Reptile & Amphibian Forums

the mother of 8 pups has been itching a whole lot and my dad wont let me take her to the vet. do you think you know what it is and is there anything i can do without bringing her to the vet. the only reason i was thinking of the vet was because i saw a website about if they itch alot and to get it checked, also because she was itching every few seconeds.

Jessi *petlady*

I have had experience with itchy hamsters for a few years now (I keep and breed syrian hamsters).If you are using a beding like pine or cedar (especially cedar) you should switch her onto something like aspen wood, corn cob bedding or recycled paper like carefresh bedding. The oils in pine can cause allergies for hamsters, and the oils in cedar are almost certain to do so since they are so strong. Cedar is a big no no with any hamster/rat/gerbil becaus ethey irrtate the animals so much. Another thing you could try wich has worked for me in the past is giving your hamster bottled spring water if she is currently getting tap water. Sometimes they can develop allergies or sensitivities to minerals in tap water.

Good luck, hope this helps.
~Andrea