aging hamster?

[cathface]

I'm sorry I neglect this forum only to come back to ask for help! but one of my Syrians, Hamburglar, seems to be a bit... flakey. I've noticed that his skin seems dandruffy and he's losing hair (noticeable but not in handfuls or anything). I've read that this could simply be due to aging but also that it could be various other things eg. ringworm or mites or even Cushings. he does not seem to be scratching more than usual, but he does drink and wee more than usual. he has also started peeing in bed more often than not, and therefore I have to clean out his bed quite often or else he smells really horrible - like pee. he's not that old, only 20 months, though I can't really tell about his activity level dropping since he wasn't that active to begin with. he's always been one of those who would rather be left in bed rather than out lol. he still runs in his wheel and is happy to come out for a roam. he is definitely less chunky than he used to be a couple of months ago; there has been no change in his diet, which is a base mix of HH with added extras. it may not be relevant but he is a pet shop hamster.

it's a bit difficult to get him to the vets as I work 9.30am - 6pm on weekdays, so I'm out the house from 8.30am - 7pm. this means the earliest I can go is this Saturday, if I can get a booking, so I thought I'd ask here to see if anyone may be able to shed some light? thanks. c:

[DrKMcK]

Hello. 20 months old is not unusual for a hammy to start showing signs of aging. My Patches is 22 months old and is clearly slowing down, not grooming herself as she used to and has some hair thinning. But the only real way to be sure that a hammy is just going through the aging process, and not having a medical or parasite problem, is to have him seen by a vet. It's the only way. Hammies who are seen at an early date by a vet when a problem is noticed tend to do a whole lot better, even if the problem is serious, and the hammy has a much better time of it, in terms of actually feeling ill. Why wait. Have your hammy checked out and at least know what you are dealing with. Good luck with the little furry

P.S. I just adore the name Hamburglar.