Survival is directly linked to the quality of nursing and the quality of the environment. It may also be a sign of thyroid disease or, in females, reproductive tract diseases. These mites are usually a dormant resident on hamsters, but become active when another serious internal illness arises. A veterinarian should be contacted. Hamsters are prone to these, so the owner should look for bumps and lumps on the skin.
Tumors are also a possibility.
See the veterinarian for anything found on the hamster's body that doesn't look normal. A pet owner has the responsibility to help the hamster maintain a healthy existence and care for him when and if problems arise. Copyright 2000 Felice R. Prager. All rights reserved. If you enjoyed this article, help us bring more quality content to readers like you by making a small but important contribution to this site through the WebSeed Honor System .