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Reasons for hairloss on a hamster2007-11-24 22:14:51

I am just wondering... I was cleaning out the hamster cage the other day, and my hamster is almost 2 years old, but he has a small spot on his back with little hair. I think he may have ripped it out.

I am just wondering what reasons he might have done that for?

I don't think I will take him to a vet because he's acting fine, plus he's old and only a hamster. Which I know sounds mean, but he seems fine other than that. lol

Answers:

It could be a few things. The most likely is that it was an accident. Does he have a running wheel? Perhaps he decided he'd like to try running on TOP of it for once, but found out he couldn't do that... Or something among those lines.

2: Perhaps he has a skin problem? It could be that he has ringworm, or something that would cause him to itch like crazy, to the extent that he no longer has any hair there. Many Mammals exhibit this behavior.

3: He could be so old that he is (SURPRISE!) going bald. With hamsters, this usually starts on the back in small patches, eventually moving through his whole body.

4: The laws of Random Interjection decided he should have a bald spot on that particular part of that body and/or for some unforeseeable reason it is there and you should/should not accept it.

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At two years old your hamster is a ripe old age, but will hopefully live another year or two, so putting that into context, he is over middle aged. Hair loss is quite normal in hamsters of a certain age, it is part of the ageing process.