Two Easy Ways to Start Earning Rewards!
Become a member today!
Members-only pricing and offers, personalized care notifications, Vital Care points back on every purchase and more!
Already a member? Sign in
Become a credit card member today!
Earn 2X Pals Rewards points at Petco
when you use Petco Pay!
APPLY NOW
Learn More About Petco Pay Benefits

My 2-year-old hamster is scratching and losing fur. What's wrong?

Updated on September 23rd, 2025

Pet's info: Small Animal | Unknown - Small Animal | Female | unspayed | 1 year and 10 months old | 0.5 lbs

Our 2year old hamster has what looks like she is scratching an area on the side and has lost fur! any advice to help her would be wonderful!!

1 Answer

Most Helpful Answer

Answered By Penelope Graben, DVM

Veterinarian

Published on June 30th, 2018

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! :)

1Pet Parents found this answer helpful

Smart Picks for Smart Questions

Related Questions

Training & Behavior

My hamster is freezing, scratching, and losing fur. Is she sick?

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.

Updated on September 23rd, 2025

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 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!

Updated on September 23rd, 2025

Training & Behavior

Why is my hamster itching, losing fur, not eating, and lethargic?

Your hamster may be suffering from ectoparasites such as mites or fleas and/or an allergy to the bites. I suggest you take him to a veterinarian for a hands-on exam and diagnosis. The vet can prescribe or treat your hamster with a proper medicine to kill the parasites. There are mite treatments for hamsters available in the pet shops, but I am not sure whether they are effective. You will definitely need to clean and disinfect your hamster's cage, bedding and toys and food and water containers to hopefully prevent the mites from reinfecting your hamster after treatment.

Updated on September 23rd, 2025

Why is my hamster sick, scratching, losing fur, and losing weight?

I am very sorry winter is not feeling well. I would recommend taking her to a vet due to the weight loss and hair changes. Typically hamsters do not carry disease like infect people but I would recommend discussing that with the vet at her visit. I would be concerned about possible dental disease, skin infection, skin parasites or even internal disease. Winter really needs a good exam to determine the cause and provide proper treatment. hope that helps

Updated on September 23rd, 2025

My hamster is scratching, stressed, and has a red tummy. What's wrong?

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!

Updated on September 23rd, 2025

My hamster has a neck scab, red eyes, and is scratching. What's wrong?

I am sorry to hear about Ginger! I would recommend that you bring Ginger to a vet for examination. In hamsters we can have a variety of issues cause skin problems like this, including mites (these are microscopic so you cannot see them with the naked eye), fungal/ringworm infection, bacterial infection, and allergies. The vet can examine your hamster, may recommend some tests to determine if parasites or fungus are present, and prescripe appropriate treatment based on their findings. Best of luck to you and Ginger!

Updated on September 23rd, 2025

Health & Wellness

Why is my hamster losing hair on its bottom and what can I do?

Hi there, I'm sorry your little hamster is having trouble. Hair loss can be from a number of things- skin parasites like skin mites are very common in these guys. Also, there can be hair loss from endocrine diseases , overgrooming from stress or other things. Your vet can test your friend for parasites and then prescribe a safe medicine that you can use. Over the counter meds, such as dog and cat flea products, would be too strong and could hurt your pet. if it is not parasites, they can check to see what else might be going on.

Updated on September 23rd, 2025

Have A Vet Question?

Book an appointment with the pros – our expert vets are here to help.

Share