My hamster has fur loss and red scabs. What's wrong and how to treat?

Thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! It sounds like Bear may have a fungal infection, fur or skin mites, or a skin infection. Most of these conditions are very itchy, and some hamsters may actually scratch so much that they draw blood. This can lead to further infection as the skin barrier is compromised. I recommend having Bear looked at by a vet as soon as possible to determine the cause of his skin condition and begin the appropriate treatment. You can carefully trim Bear's nails in the meantime to prevent him from causing further trauma. I hope this helps!

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!

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 Bobo and including photos, although difficult to determine a lesion by the pictures. Do you have mosquito problems? External parasites such as mites or fleas are possible, as are bacterial skin infections. Try cleaning the area with a mild soap. If the lesion or hair loss progresses, a veterinary visit is recommended to assess and provide a diagnostic/treatment plan. Good luck.

Thanks for reaching out about Peppermint and including photos (although they are a little out of focus). Hair loss and chewing at the skin could be an indication of a lesion (mites, bacterial, other) and being irritating and over-groomed. Most hamsters are nocturnal, so active at night. If having a skin problem could be more secretive. A veterinary visit is recommended to assess and provide a diagnostic treatment plan. Good luck.

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.