My hamster has mites. Should I put my new hamster in another room?

Thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! It is definitely a good idea to separate your hamsters to avoid fighting. While a running wheel or ball are great activities it doesn’t necessarily meet a hamster’s normal behavior to burrow. I recommend providing plenty of nesting material in both cages. You can also provide various tubes that encourage further burrowing or huts that allow for hiding and establishing a territory. I hope this helps and am happy to answer any other questions you have!

It could possibly be mange (mites in the hair follicles), ringworm (a fungal infection), or a bacterial skin infection. As ringworm is contagious to people and can spread rapidly, I recommend bringing your hamster to a vet for an examination and diagnostics based on the appearance of the lesions. In the meantime I would recommend handling your hamster with gloves and bathing with an antibacterial/antifungal shampoo such as Malaseb shampoo if you have access to this without a prescription where you live.

If your hamster is older and has never been ill, he is less likely to have a contagious respiratory illness. If the hamsters have all been near each other for a long time, this also decreases the chance they could spread illness. If you have recently gotten new hamsters, they are more likely to transfer something...it could be spread through the air or from you touching one cage then another. Wash your hands between handling and handle the sick hamster last. He should go to the vet to get checked out and see what might be going on with him.

Moo Moo may have mites. Take a magnifying glass and inspect his fur. You may see mites crawling around, or skin damage. You should be able to get a mite spray at a pet shop to treat Moo Moo with. You will need to completely clean out the cage, replace the bedding, disinfect the toys and the cage. Hopefully that will exterminate them.

Thanks for reaching out. Contact a local pet store (Petco, Petsmart, other) or a humane society, for possible relinquishment, if babies are weaned and eating on their own. Separation into smaller groups might help in the short term, but you need many cages. Good luck.

Unfortunately yes, it can be very common for hamsters that are housed together to start fighting. This can occur even if the hamsters have always been together. I would recommend keeping them separated for a couple days and then trying to re-introduce them again like you did last night. Hopefully they will be able to get along with each other in the long run. If not, to keep them safe, you'll have to keep them separated. I hope this helps. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. Best of luck.

Thanks for reaching out about Reese and including photos. By the pictures, this does look like ear mites. These mites are not visible with the naked eye and require a microscopic examination of an ear scrape. At the veterinary visit, a treatment plan can be implemented. It is agreed, it one hamster has mites, they all have mites but maybe not visible yet. Good luck.