Socks: Mouseworks Dynamic Cardboard Redesign and Basic Tunneling

Thanks Max, great advice! I think I won't use the insecticide in Socks' cage. The appointment is on the 20th, so we have a little while. It's a Saturday appointment, which is very convenient. I heard Socks digging up axstirm early this morning, so he must be fixing the mess I made if his nest. The bedding was very smelly, so had to come out 😄
 
Oh sorry I didn’t realise the vet appointment wasn’t yet 😊. I had never heard of a moult in a hamster until an experienced breeder mentioned it. The hamster I had that had a moult in summer (he looked like a mangy camel!) went on to have a long life and no symptoms of Cushings.

So it could possibly be a bit of a moult after the hot weather. And it does seem to show much more on a black hamster 😊

Do you have a photo of the thinning areas? Another thing that could cause fur loss in a younger hamster is lack of protein or nutritional imbalance but that’s not likely to be it as you give him a good diet. Some mixes are a bit low in protein but I think you supplement his I seem to remember?
 
That's interesting, Socks' thinning fur does seem to have coincided with hot weather and started in early June, although his coat became more brown in May. A mangy 🐫 😆 poor hammy! I will try to get a photo of the fur loss. I'm reassured that your little moulter was none the worse for it and got his coat back in time. I think Cushing's starts more at the back (am I right?) and Socks' areas are more on his shoulders and cheeks and the crown of his head. I give him a tiny piece of cheese every day. I think I must grow some sunflower sprouts as they should be quite nutritious. I was thinking of trying him on a bit of fish based catfood too. He gets Little One and Bunny Nature, but I think I'll add some Harry Hamster to his diet as it has soya in it and should increase his protein intake. He gets four cooked frozen peas every day as well 🫛 cucumber, bell pepper, parsley and carrot pieces which he and I share with the gin gins.
 
Here are some photos of Socks' thinning fur.
 

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I couldn’t tell much from the first photo but the third one he does seem to have a bald patch. Is that on his head? Is there anything he could be crawling under that could rub his fur off?

Bunny Dream isn’t too bad for protein - about 15%. It does need supplementing with protein though. Little one is really quite low in protein and would need quite a lot of supplementing. If you mix the two it would lower the protein level of the Bunny dream. So if Little one was 13% and Bunny Dream 15% you would add those figures together and divide by two - which would be 14%. Hamsters need 18 to 20% in there first year and maybe 15% to 16% or so in their second year.

I mix Harry Hanster (18%) with bunny dream and just supplement a bit - but to be honest Raffy doesn’t eat much of the Harry Hamster! I think half a walnut a couple of times a week and a bit of chopped hard boiled eg a couple of times a week would be enough protein supplementation- the occasional piece of cheese maybe.
 
Thanks Max, I'll add more protein to his diet and but some eggs, walnuts and Harry Hamster. Bunny N has mealworms in it, but I have never seen Socks eating them. I gave him a dried mealworm once and he took it politely and then discretely flicked it away.
 
That's an option too :-) If he's not eating the mealworms he might not be getting enough protein but I think from the look of the bald patch it might not be lack of protein - I think that would affect more of him.
 
I tried Science Selective, but Socks wouldn't eat it. He ate some pellets when I first bought it, but then wouldn't touch it, which is unfortunate as it is highly nutritious. I'll increase his protein anyway as he uses his wheel alot and probably needs extra protein for his work outs.
 
Sometimes when it's their back and head it can be rubbing - which is why I asked if he pushes under anything? At one time with older type wheels, hamsters would lose some fur just on one side, from wheel rubbing. I guess it could be mites as well. I'm sure the vet will help :-)
 
He could be rubbing himself against the birch chip bedding when he tunnels deeply, that is a good thing to consider. I think perhaps I should change his bedding to all paper in case the birch is abrasive. 🦗🦗😀 I tried mealworms, but Socks ate everything in his bowl except the mealworm, which survived being sat on. I was hoping he would pounce on it in a predatory way, but he likes cheese and sprouts and veggies. I gave him some rolled oats last night, which he's nibbled on, and he even tried a tiny one bit of fish food 🐟
 
That is a good idea, I'll buy Socks Tofu. I like it myself and it is a very healthy source of protein.
 
Tako is easily got bored with his food, especially dried chicken. So, i tried to rotate the protein to boost his main seedmix. My choices are tofu, plain cooked beef(a small portion), dried chicken, and white part of boiled egg.
 
Socks likes this menu! I am vegetarian, but I am going to try Socks on tofu, egg and some dried chicken. He should enjoy those 🍲
 
Mom: I put out some good quality cat food last night. Curiously, this morning as I was wandering around waking up, Socks came out of his grass hide and sat at the bars.
Socks: Mom fed me a piece of cat food through the bars. I decided it was, well, OK, and ate it on the spot to avoid getting gravy all over.
Mom: I offered Socks another piece and he went for a drink from his bottle instead.
Socks: Bye Mom, enjoy your day, I'm going to bed now!
Mom: Egg tonight and tofu tomorrow Socks!
Socks: Thanks Mom! ❤️
 
Mom: Socks ate all his boiled egg yesterday and all of his tofu and cheese today.
Socks: Mom added bell pepper, parsley, lettuce and cucumber to my bowl. If I wasn't a hamster, I'd invite my friends around for supper. But Mom and I shared the food, which was delicious!
 
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