Very Ichy Hamster, Any Help Appreciated! <3 - Page 2

Littlelotti24 · 03-10-2017, 12:38 PM

Thanks you guys, I've been so lost with all of this. I have decided when she gets better to try clean and cozy or maybe non colored carefresh. I will wait and see. I took the cheese chew away but she had eaten a lot of it and loved it. But I didn't know and don't know that it caused this or could cause this. I have decided to add a bit of hazel ham seeds back to her oxbow bc she needs the nutrients and I also added her whimzee back bc I took it and her seeds away for a solid 5 days and saw 0 change. I believe it is not those two things. Also believe it is not bedding. As I saw 0 change with the tissue as well. So I'm thinking stress/fungal/bacterial or parasite. She is being treated for all and he ok her off her miconazole lotion and replaced it with a oral version she can't feel or bother her belly. He believes another week on the meds will help her, but we will see. Update on her environment and diet. Bc if anyone has similar issues it may help them to read.
Russian dwarf 3months- very dry and itchy belly and legs
20gallon long
Ripped paper towel bedding
Plastic hide house
6.5 silent spinner
Toilet paper roll tubes
Whimzee alagator chew added back in
Hazel hamster seed only as of today w oxbow. Sprinkle of flax
Millet, tea sticks to chew as of today no dye (new)
Water
Two porcelain bowls
Meds- ivermectin 2 days ago,oral anti biotic, and oral anti fungal
Discontinued the topical miconazole lotion.- no results after 6 days.
Thanks

cypher · 03-10-2017, 12:43 PM

I really would try to get her a good dwarf mix & leave out the oxbow, with the stress she's been under she needs the best nutrition she can get, HH is ok for dwarfs but not ideal by any means, I really do doubt this is diet related or rather not an allergy to any food & not getting an ideal diet will make it harder for her system to cope with both the mites (if it is that) & the meds.
It's more than likely something she already had when you got her & you don't need to worry so much about what's in her cage.
It will probably help to give her some probiotics too if you can get some as that will give her a general boost & also help her immune system.
Try the EPO too.

Littlelotti24 · 03-10-2017, 08:33 PM

Thanks

I'm gonna try to find the burgess here in the states? If I can but I will wait a while I don't want to change too much more with diet right now she has been through so much

but she is sleeping and I'm hoping to see results from the meds in a few days.. thanks again... ill update maybe tom if anything changes.

cypher · 03-10-2017, 11:08 PM

I think others have managed to find Burgess on Amazon in the US, maybe other places too, sorry I'm not totally sure, it can be expensive but a bag does last one little dwarf quite a while so worth it in the long run.
Normally I wouldn't recommend making big changes to the diet or only doing it gradually but in this case I think it's essential to do it soon & fairly quickly, when changing from one muesli type diet like the HH to another like the burgess you don't need to take too long making the change anyway & as the burgess would be a much more natural diet she will adapt fairly easily.

Good luck with her, I really hope she's feeling better soon.

AmityvilleHams · 03-11-2017, 01:43 AM

Amazon and Viovet would have Burgess.I know I've seen it in other places though,but in general the best way would be from a reputable UK source which also does ship to the US(such as Viovet).From what I've heard Amazon gets insanely overpriced,so if you can do an order off Viovet for example you'd probably save money as long as you get as much as possible for one shipping rate.

Littlelotti24 · 03-11-2017, 08:20 AM

Okay I'm gonna look on Amazon today! Thank you, I heard about burgess on YouTube but I couldn't find it in stores. Last night when I gave her meds she was very energetic and running around and I only saw her scratch 2 good times, then she stopped. But we will see today or tonight if she has improved with the med change to oral I'm not putting to oily lotion on her anymore

cypher · 03-11-2017, 08:25 AM

That sounds promising

Fingers crossed she's on the mend now.

Littlelotti24 · 03-13-2017, 05:54 PM

Hey everyone! just wanted to do a update on my Itchy little Moo.... so her skin culture came back and it turns out she has Trichophyton which is a strand of ringworm. The vet did a stain of her culture and it was positive. Apparently there are different strands of fungus that live on humans and hamsters and they can be "triggered" at diff times, like stress or sickness. We believe hers was caused by stress and they also are positive that it was not any of her food, treats, bedding or environment that caused it.. thank goodness.. she still has minimal bedding in her tank but I am giving her food and chews back haha. She seems to be doing great but is still itchy as this will take a couple mor weeks to heal with the anti fungal she is taking orally.. THANK YOU ALL FOR ALL YOUR HELP AND WORDS OF ADVICE WHEN I HAD NO CLUE WHAT WAS CAUSING THIS. waiting for answers realy is the hardest thing to do.... thanks again, I love this forum.