Concerned!

emmypaige · 06-01-2018, 08:58 PM

Hey guys, hope you’re doing well. Been away from the forum for a while due to final exams at uni and moving out of my flat, when playing with my mimi a couple of days ago(Robo dwarf) I noticed that under her belly she has a patch of yellow fur which seems to be from dried urine, the fur seems to be a little clogged there too, she always has a bath in her hamster sand everyday when I put into her activity playground, but it doesn’t seem to be disappearing. I’ve tried warm water on a cotton bud to try and clean it but it’s not shifting and after about 20 seconds of me holding her she’s wanting to get back to playing.

I do clean her cage fully 1-2 times a week, which includes disinfecting and soaking everything to make sure it is properly clean as I have OCD and want mimi to have a neat and clean cage, as she is my little princess!

Should I be concerned or should I just try to give it a little wipe each day?

Thank you!

cypher · 06-01-2018, 09:50 PM

I haven't had a Robo but I believe they have a scent gland there the same as other dwarf hams (someone correct me if I'm wrong!) so what you're seeing may be a blocked scent gland or simply signs that you're ham is scenting the cage a lot.
I'm sorry to hear you have OCD & can imagine how difficult this is for you but it is important that you understand your hams needs, just as you may feel that everything has to be clean your ham feels that everything absolutely must have her scent on it so she can feel safe in her cage which is her territory.
Over cleaning the cage removes their scent & is very stressful for them, stress can make them iill & should be avoided as much as possible.
Try to clean your hams cage in a way that is suitable for her.
This means just spot cleaning any pee when you find it, sometimes hard to find with a tiny robo!
Then just do partial cleans, not more than a half the cage at any one time every few weeks, if you clean the nest then you must put some of the old nest material back, the same goes for the food hoard although you can replace that with some fresh mix in the same place if you feel it's a bit old.
No disinfectant! Unless your ham is sick there really is no need to disinfect & if the disinfectant isn't totally unscented then this will remain in the cage & stress your ham even more.
If you can do this then your ham won't have to continually scent everything & things should return to normal unless the gland is blocked in which case it can get infected, if it's just a yellow patch it may clear up on it's own but if not then just a gentle wipe with some damp cotton wool should help.

emmypaige · 06-01-2018, 10:24 PM

Thank you for the reply!
She never seems stressed, the disinfectant I have is smell free and I always make sure it’s fully wiped off before putting her back into the cage, I always keep a little old bedding in and such so her scent is never gone. I am aware that Robos have scent glands under them but I thought it was just a male thing for Robos! So I probably have a boy but the pet shop told me I have a little girl, after having a little look it looks like a boy judging by the spacing between the genitalia, but I don’t wanna change her name cause I’ve thought she was a girl all this time hahah, just checked pictures online and she does look like a boy!

cypher · 06-02-2018, 12:27 AM

If your ham is scent marking to that extent, that is the area always appears yellow & it won't just wipe away then that is a sign of stress I would think, unless the gland is blocked in which case it could get infected & you would need to see your vet.

emmypaige · 06-02-2018, 09:11 AM

It is a mild yellow colour and the fur looks a tad bit harder. If that’s the right thing to say? I’ve googled sexing Robos and the scent gland looks fairly normal to other male robos, I’m just ain’t taken back my mimi is now a boy! I will take her to the vet to be sexted properly and just to make sure it isn’t infected! Thank you both for your advice!! X

souffle · 06-02-2018, 09:29 AM

I was just about to say that the scent glad is always more obvious and stained in a male hamster. Females can still show staining though. Can you post a pic of her in a glass jar taken of the underside. If you feel around the rump you can feel the testicles usually and a male will have a larger gap with fur in it between the two vents.

emmypaige · 06-02-2018, 09:44 AM

Just tried to do that and she will not stay still!! However after looking myself, some little testicles are quite prominent! So it looks like I have a little boy not a little girl! The scent gland looks like a healthy one and not infected judging by pictures I’ve had a look at online, so the woman at the pet shop definitely got it wrong I have a little boy!

emmypaige · 06-02-2018, 09:47 AM

Oak Farm Roborovskis

She looks like the top one definitely but her scent gland isn’t as yellow as the one on the picture!

souffle · 06-02-2018, 12:06 PM

You are not the first and won't be the last to be visited by the testicle fairy! Baby robos are very hard to sex so it's common to get it wrong! I'm sure he won't mind being called Mimi! I wouldn't stress him with a vet visit if there are testicles showing.

emmypaige · 06-02-2018, 01:00 PM

I have just managed to get a picture! I’ll post it off my laptop in just a second for you! Would be nice to have a second opinion as to whether mimi is a boy or a girl but I think I’m swaying towards boy now! I still love my little mimi millions regardless!