Hamsters

Cleanliness is extremely important. Clean the cage at once, completely, and replace all bedding materials. Remove your pet’s toys to reduce the places that the bacteria may grow. It may help to put a little millet spray and chopped peanuts into a food bowl with a little “canary egg food” to help thicken up the stools. Sick hamsters may be so weakened that they will not drink from their bottle, so put a little juicy cucumber in the cage for them to nibble. Hair loss If your hamster has hair loss and is scratching a lot, he probably has a parasite infestation such as skin mites. Bald patches can also indicate other prob- lems, so take your hamster to the vet. Impacted pouches/facial lumps Sometimes hamsters try to put too much into their pouches or they struggle to remove items in them. Most commonly this is bedding material. This will have to be removed by you, an experienced hamster handler or a vet. If, after closer examination, it is not the cheek pouches that are causing the swelling it may be a tooth abscess or a tumour that will need urgent veterinary treatment.

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Hamsters