Why is my hamster lethargic, big, and has a black genital scab?

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.

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.

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. 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.

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.

Stormz needs to see a veterinarian immediately. This appears to potentially be a problem with his cheek pouch and I'm concerned that it's turning black because the tissue is dead. Please have him seen quickly.

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!