Itching

[lilangel1518]

I noticed my hamster keeps scratching herself behind her ears and sometimes on her legs. I dont know if she just has dry skin or has mites or whatnot. I dont see anything in the cage crawling or on her. She is a Syrian. The male hamster who is in another cage doesnt have this problem at all so I dont know if its just her or what. What do you guys think the problem could be?

[dwankrista]

mites usually cannot be seen. even if she has a skin problem your best bet is to take her to a vet for diagnosis and treatment.

[lilangel1518]

well i think it may be dry skin as well. i bought some hamster spray on shampoo stuff so im going to see if that helps first because i dont want to spend a ton of money at the vets for a lil problem especially for a hamster. they smell nice and clean now at least. i also think she just might have dry skin b/c she has her babies and they are all together and the babies arnt itching and scratching and i would think they would have the mites as well

[dwankrista]

you don't want to spend a ton of money at the vet's "especially for a hamster"? just because a hamster does not cost a lot and is small it does not mean it is a throwaway pet. she is a responsibility and value does not always mean dollars. this means if she has a "small problem" and needs a vet you give her what she needs. dry skin could be a symptom of mites, a dietary deficiency, a reaction to the bedding, etc. even if it is dry skin you need to find out the reason for the dry skin. i would still recommend a vet visit.

[PetLuver21257]

It might be nothing, as long as she licks her foot before scratching there, and only does it sometimes, she might just be cleaning herself...