From: amy young <alyoung@silver.ucs.indiana.edu>
Subject: Gotta love them rodents: Hamsters
Organization: Indiana University
Date: Thu, 16 Apr 1992 16:42:16 -0500


Perhaps this might help others out there on the net:

I purchased a pair of Siberians and of course, they were opposite
sexes, so I started a proverbial breeding farm.  Not a problem,
however, since the pet store said they would buy the babies (and
assured me they would not end up snake food...) from me when I had to
get rid of them.  So we had litter... after litter... after litter....
=)  

Finally, we had a bit of overlap from runts from one litter getting
too old (and not looking in good shape) so I sold them all back, lock
stock and barrel except for the father and a male baby (yes, I could
actually sex the little fella).  They were wonderfully cute, however,
I just didn't have the time and patience to deal with all of them.
And the babies, not getting as much human attention, were not being
tamed.  Sooooo.... 

I notice that they all had eye problems (the young ones, that is)
shortly after changing to a cedar bedding (thought I'd try it, what
the heck).  I didn't think it was the bedding, however, because it got
better depending on the litter.  The adults also never had any
problems.  

However, after vacating the condo fof the mother and other babies, the
young'n started to look really oily (as did the father) and also just
generally itchy.  Within a mere day or so, he was in HORRIBLE shape,
all red (where you could see through his coat, like under his neck),
itching, rolling around.  So I picked him up... and had I not been a 
rodent person, I would have dropped him right away.  He was all
bumpy... the skin had gotten so irritated that he had basically
scratched himself raw, and also the top layer of skin was dead.  Hair
started falling out, he wasin HORRIBLE shape.  So, amid my tears for
"doing this to him" I called a few people, one who suggested using the
chlorophyl litter.  I got some, and he improved a bit (I also
separated him from the father, for they were getting pretty shitty
with one another... of course the father kept trying to mount the poor
little guy.  =)  ).  His skin went back to pink instead of fire engine
red, and more hair fell out (irritated and swollen skin will actually
hold in hair that is lose in the follicle... so when the swelling when
down it all started to fall out).  Then another pet store suggested I
use simple pine, and never deviate from it.  

Seems as if siberians have common allergies, and one of them is cedar.
The lady said that one time they had a bunch in cedar, and the
reaction was so bad that they hemmoraged and died.  She said the pine 
has no chemicals, no oils, etc, so its almost impossible for it to
cause problems.  

It's sad, but the little guy looks so funny... he's almost bald in
anywhere he can scratch.  I figure before he's all better that he'll
have nothing left but the strip down his back (his legs and face are
bare...).

All through this, however, he was active, ate, drank, just as normal.
So I knew he wasn't on the verge of death or anything, but the thought
that I put him through so much agony.

So, keep those little rodents in pine!  

Damn, that was long, wasn't it?

amy
-- 
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"Quick to judge, quick to anger.... slow to understand. 
	       		Ignorance and prejudice, and fear, walk hand in hand."
              						--Neil Peart
-------------Me speak for my employer....?  bwaahahahahahahaha!!!--------------