Bald area with some red spots? Nah.... don't think it's dangerous or anything.... it could be the bedding dirty since 1 week you left it.

Well, as long got water they can go for a few days without food... but why you ask? How long you wanna leave it?

Not to scare lah... well, I think it would be better you get the normal saline solution first and wash the eyes.... it the pus doesn't clear in 3 days, then use some antibiotic drops.... to me drops would be better than ointment lah.

Well, the eye drops and ointment always been given to me and my pets when they got infection... one time my rabbit had pus around the eyes, brought to vet and was given the same antibiotics... well, I'm just giving advice base on my experience lah... the 2 hamsters that died did not react to the eye drops, they were terribly weak and never eat for 2 days... then 3rd day die... the one still alive did not die coz it only had pus in 1 eye, had good appetite and was active... so since the pus cleared up after 2 days of cleaning, I never use any antibiotics lah.

But what the vet that you saw at the site said is true. Water is still the best. Try out with water first, if there is no effects then move on to antibiotics.

Scratch itself? Hmm... how often does it do it? You would need to find a mite solution that is made for rabbits... well, the spray for dogs and cats is far too strong for a hamster and it can easily be sprayed into the eyes since so small... so better, get something that is made for rabbits or guinea pigs.

Firstly, you must know why it scratch... got any red or hairless areas? Do you notice any insects on it? Is there dandruff falling when it scratches?

If it scratches itself a few times a day, then it is normal. Most likely grooming.

Yes, scratching itself is part of grooming for hamsters but if say they over do,... like scratch till botak or red... then it could be a problem.

Not special... that is a common thing for WW... they are the most vocal of all hamsters.

Nah... not really communicate... WW sometimes "eek" for nothing.... i call them vocal hamsters... mine will "eek" when scared, when it sleeps, when i kacau it, when it's dirturbing its cage mate....

Yah... hahah.. cute rite? Other species of hamsters do not make much sounds unless fighting... but WW will make it whenever it wants... the sound is more related to warning lah...

It took my hamster 3 days for his eye to clear up.... then back to normal. Not sure if contagious or not since I keep it singly. Just keep on cleaning the eye. How many times you clean in a day?

Pet Safari's hamsters have moved to the reptile section... all the hamsters are there.

Ah... that is good to hear. Today I just asked a vet, she said just continue to eye cleaning. If he is still active and eats, means it is just an eye infection and not something serious.

Hehehe... the vet works at a petshop, she does not offer services but I go there to ask for advice or chit chat with her.

Hahaha... not near Gombak at all....

Anyway, to me that doesn't look like a pearl.... Looks like a winter white gone winter coat hahahah... well, not very sure since I cannot see the dorsal stripe from the pic.

I do not think it's oily food.

I just Googled hamster hair loss, the_catacombs, you should try and read up about it there.

Anyway, hairloss got a few types... 1 is from bad nutrition... well, I think you feed your hamster well rite? Sometimes hair loss can be a sign of vitamin problems...

Another would be mites.... they are really microscopic mites so you cannot see with your eyes, must use microscope lah. Normally can call this mange. You hamster got any dandruff coming out? If yes, bring to vet to treat.

Another thing about hairloss... hamsters around 2 years old is considered old in hamsters... and just like old people, we also experience hair loss.... so old hamsters will have hair loss... but yours only at the butt... so... I do not think it could be a sign of old age yet.

"Hair Loss ( Alopecia )
Hair loss can occur for a number of reasons in hamsters. This loss of hair can be due to both disease and nondisease conditions. Continual rubbing on feeders or sides of the cage as well as protein deficiency and barbering (hair chewing by cage mates), are examples of nondisease causes of alopecia. Infestation with demodectic mites is one of the most common infectious causes of patchy alopecia and scaling in hamsters. Other conditions that lead to hair loss include adrenal tumors, thyroid deficiency, and chronic renal disease. Some of these conditions may be correctable, while others are not."
http://www.veterinarypartner.com/Content.plx?P=A&A=679&S=5

I think that is why your hamster's fur dropping off... if your gf feeding it human food and junk food... wah... imagine what damage it can do to the liver, heart and digestive system.

I think for now you must get some vitamin drops and mix it with its water. Also provide it with fresh vegies like sawi, carrot, apple and cabbage... at least 1 piece of vegie or fruit a day now.

Pets Wonderland stuff do not know anything.... all the know is hamster come from Holland.... it is really true.

Cinnamon Pearl.... and they told you Winter White?

Coz there is no such thing as Cinnamon Pearl in Winter Whites....

Anyway, there is a risk fighting. Hamsters have short term memory so you will only think it is sad now since we always put human emotions together with our pets.

It will not be lonely. It will actually live healthier and longer. Keeping in a pair, especially breeding pair may stress and cause some health problems to your hamster later. I mean, females can breed every 18 days... give birth to about 6 babies average... are you ready for that? Once the babies are about 5 to 6 weeks old you must seperate or there will be a chance of inbreeding....

Also, another fact about the Holland stock from Pets Wonderland.... many of the animals are related and inbred......so if you bought a male and female from the same shop... you are letting maybe a brother and sister breeding.... not very ethical rite?

Pets Wonderland's only aim is to sell pets.... their staff has very little knowledge. What they do is give their staff a small briefing on the animals they are in charge or print out the most basic and easiest caresheet to remember.... and like all basic caresheets, they do not explain about breeding or species properly.

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Added on March 8, 2007, 8:23 pmJust to add... Winter Whites only come in Agouti, Pearl and Sapphire... those are the pure WW colours...

The hybrid colours are Puddings(Gold) and Mushroom/ Yellow Blue.... these are a mixbreed between WW and campbell... not a very safe way to produce these colours if you have a WW and campbell... People have done research and tested a lot of hamster generations to produce Puddings and Yellow Blues.

Also, PetsWonderland tend to mislable their stock.... Russian Zebra hamster? Wahhh... sounds exotic rite? It is in fact just normal winter white Agouti.. but the price around RM60? Too high lah.... can get from breeder, healthier and cheaper too.

This post has been edited by crazymouse_yyh: Mar 8 2007, 08:23 PM

Haha.... I remember I saw some hamsters going for RM68... then they will place a tag saying discount, now RM48... something like that lah hahahah...

Coz Holland got different way of saying the hamster colour I think... so Pets Wonderland just follow only...

Hahah... cat higher maintainence than hamster loh heheheh.... a pet that is cheap and can come when you call it's name is a rat.

Yah, next time bring camera along lah so we can see the pics of your bro's hamsters heheheh...

I wouldn't say con... just mislead lah....

It is a mixbreed... so better you do not breed it since if you breed it with another WW, chances are that it may spoil the pureness of winter whites in the future.

Still the best example.

You feed watermelon? That is kind of unhealthy.... also too much mandarin orange can cause sickness in hamsters....

You should not take out the wheel at night coz hamsters are nocturnal and they need to run about at night. If you do not let it excercise out it's energy, the hamster will become stress and chew the bars of the cage, which can cause teeth problems later.

Never let hamsters jump off high places, once they fall, there is a risk of internal injury or internal bleeding and this cannot be treated by the vet.

Sorry, didn't see your question... missed it.

Anyway, the pus could be from the wood shavings. Many small animals now fall allergic to the woodshaving brands these days since got more chemicals in. My hamsters and gerbils used to be on Chipsi but currently they would develop breathing problems and eye problems from Chipsi....

All you can do is clean it using a wet cotton bud. If there is sneezing involved, bring to a vet coz it would be a case of flu and if it never heals, can lead to pneumonia...

Sexing Robos are always difficult since they are so small. So never try to locate the testicals but more on locating the genital area... the gap lah.

What type of food have you been feeding? Elaborate please. If you do not tell us what brand, how do we know what caused it? Also, do state their daily diet and where do you keep them in your home.

Was your hamster's mouth wet? Coz if it is in the car too long and if it was on a hot day, chances are that it could be a heat stroke. Chubby hamsters are prone to that as well as young hamsters.

Critter Trail Mini is way way way too small.... Just keep 1 would do. If you keep 2 in such a small tank, there is bound to be some fights and maybe another death.

Sometimes hammies die from unknown reasons... their bodies are small so they are prone to getting diseases that we can't detect... so heat strokes can be bad or stable... depends really.

Yups, what joanalooidog said is true.... it could be one of those reason....

Hamsters do not eat their young without a reason.... and since they are animals, they don't really have emotional feelings for their young like humans do... so we cannot blame them or curse them of being insane or horrible.

Yah... got a colour called Mushroom.... Also Yellow Blue.... All mixbreed... not really stable colours... if compare to Puddings.... Puddings are a better hybrid colour than the others.

Yups, a hybird but it is a better hybrid in terms of character and colour than other type of hybrids... and the hybrids have been developed thru many generations already so got quality.... if we simply take a WW and a campbell... then something bad may come out of it...

Those sold at Pet Safari are way too young.... kinda high risk of falling sick....

Panda hamster... it means the colour. It's a black dwarf with a white collar or partly some white on the face and neck... I got 2 from my own breedings heheheh.... and more to come soon. They are actually Russian Campbells...

If you guys ever buy woodshavings.... try and avoid Sluis wood shavings coz it is very dusty. Go for either Chipsi or Delikate or Kaytee since less dust... also avoid Pine and Cedar.

2.5 inch is like the adult size of a Robo.... actually, they do not go pass 6cm in lenght since Robos are the smallest of all hamster species currently.

Well, you can always give other beddings a try... Corn Cob is good... same as Breeders Select and Woody Pet.

The most important toy for a hamster is the wheel. A wheel gives it excercise and also something to do everyday. Imagine if someone placed a human in a room with nothing but a mattress to sleep, a toilet bowl to pee and poo, and a bowl of food and jug of water..... pitiful also rite? Hahahah... this applies to hamsters. So if you have a wheel in the cage, then it is already good enough excercise for it.