Question for hamster people... Pic included!

Last night I noticed Grayson had more patches of thinning hair than normal, he's always had a couple of 'spots' but this is quite a lot more. Does anyone have any idea what could be causing this?



He wouldn't let me pick him up so couldn't inspect him properly but it didn't seem sore or flaky or anything so I'm thinking its not mites but he did go into his nest and have a good scratch and it looked like he'd been grooming. Il wake him when I get home and try and get a better look but just thought someone might know what it could be? Iv googled and looks most like what people see in aging hamsters I was told 'I don't think he's very old' when I got him (PAH adoption) but u never know in there do u?! Iv only had him a few months

Grooming :wave: you can see where his head had been behind him and then licking down. It's weird how far them can turn their heads!

Apollo had them the other day and my bf went into a panic. I told him they were just where he was licking, usually rolling in the sandbath makes they hang around longer but he didn't believe me :lol: well.. Until Apollo groomed himself in front of him and left a patch!

Looks like grooming to me too.

Even if he is starting to lose his fur a bit, it doesn't mean he's very old. My last male syrian started losing his fur at about 1 and a half and he lived to 3, he was just very very bald by the end

Phew I hope ur both right! Thanks :lol: It was a bit damp so I knew he'd been grooming but wasn't sure if that's all it was! He's had a couple of tiny spots of white since I got him (like the undercoat showing) but this panicked me last night!

Thank u both :wave:

I've had hammys thin their fur from about 18months aswell.

I would rule out mites first though, personally. I had a boy who had a really persistent case. I did three doses of ivermectin at weekly intervals, and the fur loss just continued afterwards. A vet then told me it should be fortnightly, not weekly, so I did a course of another three, and the fur grew back. There were no flakes, or even signs of visible itching, just fur loss.

SarahP said:

I would rule out mites first though, personally. I had a boy who had a really persistent case. I did three doses of ivermectin at weekly intervals, and the fur loss just continued afterwards. A vet then told me it should be fortnightly, not weekly, so I did a course of another three, and the fur grew back. There were no flakes, or even signs of visible itching, just fur loss.

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Il have a proper look tonight and see. If its from grooming it would have gone back to normal I suppose! I'll get the vet to check him over if I'm not sure.

pubity - mr moo got bald patches and the vet said it was pubity

Rupert & Tia said:

pubity - mr moo got bald patches and the vet said it was pubity

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Really?! What age would that be then? I have no idea how old he is, like I said when I got him she just said 'I don't think he's very old, they brought him back cos he got too big' :shock:

Summer&Skye said:

Really?! What age would that be then? I have no idea how old he is, like I said when I got him she just said 'I don't think he's very old, they brought him back cos he got too big' :shock:

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He was about 1 - we got him when he was tiny, vet thought he was waaay too young to have been sold :roll: and it was about a year later his testicles got huuuuuuge at around the same time xx

Rupert & Tia said:

He was about 1 - we got him when he was tiny, vet thought he was waaay too young to have been sold :roll: and it was about a year later his testicles got huuuuuuge at around the same time xx

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Oh hopefully Grayson is still fairly young then, he was prob tiny when the original owners got him which is why they then thought he was too big! He does have small testicles I just thought he was 'neat' :lol: looks like maybe I have those to look forward to then :roll: :lol: