My hamster has red marks and won't stop scratching, what's wrong?

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.

This is likely to be due either to a mite infestation or possibly an allergy. Intense itch can cause severe distress in hamsters. A clinical examination at your local veterinarian is essential to confirm these clinical suspicions and treat appropriately. 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. If this answer was helpful please let us know, this will be used to improve our service!

There are a number or reasons why Blizzard is scratching himself a lot. It could be allergies such as a contact allergy, but it could also be that he is suffering from dry skin or mites. The only way to know for sure is to have him seen by a vet. The vet can diagnose what is causing his itching and can prescribe a treatment for him. I recommend taking him into the vet first thing on Monday. Best of luck, I hope this helps!

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!

Thanks for reaching out about Molly. Aging hamsters can often suffer from adrenal diseases which can lead to polydypsia/polyuria (drinking and urinating often), dermal conditions and decreased immune system. That could have manifested in a proliferation of previously existing mites. Often mite treatment need to be repeated to end in remission. Testing for adrenal disease if difficult, probably best investigated with an ultrasound. Treatment is even more problematic. Trying to treat the resulting symptoms (scratching) might be more effective. Good luck.

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.

Hello! I'm sorry to hear about Pepper being so itchy! There are two main things I think about when I see itchy hamsters- skin mites and ringworm. It would be helpful to know if this started happening after contact with a new hamster, as it is often a contagious problem. I would recommend taking her in to see a vet that is experienced with hamsters. They can perform a skin scraping to check for mites and take a sample of hair to check for ringworm. Mites are treated with an anti-parasitic medication, while ringworm is treated with an anti-fungal medication. Once the cause is treated, her skin will be much more comfortable and she will stop scratching so much. As a note, ringworm can spread from animals to humans, but is generally easily treated in people. If you have any skin rashes, check with your MD! I hope you find this helpful! Best of luck to you and Pepper! :)