too much of a tight squeeze to get through can cause hair loss & skin damage.
Nutritional deficiencies can cause skin problems too, what are you feeding your ham?
If it is mites it is normally treatable & not to serious, they all have underskin mites & these can get out of control & cause problems during periods of stress including moving to a new home, too much cage cleaning or other things in their environment that upset them.
If you have a photo you could post it might help to see what's going on.

[alpacassei]

It could be a substrate allergy, his symptoms remind me a lot of Stephano’s. What substrate are you using? I recommend switching to something as dust-free as possible. Fitch is a good choice, and Kaytee Clean & Cosy is meant to be dust free (I haven’t used it yet though).

If his skin has any open wounds I’d remove the sandbath until they’ve healed, otherwise the sandbath should be left.

Do you know the name of the ointment? Mits are usually treated with an Ivermectin spot-on but some vets will prescribe teatree ointment to alleviate symptoms. Unfortunately teatree can irritate their skin and cause sores, it’s also a very strong scent which can stress out hamsters. Teatree is also toxic in larger quantities if ingested.

As Cypher said, nutritional deficiencies can cause fur loss as well, the Bunny mix on Zooplus is one of best dwarf mixes. Harry Hamster is good as a base mix but will need supplementing for a dwarf.



(I apologise if this reply is kind of a mess, i haven’t slept much)

[Pebbles82]

It does seem strange that it only started when you got him home so I might suspect allergy to bedding too (or anything scented in the cage or nearby? eg scented candles or air fresheners).

On the other hand, stress can trigger mites and a new home/change of environment is stressful. But it is uncommon for people getting a new hamster to find the stress of change causes mites.

Diet could also be an issue, as mentioned if his diet has changed from what it was before you got him. Are you in the Uk? Tiny Friends Harry Hamster is a good basic diet containing all the nutrients and vitamins needed, sugar free and hammies like it.

What ointment is it? Does it have a name? Did the vet do a skin scraping? They should really only diagnose mites and give treatment for it if it has been diagnosed via a skin scraping, rather than assuming it is mites. Because any medication can be strong for a hamster's system as they are so small.

It might be worth seeing an exotic vet instead - they know much more about hamsters. There should be one in your area if you google exotic vets, although it might mean travelling a little bit further. Always good to get a good vet you feel comfortable going back to if and when needed. And it's perfectly normal to ask for another opinion.

Allergy-wise - Hamsters can be allergic to any kind of wood bedding - whether it is pine/softwood or hardwood. Some have even been allergic to Carefresh. Paper bedding is hypoallergenic. A lot of people on here use Fitch which is recycled paper and works out quite cheap - especially if bought in bulk. You can get a 1kg bag on Amazon to try out maybe (although I would suggest getting 2 of those as 1kg doesn't go very far in a cage).

Poor hammy having the cage cleans etc - but switching the bedding now may help eliminate allergy. Also make sure the diet is good (eg Harry Hamster) and give a little bit of fresh veg every other day (raw broccoli, cucumber or carrot eg - just a piece the size of your thumnail ish). Don't use vitamin drops for water though or that puts them off drinking.

Hamsters have mites living on them all the time - invisible to the eye and it's normal - but if their immune system is low or their under stress (and the two are connected) then these can proliferate into an outbreak of mites.

Is it a young hamster or an older one you've rehomed?

[littlemaddie]

Originally Posted by cypher

Sorry to hear your ham is having problems.
I'm not sure what the treatment you have is but it is unusual (as far as I know) for hams to be given ointment for mites, the most common treatment is drops which are absorbed into the skin, anything that stays on the skin will be washed off regardless of whether you have a sand bath or not. Sometimes they can have a reaction to the medication too so if the skin actually appears to be worse it might be an idea to contact your vet.
It does sound as though it could well be mites but there are other things to consider too, hamsters can be allergic to things & although not common wood shavings can be allergenic for them so that's something to consider.
Also anything in the cage that could be sharp or rough or any holes that are too much of a tight squeeze to get through can cause hair loss & skin damage.
Nutritional deficiencies can cause skin problems too, what are you feeding your ham?
If it is mites it is normally treatable & not to serious, they all have underskin mites & these can get out of control & cause problems during periods of stress including moving to a new home, too much cage cleaning or other things in their environment that upset them.
If you have a photo you could post it might help to see what's going on.

Thank you so much this has been really helpful. It's drops like you said i couldnt remember the word for it but its drops a bit like spot on. As far as I am aware everthing in the cage is okay, I've been cleaning him out every other day to try and lower the risk of more mites and he seems to be good. I'm hoping the drops shouldnt wash off in his sandbath though next time I apply them. Thank you for all your help .

[littlemaddie]

Originally Posted by alpacassei

It could be a substrate allergy, his symptoms remind me a lot of Stephano’s. What substrate are you using? I recommend switching to something as dust-free as possible. Fitch is a good choice, and Kaytee Clean & Cosy is meant to be dust free (I haven’t used it yet though).

If his skin has any open wounds I’d remove the sandbath until they’ve healed, otherwise the sandbath should be left.

Do you know the name of the ointment? Mits are usually treated with an Ivermectin spot-on but some vets will prescribe teatree ointment to alleviate symptoms. Unfortunately teatree can irritate their skin and cause sores, it’s also a very strong scent which can stress out hamsters. Teatree is also toxic in larger quantities if ingested.

As Cypher said, nutritional deficiencies can cause fur loss as well, the Bunny mix on Zooplus is one of best dwarf mixes. Harry Hamster is good as a base mix but will need supplementing for a dwarf.



(I apologise if this reply is kind of a mess, i haven’t slept much)

At the moment I am using the CareFresh Ultra which I have heard is supposed to be good for your hamster. I am feeding him the Pets At Home mix that he was fed in the shop, it is drops I just couldnt remember the word for it, it seems his skin has become a little less scaley but, he lost a large chunk of hair from between his eyes and im expecting him to lose more on his cheeks but the vet said thats to be expected until the drops fully kick in but so far he is acting normal. Thanks for all the help though

[littlemaddie]

Originally Posted by Serendipity7000

It does seem strange that it only started when you got him home so I might suspect allergy to bedding too (or anything scented in the cage or nearby? eg scented candles or air fresheners).

On the other hand, stress can trigger mites and a new home/change of environment is stressful. But it is uncommon for people getting a new hamster to find the stress of change causes mites.

Diet could also be an issue, as mentioned if his diet has changed from what it was before you got him. Are you in the Uk? Tiny Friends Harry Hamster is a good basic diet containing all the nutrients and vitamins needed, sugar free and hammies like it.

What ointment is it? Does it have a name? Did the vet do a skin scraping? They should really only diagnose mites and give treatment for it if it has been diagnosed via a skin scraping, rather than assuming it is mites. Because any medication can be strong for a hamster's system as they are so small.

It might be worth seeing an exotic vet instead - they know much more about hamsters. There should be one in your area if you google exotic vets, although it might mean travelling a little bit further. Always good to get a good vet you feel comfortable going back to if and when needed. And it's perfectly normal to ask for another opinion.

Allergy-wise - Hamsters can be allergic to any kind of wood bedding - whether it is pine/softwood or hardwood. Some have even been allergic to Carefresh. Paper bedding is hypoallergenic. A lot of people on here use Fitch which is recycled paper and works out quite cheap - especially if bought in bulk. You can get a 1kg bag on Amazon to try out maybe (although I would suggest getting 2 of those as 1kg doesn't go very far in a cage).

Poor hammy having the cage cleans etc - but switching the bedding now may help eliminate allergy. Also make sure the diet is good (eg Harry Hamster) and give a little bit of fresh veg every other day (raw broccoli, cucumber or carrot eg - just a piece the size of your thumnail ish). Don't use vitamin drops for water though or that puts them off drinking.

Hamsters have mites living on them all the time - invisible to the eye and it's normal - but if their immune system is low or their under stress (and the two are connected) then these can proliferate into an outbreak of mites.

Is it a young hamster or an older one you've rehomed?

Thank you so much for all this info, I am in the Uk and he's a new hamster I think about 10 weeks, I am using CareFresh Ultra and I am feeding him the Pets At Home mix they gave him at the shop, I also put a chunk of fresh carrot in too. I read that moving can cause reproduction of mites due to stress so it could be that. The vet didnt say anything about an allergy but i hope its not that. I dont think theres any strong smells or fumes in my room, I've avoided using purfumes and sprays around him. His activities seem to be all normal I just hope hes not in pain.There hasnt been access scratching, he scratches a normal amount i think, just part of the grooming process. The vet didnt do a skin scraping but i think the medicine is starting to kick in and hopefully his fur comes back. Thank you.

[littlemaddie]

Originally Posted by cypher

Sorry to hear your ham is having problems.
I'm not sure what the treatment you have is but it is unusual (as far as I know) for hams to be given ointment for mites, the most common treatment is drops which are absorbed into the skin, anything that stays on the skin will be washed off regardless of whether you have a sand bath or not. Sometimes they can have a reaction to the medication too so if the skin actually appears to be worse it might be an idea to contact your vet.
It does sound as though it could well be mites but there are other things to consider too, hamsters can be allergic to things & although not common wood shavings can be allergenic for them so that's something to consider.
Also anything in the cage that could be sharp or rough or any holes that are too much of a tight squeeze to get through can cause hair loss & skin damage.
Nutritional deficiencies can cause skin problems too, what are you feeding your ham?
If it is mites it is normally treatable & not to serious, they all have underskin mites & these can get out of control & cause problems during periods of stress including moving to a new home, too much cage cleaning or other things in their environment that upset them.
If you have a photo you could post it might help to see what's going on.

Here is the photo, sorry it is blurry I had to resize it alot, it looks alot worse than it is but hes got another patch on his back and losing some on his cheeks.

[littlemaddie]

Also I'm getting used to this system and still do not really get how it works so if I dont reply straight away I'm sorry I cannot see whether I've posted or not, but I promise I wrote something out.

[alpacassei]

Does he bar chew? The sore on his face looks similar to bar chewing sores I’ve seen but it doesn’t explain the sore on his back though. I really recommend seeing a specialist exotics vet as soon as possible tbh.