Help! Dwarf hamster has balding spot??

Starfisher · 12-04-2014, 10:47 AM

Hi, there!

Sven has a balding spot on his back, right around his neck! He never seems to itch it or even touch it, but it's very noticeable. We went to the vet in November when we first noticed a smaller balding spot on him, and the vet said it didn't seem like mites or anything--he prescribed us Fusiderm gel, and we applied that for a bit over a week. It seemed to get better so we stopped, but now the balding spot is bigger than before!

We'll take him to the vet if necessary, but first, I was wondering if anyone has any insight into this? I've googled for information many times but still can't find a definitive answer.

Thanks in advance!

JRussell · 12-04-2014, 11:16 AM

Hi, I'm don't know but it may be the scent glands? Hamster lick and scratch them which can cause them to get bald patches? If it is this you can get lots of advice online! Hope you can sort it out

NiceCrocs · 12-04-2014, 11:20 AM

JRussell: Dwarves scent glands are nowhere near their neck; they're on their tummies, roughly where the navel is on a human, so it's not a scent gland issue.

I don't know what could be causing the baldness though. How old is he? It's not uncommon for older hams to start getting thin patches in spots.

Starfisher · 12-04-2014, 05:06 PM

We got him from the pet store about a month ago, and the people at the store said he was "a few months". When I asked exactly how old, they couldn't give me an answer...I think he's about 4-5 months old, so the balding makes no sense to me.

I took a closer look earlier today and his skin doesn't really look dry/flaky. Last week, I think he had a small scab--the vet said that it was possible that Sven had a minor scratch and then it got infected. The gel was supposed to help that get better, though?

I don't knoooow. My poor baby. :'(

Thanks for replying!

Thin Lizzy · 12-04-2014, 05:53 PM

Sven is a young hamster!
The fusiderm gel the vet gave you, you say you didn't use it all, usually it's best to complete the treatment by using all of the product even if the infected area is getting better

Have you still got the remaining fusiderm gel left? If so, you could use the rest and finish the gel to see if it heals the spot on his neck.
If you have gel left and the neck doesn't heal then you need to get back to the vet.

It could be mites, and you could ask the vet to treat it.
There are sprays you can buy in pet stores but, they can be quite harsh if not used properly.

NiceCrocs · 12-04-2014, 06:19 PM

What size wheel does he have? I've seen hamsters with missing fur on their backs from rubbing against the wheel axle in too-small wheels. Usually these cases are Syrians in wheels that are too tiny, but I'm just trying to think of all the possibilities.

Starfisher · 12-05-2014, 07:35 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Thin Lizzy

Sven is a young hamster!
The fusiderm gel the vet gave you, you say you didn't use it all, usually it's best to complete the treatment by using all of the product even if the infected area is getting better

Have you still got the remaining fusiderm gel left? If so, you could use the rest and finish the gel to see if it heals the spot on his neck.
If you have gel left and the neck doesn't heal then you need to get back to the vet.

It could be mites, and you could ask the vet to treat it.
There are sprays you can buy in pet stores but, they can be quite harsh if not used properly.

Hi! We started it up again last night. Thank you for the advice!

We'll watch him for the next bit and see how it goes. He's been eating and drinking normally, and is still very, very active, so...fingers crossed.

Starfisher · 12-05-2014, 07:36 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by NiceCrocs

What size wheel does he have? I've seen hamsters with missing fur on their backs from rubbing against the wheel axle in too-small wheels. Usually these cases are Syrians in wheels that are too tiny, but I'm just trying to think of all the possibilities.

The wheel is the 6.5 inch Silent Spinner, so there's a fair amount of space between his back and the axle. We thought it might be from him rubbing his back against the ridges inside his plastic tubes, so we removed those and replaced them with toilet paper tubes, but it didn't seem to make a difference. :'< Thanks for replying!