If you suspect that something is wrong with your pet, then you might find matching symptoms in our ‘Hamster Illnesses’ section. Although it may be something easily treatable such as a flea infestation, there are lots of hamster illnesses that cannot be treated at home. Even though the treatment may cost money, your hamster really needs to go to a vet if you suspect something is wrong, as your pet relies on you to keep it safe and free from pain.
If you're worried your hamster is unwell, check our 'Hamster Illnesses' section or a hamster book with a full illnesses list. You may need to take your pet to the vet.
If you can’t find any condition with matching symptoms in our illnesses pages, then you might want to try looking in a hamster book that contains an illness section. However, if your hamster is bleeding a lot, is having trouble breathing or sounds as if it’s in pain then it’s unlikely to be a problem that you can fix yourself, and so we recommend taking them to a vet.
Chloe, 14 September 2020
Hello. My syrian hamster is 1 and a half years old and he has started acting in a worrying way. His fur on his back is coming off in patches, he is grooming a bit too excessively. He is very slow moving, where he used to be very quick and inquisitive. He also makes a little hiccup sound followed by a whine. I think he may be wheezing too but I'm unsure. The shavings and bedding have been the same brand as it's always been, and he has hamster pellets with the treat of monkey nuts and crackers. The only change I can think of is he used to have a hamster muesli instead of pellets. He doesn't have a wet tail, and his stools are solid. He has also become very jumpy. I am concerned... please could you help?