Why is my hamster biting herself, causing bald spots, scabs, red skin?

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!

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.

Hello! Salem may very well have mites, or possibly another type of skin infection, such as bacteria or ringworm. I would recommend taking him into a vet to find out what the cause of the scabs are, because the treatment is different for every cause. They will likely recommend a skin scraping and taking a sample of his hair to investigate what the source of the problem is. I hope this helps!

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 that this is happening to you and Hoshi. I didn’t see how long you have had Hoshi, or how old she is, but there are a few things that could be going on. She may be itchy - this can be due to infectious diseases, such as parasites. She may have also traumatized herself and now is not letting it heal and making it worse. She could also have a growth, or mass, in the region that is growing and bothering her, or it could be another cause. I would recommend taking her to see a veterinarian. They can evaluate her for parasites, and can look at a sample of the affected region under the microscope to determine what is going on. They can also prescribe her pain medications, and potentially other medications depending on what is going on. Please don’t give any human medications to Hoshi, as many of them are harmful to our furry friends. I hope that gives you a place to start, and thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach!

Thanks for reaching out about Biddy. Is Biddy new? Could it have been a fight with another animal? Hair loss, swollen and scabbed sounds like a wound. This could be parasitic, bacterial, fungal, endocrine and more. A veterinary visit is recommended to assess and provide a diagnostic/treatment plan. Do not apply anything topical such as Neosporin as some of these medications can be ingested and cause problems. Good luck.

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.