Why is my hamster biting and itching with black scabs and hair loss?

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!

Your hamster may be suffering from ectoparasites such as mites or fleas and/or an allergy to the bites. I suggest you take him to a veterinarian for a hands-on exam and diagnosis. The vet can prescribe or treat your hamster with a proper medicine to kill the parasites. There are mite treatments for hamsters available in the pet shops, but I am not sure whether they are effective. You will definitely need to clean and disinfect your hamster's cage, bedding and toys and food and water containers to hopefully prevent the mites from reinfecting your hamster after treatment.

Thanks for reaching out about Candler and including photos. This skin lesion could be the result of a mite infestation, bacterial infection, or endocrine disorder, just to name a few. A veterinary visit is recommended for a skin scrape to rule in/rule out mites. Good luck.

I am so sorry to hear that this is happening with Ruby. Self mutilation in hamsters is often due to stress or disease, and with her age, I would be concerned that there may be an underlying disease process going on, and this could be causing her irritation or pain. I would recommend taking your hamster into a veterinarian. They can evaluate the area and see if there is an obvious underlying reason for the wound and hair loss, and they may recommend diagnostics, including evaluating the hair and scraping the skin. They then can evaluate the samples under the microscope. Depending on the results, they may recommend treatments, and if it is determined that treatment is not a good option for you and Ruby, they can also assist in humane euthanasia. I hope that gives you a place to start, and I wish you the best of luck.

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.

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.

I am sorry to hear about Ginger! I would recommend that you bring Ginger to a vet for examination. In hamsters we can have a variety of issues cause skin problems like this, including mites (these are microscopic so you cannot see them with the naked eye), fungal/ringworm infection, bacterial infection, and allergies. The vet can examine your hamster, may recommend some tests to determine if parasites or fungus are present, and prescripe appropriate treatment based on their findings. Best of luck to you and Ginger!