My dwarf hamster has a dark, swollen, hairless scab. What is it?

This presentation could be due to a trauma or localized spot of skin infection (likely to be caused by bacteria). A check up, appropriate disinfection and possibly antibiotics (oral, topical or in a shampoo formulation) are needed to solve the problem. Hope this answer was helpful, but please do not hesitate to contact us again on the forum or by requesting a consultation if you have any more questions or to discuss it any further.

Thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! It is a little difficult to see in the photo, but there is what appears to be a small area of scabbing and hairloss, both of which are patchy on the hip. This can be caused by a skin infection, certain cancers, fungal infections, or skin mites which are very common in hamsters. These mites live within the hair follicles rather than cage surfaces, so cleaning the cage will not get rid of any of the possible causes. Mochi should be seen by a vet who can perform some quick tests on this area of skin to determine the underlying cause and start her on the appropriate treatment. In the meantime, to keep her more comfortable, you can gently trim her nails to keep her from traumatizing herself as she scratches. I hope this helps!

It is difficult to suggest what this might be without a visual. However, crusty scabs can either be due to infection (bacterial, fungal or viral) or due to a parasitic infection (mites, fleas etc). Benign sebaceous cysts can also sometime form crusty scabs as can malignant masses. Your veterinarian will be able to perform testing (skin scrape and cytology or fine needle aspirate) to determine what the scab is and prescribe appropriate treatment.

Thank you for posting this question. My suspicion is that S’more may have always had a few mites, but his immune system kept them under control. Stress of moving to a new environment may have weakened his immune systems and allowed the mites to become more abundant and damaging. Of course this is all just a possibility. Other concerns like bacterial skin infection or ringworm are all possibilities as well. Regardless I suspect that the stress likely played a role in the process. I would encourage you to have him evaluated by your veterinarian soon. Based on their physical examination they will recommend a treatment plan. Best of luck and I hope he improves soon. Thank you for using Pet Coach.

Thanks for reaching out. Could this be a bite wound from the other hamster? The dark skin is probably necrotic (dead) dermis. It could be an abscess. Infections should be treated with systemic antibiotics and possible anti-inflammatories/analgesia, as it could be painful. A veterinary visit is recommended, as only a veterinarian can prescribe antibiotics. Good luck.

With the swelling, I would be concerned that Midnight has an abscess. I think it would be a good idea to take her into the vet for antibiotics. This should make the infection clear up quickly. Otherwise it could take weeks to heal and it can rarely become chronic which means it does not heal. I hope this helps!

Thanks for reaching out about Polly. A first though would be skin mites causing her to itch a lot, creating wounds. A veterinary visit is recommended to assess and provide a diagnostic/treatment plan. If it turns out to be mites, all animals need to be treated and the environment cleaned thoroughly. Good luck.