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Coderedfield47
He's scratching himself a lot and I don't know if this is an allergy or what. Is there some kind of topical relief?
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Coderedfield47
He went on the wheel after. If I start to see redness or hair loss I'll need ideas to treat whether its mites or allergies. He's got a sand bath (reptisand brand) today he used once and I'm hoping he uses that as a bathroom spot cuz right now theres poop in several places and without moving the wheel, or possibly disturbing him under the bedding its pretty hard to get to, especially if he's up and trying to go after my handIt's normal for them to groom a lot and scratch themselves
I haven't picked him up to look but I think fleas would be visible in the layers of fur as he scratches and I don't see any dots. he hasn't drawn blood or scabbed himself but feet look a little reddish? not severely but slightly off pink.
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elusive
Itching & scratching is perfectly normal behaviour but you can give a pinch of linseed/flaxseed every day to help keep their skin & coat in good condition.
Most treatments for things like mites are actually quite toxic & should only be given after a vet has confirmed mites (usually with a skin scrape).
Most treatments for things like mites are actually quite toxic & should only be given after a vet has confirmed mites (usually with a skin scrape).
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RainbowBrite
You do not have to worry about hamster poop. It is just the wet bedding that needs to be removed. Their poop does not smell.
When I first got a hamster I too thought they had mites. It seems they groom themselves such a lot and it can be difficult to get used to.
It is lovely he has a sandbath now. He is going to enjoy that. Dwarf hamsters roll in sand to clean their fur. My dwarf hamster has pink coloured paws too.
Sorry if you have already said but what is his name?
When I first got a hamster I too thought they had mites. It seems they groom themselves such a lot and it can be difficult to get used to.
It is lovely he has a sandbath now. He is going to enjoy that. Dwarf hamsters roll in sand to clean their fur. My dwarf hamster has pink coloured paws too.
Sorry if you have already said but what is his name?
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Agree with what the others have said You really don't need to worry about poops - they are not dirty or smelly really - and they even eat them sometimes (this is normal behaviour for them as they have two stomachs and can redigest vitamins and nutrients from their poops). In fact they can get quite upset if you remove ALL the poops! Generally don't worry about them - unless they start taking over in a big way and then you can just spot clean them out/pick them out. They aren't going to contaminate anything - unless they get in his water. The only thing that needs spot cleaning out mainly is their pee and that is not always obvious at first. If you start to smell it you can investigate and find a damp patch and spot clean that out.
Overcleaning can actually cause them a lot of stress and stress can lead to them getting mites. I don't think it sounds like he has mites and is just grooming. They are really quite clean little things and groom themselves a lot. His feet sound normal.
I think you would know if he had mites. He is likely to have bald patches with sore flaky skin. He sounds like he's just doing normal hamstery things and it's best not to disturb their set up too much as they like to sort things out themselves
The main thing is to not remove or interfere with his nest area too much. His nest and hoard are his most important things and they can feel invaded. They will sometimes poop in their hoards but it's very early days and he won't need much doing just yet.
You really don't need to worry about poops - they are not dirty or smelly really - and they even eat them sometimes (this is normal behaviour for them as they have two stomachs and can redigest vitamins and nutrients from their poops). In fact they can get quite upset if you remove ALL the poops! Generally don't worry about them - unless they start taking over in a big way and then you can just spot clean them out/pick them out. They aren't going to contaminate anything - unless they get in his water. The only thing that needs spot cleaning out mainly is their pee and that is not always obvious at first. If you start to smell it you can investigate and find a damp patch and spot clean that out.Overcleaning can actually cause them a lot of stress and stress can lead to them getting mites. I don't think it sounds like he has mites and is just grooming. They are really quite clean little things and groom themselves a lot. His feet sound normal.
I think you would know if he had mites. He is likely to have bald patches with sore flaky skin. He sounds like he's just doing normal hamstery things and it's best not to disturb their set up too much as they like to sort things out themselves
The main thing is to not remove or interfere with his nest area too much. His nest and hoard are his most important things and they can feel invaded. They will sometimes poop in their hoards but it's very early days and he won't need much doing just yet.
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Coderedfield47
Perturabo!You do not have to worry about hamster poop. It is just the wet bedding that needs to be removed. Their poop does not smell.
When I first got a hamster I too thought they had mites. It seems they groom themselves such a lot and it can be difficult to get used to.
It is lovely he has a sandbath now. He is going to enjoy that. Dwarf hamsters roll in sand to clean their fur. My dwarf hamster has pink coloured paws too.
Sorry if you have already said but what is his name?
Also Peter Turbo and Perty
I went in and cleaned poop spots before reading this this morning. He was really active on the wheel last night, waking me up (the sound is actually soothing to me) several times. I'll check for urine spots from time to time.
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RainbowBrite
That is an interesting name. I have not heard that name before.