Hamster with dry skin and dandruff?
lowezt asked:
My girlfriend’s hamster has dry, flaky skin and noticeable dandruff. It’s skin isn’t red, and he doesn’t seem to be scratching himself. His age is unknown, and this has never happened before.
Is there anything to be concerned about? Is there anything that can be done? His cage is near a heater, could this be drying out his skin?
Thank you in advance for the replies.
September 29th, 2009 at 9:34 pm
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well dude all i can tell u is too put some Head and Shoulders on that bastard or Selsun Blue, two Top dandruff shampoos
October 1st, 2009 at 7:51 am
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well 1st off, you should take your hamster to the Vet. But if you don’t have the money to do that…..you should keep him/her on a special diet for a month and wash him/her once a week with cat shampoo ( don’t use too much on the hamster) If i were you i would move the hamster like a foot or two fromthe heater because when the air blows out the heater moving dust and the dust falling onto the hamster causing most likely a big factor for the hamster. for when dust (dirt) is moving around the hamster it can casue dry flaky skin…..hope the little furball gets better….best of luck^^
October 3rd, 2009 at 7:02 am
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Cod liver oil is great for skin problems, unless he has parasites. They love it.
October 4th, 2009 at 11:58 pm
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Erm, no, do not bathe your hamster with Head and Shoulders, nor Selson Blue. This also should not require a vet visit.
If you wish to rub something on his skin, do so with Olive Oil. A small amount should do, and if he licks it off, it is beneficial when eaten as well to promote healthy skin and fur.
Once a week or so, if the problem persists, dip a small piece of bread in Olive Oil as a treat, this should keep dry skin and dandruff at a minimum.
October 6th, 2009 at 11:26 pm
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Hello!!!
From what you describe this sounds like an old age related complaint. You say her age is unknown, but upon reaching 12 months old a hamster is middle aged, and from here starts to grow old. As they do noticeable changes will be seen, usually from the age of about 15 months old? He may begin to slow down, sleep more, eat less, become less active, and sleeps more than he used to. His once clean shiny coat now becomes unkempt, and starts thinning. Dry scaly skin is a common old age complaint, and not a health problem.
To relieve the symptoms you can add a couple of drops of cod liver oil (the best source of vitamin D.) to his food, or to one of his treats. Because this is not a water soluble vitamin he can overdose on it, so only add 3 -4 drops a week.
It may also be an idea to watch the heat, should be around 60 – 65 deg he will be comfortable at this temperature. Certainly do not bathe in water or shampoo, you may complicate the situation further.
October 10th, 2009 at 12:55 am
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The first thing I would do it move him away from the heater. They are very comfortable at about 65-68 degrees up to 70 or so…, away from direct heat, sunlight and drafts. Part of it could be age.
Sounds like you are talking about a Syrian. Be very careful about adding any oils or fresh veggies/fruit to his diet, it could trigger wettail. I would take away any corn or corn products in his diet, these elevate body temp and cause itching. If you want to get him more essential oils, add a few more sunflower seeds or flax seed to his diet. IF you add more fresh veggies, do it in very small bits, like the amount you can pinch between your finger and thumb. You could do the same with some scrambled eggs, this is adding protein and some healthy fat.
Rubbing oil into his coat, he will lick it off and ingest some of it, so I dont recommend it.