My hamster has wounds and fur problems. Should I take him to the vet?

Hello and thank you for reaching out to Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. I'm sorry to hear that another hamster attacked Sugar. I recommend bringing him to your veterinarian to have him examined, have the wounds cleaned, and he can be given medication for pain and antibiotics. Any bite wound has the potential to become grossly infected and abscessed, which is very painful and can require surgery to resolve. In the meantime, you can try gently wiping any discharge away from the wounds with a damp cloth. I hope this is helpful!

Snoopy should be physically examined by your veterinarian. He may not need sutures but he may need antibiotics to prevent or treat infection. His hair looks quite matted. His lack of grooming may indicate an underlying illness or injury which should be diagnosed and addressed by your vet.

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!

This presentation could be due to a trauma, a mass or a localized spot of skin infection (likely to be caused by bacteria or mites). A check up, appropriate disinfection and possibly antibiotics (oral, topical) are needed to solve the problem. Disinfection may be started at home with very diluted hibiscrub or betadine or salted water baths. 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.

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!

It does sound as if Elmo is very ill. If you want to determine what is going on and have potential treatment options then going to the vet will be the best plan. However, it is important to keep in mind that Elmo is a very advanced age for a hamster, normal life expectancy is 2 years and he has already exceeded this. I hope this helps. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. Best of luck.

It looks like roddy has a small scratch on the back. At this time I would recommend monitoring it from home. If you notice any discharge, smell or redness I would recommend taking him to a vet to have it examined. I hope that helps