|
 "What
is the problem with my babies?" asked Ms Chin, a successful
manageress of a shopping mall. "Two healthy hamsters of less
than 10 months of age and their back sides were not only bare,
but only graying with pigmentation. Can you tell me what's
wrong?"
Phone consultations are free. In this case, it was just
not possible to diagnose skin problems over the phone as there
are many causes of hair loss in animals and people.
Ms Chin brought in her babies. She was correct in her
description of the problem of hair loss.
Do hamsters suffer from boredom and get mental problems
associated with the lack of attention from the owner who had to
go to work, so called "separation anxiety in the dog which goes
about messing up the furniture once the owner leaves the house".
Or the loss of freedom to roam and burrow and suffer the risk be
killed by predators?
In caged or stabled animals, long periods of confinement are
said to make some animals bored. This leads to a
behavioral problem, defined as "compulsive disorder". In this
disorder, the hamster grooms its back sides so frequently that
no hair will grow. Due to continual irritation, the skin
pigments gather to form a dark hyperpigmented skin.
In this case, the
two hamsters have the same problem. It seems logical to conclude that
they have a behavioral problem, grooming each other excessively
or excessively grooming their back sides themselves. One may adopt
this habit after observing another hamster doing it. It may be
hard to break this habit.
The hamster behaviour experts will propose that a video camera be
installed to spy on its habits of grooming, but this is getting too
expensive for the ordinary hamster owner!
Some pet shops may recommend anti-flea sprays. Or maybe an
anti-licking spray. These sprays may intoxicate the hamster as it
grooms itself to get rid of the smell. Being so small, a small
amount of insecticide will damage its heart and kidneys, causing
death. |
Do
other animals suffer from this problem of compulsive and
excessive grooming? The cat is said to suffer from a
similar problem called pyschogenic alopecia. Nobody
knows why the cat does it too. There are drugs to reduce
this problem in the cat.
An anti-inflammatory and antibiotic injection may be
helpful in some cases but the hamsters may need to be
anaesthesized first as no self respecting rodent will take
an injection without biting the veterinarian. The
cost may be much more than just going out to buy a new
hamster! Ms Chin prefers not to treat the hamsters
as she did not want them to risk dying under anaesthesia.
See a case at:
The hamster with skin warts |
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TOA
PAYOH VETS