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Old 02-10-2019, 08:58 AM   #1
ol nipper
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Join Date: Aug 2018
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Default Elderly Hamster bedding help.

my syrian whom i rescued from my sister is now nearly two years old. his fur is thinning rapidly and his hearing seems to be gone, or at least seriously impeded. he's still getting around the same, and is still the same old sweet boy he always has been.

however, when handling recently i noticed what appears to be a round sore on his belly, which is now almost completely hairless. i did some research and found that this could be because his skin is sensitive. after observing him for a while i've realised that he's no longer making his own bed and is instead sleeping on his sawdust.

i've put a roll of toilet paper in with him and have gone as far as making a pre-made bed for him out of it, but he still chooses to sleep on the sawdust. there's no noticeable difference in his energy atm -- he sleeps more, but when he's awake he still acts normally, so i can't think of why he's doing this or how to help him.

he's my first hamster and i want to help him out as much as possible in his old age. any advice on how to get him comfortable is very much appreciated.
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Old 02-10-2019, 09:03 AM   #2
cypher
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Default Re: Elderly Hamster bedding help.

Can you get any paper based substrate like kaytee clean & cosy or even carefresh would probably be better than wood shavings, either that or try putting a good thick layer of shredded toilet tissue over all the substrate.
Does he pee where he sleeps by any chance? A bald patch like that can result from urine burn sometimes although it's not uncommon for older hams to just lose hair there.
You could try adding some extra flax seeds (linseed) to his diet, a little pinch each day which can really help with skin & coat condition, also some evening primrose oil can help, just a drop a day on food.
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Old 02-10-2019, 09:12 AM   #3
ol nipper
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Default Re: Elderly Hamster bedding help.

Quote:
Originally Posted by cypher View Post
Can you get any paper based substrate like kaytee clean & cosy or even carefresh would probably be better than wood shavings, either that or try putting a good thick layer of shredded toilet tissue over all the substrate.
Does he pee where he sleeps by any chance? A bald patch like that can result from urine burn sometimes although it's not uncommon for older hams to just lose hair there.
You could try adding some extra flax seeds (linseed) to his diet, a little pinch each day which can really help with skin & coat condition, also some evening primrose oil can help, just a drop a day on food.
thanks for the advice! i've just primed some kaytee clean and he's been hairless on his stomach for a couple of months now. he's litterbox trained and i've just started checking the substrate every day or so for somewhere else he might be peeing.

i will definitely try some flax!
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Old 02-10-2019, 09:17 AM   #4
cypher
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Default Re: Elderly Hamster bedding help.

He should be more comfortable with that anyway even if the bald patch doesn't improve, I'm sure he'll enjoy the flax too!
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