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Old 12-31-2020, 07:31 PM   #1
Nika
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Question Putting cream on ham's nose?

Hi, my little Pepper has started having some scabs on his nose. It seems to bother him quite a bit, so I took him to the vet. We received a cream to put on his nose, and while the vet said it shouldn't be harmful for him to ingest, it is best if he doesn't (plus wiping it off immediately will hardly let it work).

Does anyone have any advice on how to prevent him from washing it off right after I smear it on his nose? He's not a huge fan of being held for extended periods of time, and it's not like holding his little hands away from his little face for several minutes is possible or fun for either of us.

Thanks!
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Old 01-01-2021, 03:29 AM   #2
Pebbles82
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Default Re: Putting cream on ham's nose?

It does sound tricky. What cream is it? Has he been bar chewing? That can often lead to sores or scabs on the nose (and also round the mouth). If it's not infected it should heal up on its own. Or you could put a dab of aloe vera gel on it daily - that is safe to lick off. If it doesn't heal up on its own or looks infected I would ask the vet about an antibiotic injection (or oral) instead of the cream and explain the cream isn't working. But I would try aloe vera gel and try and rule out the cause of the sore on the nose.
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Old 01-01-2021, 06:50 AM   #3
Nika
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Default Re: Putting cream on ham's nose?

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Originally Posted by Serendipity7000 View Post
It does sound tricky. What cream is it? Has he been bar chewing? That can often lead to sores or scabs on the nose (and also round the mouth). If it's not infected it should heal up on its own. Or you could put a dab of aloe vera gel on it daily - that is safe to lick off. If it doesn't heal up on its own or looks infected I would ask the vet about an antibiotic injection (or oral) instead of the cream and explain the cream isn't working. But I would try aloe vera gel and try and rule out the cause of the sore on the nose.
Hi! it's an anti-fungal cream. he lives in a detolf and it's definitely not bár chewing (there's not many bars to chew, but my previous hamster did that and I'd recognise the marks on his nose). the vet said it is some form of dermatitis, he's just not sure about the source of it, which is why he gave both antibiotic and anti-fungal treatment.
it started about a week ago at this point and its not going away on its own, plus it definitely annoys Pepper, so I'd want to at least try to apply the cream.
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Old 01-01-2021, 11:18 AM   #4
Pebbles82
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Default Re: Putting cream on ham's nose?

I’m not sure what to suggest then. Maybe put it on and then give him a tasty treat straight afterwards so he eats that instead of his nose. Coconut oil is supposed to be anti fungal and that is safe to lick off but I can understand you wanting to use the treatment first. If he can manage it for a few days it might improve.
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Old 01-01-2021, 11:45 AM   #5
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Default Re: Putting cream on ham's nose?

I would keep in mind that these sorts of products can sometimes even have toxic ingredients - for example products including tea tree in any form shouldn't be used on hamsters as it is considered toxic to them.

That said - is there any new food you've tried lately? Try and think back to what you'd fed outside of the main diet if anything at all when symptoms first started.
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Old 01-01-2021, 02:22 PM   #6
Nika
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Default Re: Putting cream on ham's nose?

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Originally Posted by AmityvilleHams View Post
I would keep in mind that these sorts of products can sometimes even have toxic ingredients - for example products including tea tree in any form shouldn't be used on hamsters as it is considered toxic to them.

That said - is there any new food you've tried lately? Try and think back to what you'd fed outside of the main diet if anything at all when symptoms first started.
by these sorts of products did you mean the anti-fungal nose cream? i have double checked, it doesn't have anything like that in it (tea tree and such would definitely set my alarm bells off). it is a simple prescribed cream.
i haven't tried any new foods. while I was cleaning his cage, I found some odd coloured patches on one of his wooden houses, which I took out immediately - based on the look of it, it may be fungal and the culprit, but I obviously this is just a guess.
I haven't really given him anything new in a while, and I've been using the same bedding as ever, so I'm not sure if it's an allergic reaction (but if it doesn't improve I may have to give a different kind of bedding a shot - right now I use aubiose).
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Old 01-01-2021, 03:49 PM   #7
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Default Re: Putting cream on ham's nose?

It could be a bedding issue - hemp is a plant material so if there was a damp patch it could get a bit of mould or fungus. I am allergic to hemp bedding (sets my asthma off anyway). You could try an area of paper bedding near his house end rather than changing all of it. I have had some fungus in a cage before where a water bottle leaked onto the substrate slowly. But it didn’t affect the hamster. The scabs could be a fungal infection (eg ringworm type thing) but boosting their immune system helps fight things as well and a depletion in nutrients could also cause skin issues.

The fact that it is on his nose only though does sound like he’s been sticking his nose in something! Have you checked toys and houses etc for sharp edges or nails etc. Also is there anything he could try and squeeze underneath (eg under a house )?
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Old 01-03-2021, 05:19 PM   #8
Nika
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Default Re: Putting cream on ham's nose?

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Originally Posted by Serendipity7000 View Post
It could be a bedding issue - hemp is a plant material so if there was a damp patch it could get a bit of mould or fungus. I am allergic to hemp bedding (sets my asthma off anyway). You could try an area of paper bedding near his house end rather than changing all of it. I have had some fungus in a cage before where a water bottle leaked onto the substrate slowly. But it didn’t affect the hamster. The scabs could be a fungal infection (eg ringworm type thing) but boosting their immune system helps fight things as well and a depletion in nutrients could also cause skin issues.

The fact that it is on his nose only though does sound like he’s been sticking his nose in something! Have you checked toys and houses etc for sharp edges or nails etc. Also is there anything he could try and squeeze underneath (eg under a house )?

That is a good shout, and I double checked his bedding as I cleaned and I didn't find any wet patches/pee spots I didn't know about. His bottle is on the "shallow" end of the cage and I have some rocks put under it so I'd luckily know if it leaks before it dampens the bedding. I found his sleeping spots clean and free of pee, except for one of his boxes which I always keep an eye on.
I did wonder if there was anything sharp he could have had access to, but there is no such thing in his cage...

He is a digger and he loves being under stuff in his cage - one of his favourite sleeping spots is a corner previously under a house. I removed the house as I found some odd spots on it, and replaced it with a large egg carton as a "roof" for his little sleeping nest.

I have to say, I've not had much success with the cream. Pepper immediately washes it off after I put it on him, no matter what. I started cleaning his nose with warm salted water instead, hoping this helps the healing process at least! i will continue giving him antibiotics until it runs out - luckily that's been less of a problem.
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Old 01-04-2021, 03:51 PM   #9
Ria P
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Default Re: Putting cream on ham's nose?

I take it that Pepper is the cute hamster in your avatar and a dwarf hamster?
Have you tested him for diabetes?

Reason i'm asking is because i had a diabetic dwarf and you mention odd patches on a wooden house.
I had to remove all wooden items from my dwarf's habitat because his diabetic pee caused mould on wood which in turn can breed bacteria.

This may be a long shot but could be worthwhile looking into if his nose doesn't clear up.
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Old 01-05-2021, 05:15 PM   #10
Nika
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Default Re: Putting cream on ham's nose?

Quote:
Originally Posted by Ria P View Post
I take it that Pepper is the cute hamster in your avatar and a dwarf hamster?
Have you tested him for diabetes?

Reason i'm asking is because i had a diabetic dwarf and you mention odd patches on a wooden house.
I had to remove all wooden items from my dwarf's habitat because his diabetic pee caused mould on wood which in turn can breed bacteria.

This may be a long shot but could be worthwhile looking into if his nose doesn't clear up.
Diabetes is actually a really good shout! He's a Winter White. I have some ketone-glucose strips around, I will see if I can get him to pee in any sort of container for me. So far he's not really cooperated and seemed more and more desperate to get out. I'm a bit unsure how to get him in a clean container without him panicking about it, as this is not something we have really done before (I have only kept him in a bowl or such before to weigh him, which is a lot quicker).
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