My Syrian Hamster, Orko

Hi Cat, my syrian hamster Orko has got to be going on 2 1/2 years old now, which i think is pretty old for a hammie, bless him. i know that it can be fairly common for their fur to start to thin but last night i noticed his skin was looking a little flaky too. it didn´t look particularly red - perhaps a little brownish if anything. he didn´t seem to flinch when i touched him or anything. i just wondered if this is fairly normal for an old boy too or whether its something i should be concerned about. don´t really want to haul him up the vets if its a normal "old age" thing.

is there anything i can give him to help? i have a few different oil type liquids i brought for my cat to keep her skin and coat healthy in her old age but she won´t touch them...would these be good for him (in small amounts obviously)? and he does sometimes get food with a little olive oil in - but not very often.

thanks for your time. kind regards, sarah

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06 Nov 2009 13:35

Sarah Spencer

great, thanks for that Cat. he doesn´t seem to be itching much so i´m thinking its just his age. i will check out the pet shops to see if i can find a specific "small furry" skin supplement for him. weighing him every day sounds like a good plan and i´ll start doing that. he´s a lovely little thing and the first one we´ve got to a good age, so i´m really pleased with him :-)

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05 Nov 2009 17:40

Cat the Vet

Hi Sarah,

Two and a half years old is a fantastic age for a hamster, so firstly, well done for getting him to this stage! Skin problems are common in the small furries and are most often caused by parasitic infections. However, in those cases the hamster tends to be very itchy and will often pull their own fur out and damage their skin. Older hamsters, as with a lot of older animals, can have dry skin or sparse hair and, especially if it is not itchy, it is not always a problem.

You could try adding extra oils to his diet, olive oil should be fine (just a tiny dot though!), or you may be able to get specific small furry skin supplements from a pet shop. However, do keep a close eye on him, just in case his health in general is declining. Weighing him daily would be a good idea, as hamsters hide their illnesses very well and often weight loss is the only symptom for some time.

Let me know how he gets on

Cat

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