Help! - Losing Fur :-(

suga · 09-15-2006, 01:27 AM

As some of you will already know Conker hasn't been in the best of health. Last night when she came out I noticed that she has lost quite a bit of fur off her back leg on the right hand side.

I haven't noticed her scratching or washing in excess, she is active, climbing and darting about, her eyes are looking bright. She is eating and drinking and I had a rake around this morning in her house and she is weeing and pooing. This morning I have changed water and food.

She is still occassionally coughing and I am wondering whether this is a reaction to the medication she was previously taking. I have now stopped it and she hasn't had any for this past week.

The only change in her cage has been the use of carefresh for the floor and toilet roll for bedding. I weighed her this morning and she is 125g - her weight hasn't changed since she was weighed at the vets on the 18 August.

The only other change in the house has been the addition of Fuzee Fi. Could she be upseting Conker?

Can anyone help. I have got an appointment at the vets today at 3pm just to get her checked. Has anyone seen this before, is there anything I can give her in her diet to help her. I have never had a hamster lose fur before and its quite worrying....I think.

**babyboos** · 09-15-2006, 01:44 AM

To loose fur so heavily in one area is unusual mites tend to cause fur loss around the ears and neck area not one rump. Can you check the cage very closely to see if you can see any loose hairs anywhere. Is she rubbing herself more than usual around the edges of the cage? Is she running on her wheel predominantly in one particular direction?

suga · 09-15-2006, 02:13 AM

i will check her cage when i collect from home later to take to the vet. she doesn't like her wheel and never uses it.
She doesn't rub up against the cage as she's more of a hang upside down creature or bite the bars a bit but her nose isn't excessively rubbed either.

She doesn't stay still very much but I did have a look at her this morning when i got her out it is only in that area... that she has the loss of fur... :-(

racinghamster · 09-15-2006, 02:49 AM

That is strange is`nt it? I can`t offer up anything new suga because I can only think either she`s chewed the fur away at this particular site on her body, or there is an underlying reason for it to fall out. I would have thought she chewed the fur away because something was irritating her, but unless the vet takes a fur sample to analyse, you won`t know if it`s a mite thing.

Poor Conker.

At least she seems fine in herself. You did mention she was on antibiotics? Do you know what it was suga? I wonder if she`s had a resction of some kind? Was she ever injected with anything, or was her medication oral?

I know there can be contradictions with some drugs and I have a young gerbil who was prone to seizures when I first got him, so he can NEVER have Baytril. I can`t say why, but I do know this has been stated in some articles I`ve read about gerbils.

I hope your vet can shed some light on this for you. x

Minicooper · 09-15-2006, 03:14 AM

Quote:

The only other change in the house has been the addition of Fuzee Fi. Could she be upseting Conker?

I wouldnt think so but I have heard that if you bring another pet home, Conker might feel rejected or your not spending as much time with her. . . .thats the reason I am not allowed any more pets as you have to share your love out.....

I really hope Conker gets better, do you know how old she is?

souffle · 09-15-2006, 04:13 AM

It is quite a noticeable patch of fur loss and may be slightly red so mites are a possibility. Try and make sure the vet does a skin scrape to see if it is this rather than just treating Conker just in case as the mite medication can be quite distressing for a ham. Other causes could be a reaction to the medication or possibly the carefresh. I actually find carefresh quite dusty and it may be causing skin irritation. It may be worth you buying some cheap plain white kitchen roll and shredding this and cutting it up into chips then use this soley for a bit. Another possibility is a hormonal problem such as to do with the thyroid or the female hormonal system which the vet would need to investigate. Perhaps you could suggest alternatives to just parasites to see if that will prompt the vet as they are often not sure. It does not look like the fur loss is just the normal age related thinning which most hammies go through. I do not think it has anything to do with the new addition. I am sure you give them equal love and attention. Till you know, best keep them apart and wash hands etc well before handling so as not to pass anything between them. Hope she feels better and the vet helps.

suga · 09-15-2006, 04:15 AM

conker has had an injection before and she was on baytrill and another type of medication which was banana flavour. Sorry can't remember the names of the drugs. She seemed to be okay with that though.

I guess you wouldn't be able to see mites by the naked eye - how would she have got them ????

Conker gets the most attention... in the house. She comes out for a cuddle in the evening and the morning. fuzee kinda gets 2nd choice whilst she's settling, so i don't think it can be that. Unless conker hates her presence and is stressed by it :-(
Conker definitely is getting the most love in the house ....

I can't believe this is happening... she was unwell for approx 3 weeks and I spent every night on the lounge floor next to her ... she seemed to have gotten as well as possible with the cough/cold thing and now she has something else to cope with....

suga · 09-15-2006, 04:18 AM

I always wash my hands between holding or touch each of them.

Conker lives on the table and Fuzee under the table, should Fuzee be moved away to another room? As I just posted, conker is the no.1 girl and gets the most love and attention....

i will suggest and prompt as you have advised for the visit with the vet.....

thanks

souffle · 09-15-2006, 04:19 AM

Mites can be brought in in bedding or food which may have been badly stored say in the pet shop or from other animals or even humans. I don't think it is this personally. I think it is related to her previous illness so that is why the vet should not blanket treat her for mites. You need a microscope to see them in a skin scrape suga.
Poor wee lamb. Hope all goes well.

racinghamster · 09-15-2006, 05:20 AM

A mite flare up can be brought about by the animal being run down with another illness, which Conker has had recently. They take advantage of the animals lowered immune system. I would get Conker some Avipro Plus (your vet can order this in!) and it`s made by a company called Vetark. See here:

http://www.noahs-cupboard.co.uk/index.asp

This contains glucose for energy aswell as other additives that help the normal gut flora when an animal has been on antibiotics, which can upset this delicate balance. It smells and tastes of vanilla, so they do drink it! You add 1 x scoopful to 100ml drinking water for a hamster who is run down, or 1 x scoopful to 200ml water. The instructions and scoop come included.

It`s a handy suppliment to have in anyway, just incase you have an animal on antibiotics, or an animal you feel needs a wee boost during vet trips or periods of stress, like attending shows etc..