hamster is loosing hair, whats wrong?

Question

I have a male hamster that has lost a lot (most) of his hair from his back, and his skin looks very dry and flakey? He was givin to me by a friend last year and was healthy up until a few months ago. I give him good feed with lots of seeds and dried fruits and some fresh vegs from time to time. He was recently moved from an old cage to a newer one that is cleaner this week. Also what would be good to feed him in addition to his feed that would balance his diet better?

my hamster doesn't have wet tail, I already knew what that was, ty. He is 2-3 years old I believe, at least 2.
He doesn't have signs of any infestation and doesn't seem to scratch in excess. He is most bald thru the mid section of his back showing his spine completely. He is still easy to hold and doesn't seem to be in pain. His physical actv. is slowed down a bit. I use hypoallergentic bedding that is perfume free and highly asborbent. Yes this is the same hamster with the leaking bottle, I think I got that fixed now.

Answer 1

Let me reply to the previous answer first:
"Wet Tail is a bacterial infection or an imbalance of the natural bacteria in the hamster's stomach or intestine and is often confused with diarrhea. Although a hamster with Wet Tail has diarrhea, the diarrhea is so severe that the hamster is wet and/or dirty not only around the anus but usually around the top of the tail as well. The diarrhea is accompanied by a strong unpleasant smell. Droppings are pale in color and extremely soft and may contain mucus. The hamster often walks hunched up, is weak and lethargic, and may squeal in pain."

Your hamster is loosing fur and does not have wet tail unless it is exhibiting the symptoms above.

Now to the fur loss:
Hamsters can have fur loss for several reasons. It is usually because of a skin irritation that causes them to scratch excessively.
Hamsters can have allergies to wood shavings. Did you change the kind of wood shavings you are using? "Cedar Shavings can cause allergic reactions as well as respiratory problems in hamsters and should not be used. Pine shavings are preferable to Cedar but wood shavings from hard woods, such as Aspen, or paper based shavings are the best used." I had a hamster that was allergic to pine shavings.
"A hamster may become allergic to certain foods and too much high energy 'heating' foods such as oats, corn and maize in the diet can cause skin irritation with the hamster scratching excessively."
"Fur loss can also occur in older hamsters (usually around one year of age or over) and usually occurs on the belly, hind leg and hip area first."
Three other causes are mites, mange, and possibly the worst, ring worm.
"Mites will irritate the hamster's skin and so the hamster may scratch excessively. The skin may also appear sore and there may be some fur loss. On close inspection the mites may be seen as small specks moving through the coat of the hamster. Some mites are more easily seen in the dark under torch light."
"Mange is a severe problem caused by mites which may be passed from other infected hamsters or hay infected with mites and it is highly infectious. The hamster scratches a lot, particularly around its ears, has dry flakey skin and obvious fur loss, particularly on the back. There may also be scabs around the ears, nose and genitals."
"Ringworm is a contagious skin disease caused by fungal infection. The hamster has circular bald patches where the skin is dry and crusty and the hamster may scratch." People can contract ring worm from dogs and cats, but I'm not sure about hamsters.
If the hamster has a food or bedding allergy changing them should help it to clear up. If it is old the fur loss isn't treatable. If it has any of the "infestation" conditions listed above you will have to take it to the vet. Not treating it will eventually lead to death.

Answer 2

This sounds typical of mange which is contagious. I've cared for 3 hamsters in the last year with mange. Take the hamster to the vet for treatments. A skin scraping will determine if the hamster has mange, if he doesn't then you need to look into allergies of some kind. Our vet gave us Animax ointment to put on ours for mange along with an oral treatment, which takes 2 doses for treatment. The ointment will soften the skin and help relieve any itching. My vet charged me $10 for a tube. Make sure and wash your hands so you don't spread it. Also make sure not to use cedar and pine, they cause breathing problems. Aspen can also case allergy problens as with pine. Best bet for a healthier hamster is to use something like Crittter Care (Wal Mart) or Care Fresh (pet stores).

Here's a food list that can be fed in conjunction with the dry foods and pellets.

Answer 3

You are the same person that said your hamster's water bottle was leaking. Did you ever fix that? Maybe your hamster's skin got wet. There is a hamster disease called (I think) wet tail. (That is why you should never bathe your hamster.) If this continues and he doesn't get better soon, I would suggest taking him to a vet to see what might be wrong. Hope all goes well!

Answer 4

How old is the hamster? THey only have a 2-3 year life span. It could just be old age.

Check him closely for fleas and parasites as they are prone to them.

Make sure he has alfalfa pellets in his food, if not (or even if he does) an a alfalfa chew/house/log would be good for him

Answer 5

that's typical look for an old hamster. his hair is loss more and more... but don't worry.. it's normal.. (i used to have a hamster with a baldy look, then he died because i dropped the cage in sudden and he must had a fatal injury inside his body, he was two years old)

Answer 6

My dwarf hamster does that and he is fine it is justa natural skin thing.Take him to the vet if it gets worse.

Answer 7

you might want to take him to the vet to see if he has a skin disease and they have a "sauce" to put in their food at petsmart that helps promote healthy hair and skin by adding extra vitamins and enzymes.

Answer 8

something is wrong in his diet make sure he is getting all the proper nutrience he needs and you might want to see a vet!!!

Answer 9

They actually make Rogaine for pets now. Look for it at PetSmart.