My hamster has ears down, lost fur/weight, and isn't pooping. Vet?

I am very sorry winter is not feeling well. I would recommend taking her to a vet due to the weight loss and hair changes. Typically hamsters do not carry disease like infect people but I would recommend discussing that with the vet at her visit. I would be concerned about possible dental disease, skin infection, skin parasites or even internal disease. Winter really needs a good exam to determine the cause and provide proper treatment. hope that helps

Yes you should as this could be due to a skin infection, possibly caused by a mite infestation. A clinical examination at your local veterinarian is essential to confirm these clinical suspicions and treat appropriately. Hope this answer was helpful, but please do not hesitate to contact us again on the forum or by requesting a consultation if you have any more questions or to discuss it any further. If this answer was helpful please let us know, this will be used to improve our service!

Your hamster may be suffering from ectoparasites such as mites or fleas and/or an allergy to the bites. I suggest you take him to a veterinarian for a hands-on exam and diagnosis. The vet can prescribe or treat your hamster with a proper medicine to kill the parasites. There are mite treatments for hamsters available in the pet shops, but I am not sure whether they are effective. You will definitely need to clean and disinfect your hamster's cage, bedding and toys and food and water containers to hopefully prevent the mites from reinfecting your hamster after treatment.

It does sound as if Elmo is very ill. If you want to determine what is going on and have potential treatment options then going to the vet will be the best plan. However, it is important to keep in mind that Elmo is a very advanced age for a hamster, normal life expectancy is 2 years and he has already exceeded this. I hope this helps. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. Best of luck.

I am sorry to hear about Marshmallow. With these symptoms I would recommend a veterinary exam for him. There can be many causes of hair loss in hamsters, including vitamin deficiencies, rubbing against cage or chewing by other hamsters, parasites like mites, bacterial infections, and unfortunately more serious conditions like some cancers/tumors.

Thanks for reaching out about Snowball and including photos, although they are out of focus and difficult to view. Hair loss and redness on the skin might be indicative of an allergic dermatitis. Any contact with new bedding, fabrics or detergents? Mites or moist dermatitis are also possible. Try removing wood chips, fabrics and replace with paper products like Carefresh. If the condition worsens, a veterinary visit is recommended. Good luck.

Thanks for reaching out about Lune. Hair loss is probably due to scratching. The redness inside the ear could be due to infection, inflammation, mites or tumors in the ear. Unfortunately, a veterinary visit is needed for a diagnosis and then to prescribe a treatment. Care must be taken not to apply any topical medications as self grooming is common, and ingestion of medications can be critical. Try to look inside the ear to visualize any lesions. Good luck.