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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