Last updated on January 22nd, 2023 at 06:53 pm
Hamsters are known for enjoying grooming themselves and keeping their fur clean and beautiful. They are rarely seen with messy and greasy fur.
Why is hamster fur sometimes greasy?
Hamsters’ fur is sometimes greasy because they may have too much secretion from their scent glands. Their fur can be greasy if their room is too warm. When the fur looks greasy only on the back of the body, then it can be a sign of diarrhea or a wet tail.
In today’s article, we will learn a little more about the reasons why hamsters’ fur becomes greasy.
Why Does My Hamsters Fur Look Greasy?
Hamsters’ fur can be greasy if they are not groomed enough, or it can be from old age because then they are not groomed as before.
Hamsters’ fur can become greasy due to their scent glands, which can secrete too much oil.
Too much heat in a hamster’s room can also cause greasy fur, but this can be resolved quickly by lowering the temperature.
What can we do so that the hamster does not have greasy fur?
The best way for hamsters to not have greasy fur is a clean cage and a sand bath.
Clean the cage regularly so that the hamster’s fur is not greasy, more precisely, buy a brush for cleaning hamsters and pass it along with the sand on its fur.
When buying sand look for chinchilla sand and put it in a basket in the cage so that the hamster can roll in the sand and clean itself of greasy fur.
Why does hamster fur stick?
Hamster fur is sticky because the hamster can have dry skin and this can cause fur problems. Here are a few reasons that can make a hamster’s fur sticky and messy.
Ringworm
Hamsters can have ringworm or a contagious fungal infection that causes their skin to dry out. Ringworm rarely occurs in hamsters, but this unwanted phenomenon can still occur.
When hamsters have ringworm they will constantly itch and have redness on their skin.
Overcoming the ringworm problem will require hamsters to use anti-fungal shampoos to address this problem.
Allergies
Allergies are a reason why hamsters can get itchy and won’t be able to groom their fur properly.
When hamsters have an allergy, it can be noticed by other symptoms such as sneezing, and nasal discharge that can stick to the fur.
When hamsters have this problem with allergies the real cause must be found and removed in order to stop the allergy in your pet.
Once you find what they are allergic to and solve the problem, the hamster will be fine again and will have no fur problems.
Age
As hamsters age, they become less groomed and their fur begins to become greasy and sticky.
In this situation, when the hamster cannot groom itself, you will have to help it and clean its fur.
You can use soaps, sand baths, etc. to make his fur look better, although it will probably never be like before, as his age takes its part, he will care less and less about his fur.
Mites
Mites are very unpleasant for hamsters and can damage the fur of the hamster because he will have to groom the fur all the time, but he will not be able to have awesome fur.
There are two types of mites that occur in hamsters:
- Demodex aurati
- Demodex criceti
When hamsters have mites they must be eliminated after prior consultation with a veterinarian.
In order to clean the mites, it is necessary to thoroughly clean the entire cage, bedding, toys, and all other things in the cage.
Why does a hamster’s fur look wet?
When the hamster’s fur is wet, it can be for several reasons, such as high temperature in the room, wet tail, and other reasons.
So let’s look at all these reasons for this condition of the fur of hamsters.
Sleeping in a wet place
If hamsters sleep under or near the water bottle they may be wet.
Sometimes they dress up too much and lick themselves all the time and that’s why they can be wet, it can be another reason, for example from urine.
But if the hamsters eat normally, drink water, and run as usual, then there is no need to worry, because it is most likely not a wet tail.
A wet tail?
A wet tail is diarrhea that appears on the back of the tail of hamsters.
A wet tail is a dangerous infection that hamsters get as a result of stress and fear.
Hamsters very often get a wet tail, especially younger hamsters, and it is very dangerous for the hamster’s life if it is not treated in time.
When hamsters have a wet tail, it can also be noticed by the following symptoms:
- lethargy
- loss of appetite
- blood in the poop
- depression
If you notice these symptoms, you should immediately take the hamster to the vet because a wet tail can kill the hamster in two days if treatment is not started.
Scent glands
Hamsters can also have oily fur due to their scent glands sometimes producing more oil than necessary.
There are also hamsters that always produce a lot of oil through their scent glands.
The scent glands in hamsters are cleaned routinely, but when the hamster is under stress, then it will have more to lick or clean the fur.
With the help of scent glands, hamsters mark their territory, and it helps them to feel safer. To clean the greasy fur, you can give the hamster a sand bath so that it can clean the fur more easily.
If that doesn’t help then you can wipe it with hamster wipes, or finally, bathe your pet with soap.
Read more: Why Do Hamsters Always Try To Escape? Let’s Discover
Room temperature
Hamsters have wet fur if the temperature in the room is too hot or above 80 F because for them the best temperature is up to 75 F.
The high temperature in the room will cause the hamster to overheat and its fur to be wet.
If the hamsters are in a cage, they will still have ventilation, and if you keep them in a glass tank, then they can be even hotter.
As well as their fur becoming wet, the high temperature can also cause temperature shock in hamsters.
Read more: Do Hamsters Blink? Let’s Find Out
Conclusion
Hamsters can occasionally have greasy fur, and this is a problem because then they itch, get red skin, and do not groom their fur.
When hamsters have greasy fur, it is necessary to find the cause and remove it.
Sometimes old age is responsible for his fur being greasy and sticky, and you will have to clean his fur yourself with soaps or wipes.
The best way to clean greasy fur in hamsters is a sand bath, and a hamster cleaning brush used with the sand.
That’s why we should pay attention to hamsters and when you notice that something is wrong with the fur, you should take it to a veterinarian to help you with your pet.
