Pets are a lot of joy for the owner. Funny and mischievous, they are waiting for you every day from work. It is not necessary to have a large dog, which requires daily walks of many hours. A hamster is a great alternative for a busy person. Unfortunately, they also get sick. Quite often, they have skin diseases. Today we’ll look at what the lichen looks like in a hamster and what to do with it.
general description
The most popular skin ailments are allergic dermatitis, baldness and lichen. At the same time, lichen in hamsters is not a specific disease, but a whole group of rashes that have a different nature, mainly viral. It appears in the form of red sores on the skin.
The lesion can be point or spread to a large area of the skin. At the same time, the skin balds, itches, scabs appear on it. Most often, a hamster's lichen develops in the event of a decrease in immunity, after suffering stressful situations or in the presence of a chronic disease. At the slightest suspicion, you should immediately contact a veterinary clinic.
Ringworm
The specialist will quickly determine what happened to your pet. A hamster has two types of lichen. It is pink or ringworm. They have a different course, so it will not be difficult to make the correct diagnosis. Let's look at the distinguishing features. It is important that the owner himself understands what is happening with the pet and can ask for help in time.
Ringworm in hamsters can be caused by two reasons: trichophytosis and microsporia. Rodents are susceptible to microsporia. This is an infectious disease that can be dangerous for the owners, so do not waste time and immediately seek help.
Course of the disease
The incubation period may be protracted. The first signs are round, flaky, as if clipped areas. Hair at the base breaks. Affected areas become inflamed and turn into sores. The deprivation of a hamster can occur in a hidden form for several months, while the incubation period is ongoing. Only after that you will see the first symptoms.
Pus begins to stand out from the sores, after which a dense crust forms. The disease most often affects the muzzle, places near the ears and side. But even one focus is enough for the disease to spread throughout the body. Constant scratching contributes to this. It is quite difficult to cure him, therefore, with the onset of the first symptom - running to the hospital.
Pink lichen
Speaking about what lichen looks like in a hamster, it must be said once again that different species can have a peculiar course and symptoms. Pink lichen is caused by a viral infection. In this case, a lot of pink dots appear on the body. The disease lasts up to 40 days. The cause of the appearance may be a weakened immunity of the hamster. Usually very young or elderly animals suffer from it.
Pink lichen in hamsters (the photo above demonstrates this) does not lead to ulceration. The disease can be seasonal in nature, appearing in the spring or autumn, when the body is most affected by vitamin deficiency. Therapy is aimed at improving immunity and improving the quality of the diet. This species is not dangerous to humans and is not contagious. The development mechanism and pathogen have not yet been identified.
Infection
Most often, rodents show ringworm. It can affect adults and very young animals. As a rule, young growth is more serious. This is due to imperfection of the immune system. Breeders often ask where the lichen came from, if he did not leave the apartment. It turns out that the disease is transmitted not only from a sick animal to a healthy one. It can be brought home by a person on shoes or clothes.
At the same time, if the animal is strong and healthy, then everything can work out. But if immunity is reduced or there is damage on the skin, this is the reason for a quick infection. It must be borne in mind that the debate is very tenacious. They can persist throughout life, waiting in the wings.
Diagnostics
Do not independently diagnose your pet. A specialist should be involved in treating depriving a hamster, so contact a veterinary clinic as soon as possible. Diagnosing the disease at home is very difficult. After all, optionally hair loss and itching can indicate the appearance of lichen. There are still a dozen diseases that at an early stage manifest themselves in a similar way. What symptoms should be responded immediately:
- Stains on the skin in different sizes.
- Rash and peeling.
- Itchy skin.
- Hair loss.
- Anxiety.
- Aggressive behavior.
The vet does not just examine the animal. He necessarily performs scraping from the damaged areas and will conduct a laboratory study. He will also inspect the animal under the Wood lamp, which in the presence of lichen gives a green glow. Do not forget that an infectious disease is dangerous not only for the animal, but also for humans. Therefore, at the first signs of an ailment, you should immediately consult a doctor.
Treatment
Every experienced breeder knows how to treat lichen in hamsters. First of all, on the affected areas, wool is removed. Ideally, you can completely remove the entire coat, because only in this way you can get rid of spores. At this time, the cage, drinker and feeder must be thoroughly washed and disinfected. The animal must be isolated and picked up only with gloves. In this mode, you have to live about a month.
As a treatment, a special vaccine can be prescribed. It is put for prevention, as well as upon infection. In addition, ointments and antibiotics, shampoos and immunostimulants are used. If the doctor prescribed antifungal agents, then the rodent will need to be completely treated. Of course, he does not like such procedures too much, but now he has no choice. If only the affected areas are smeared, then spores will spread throughout the body when scratching. Therefore, the choice is usually not ointment, but spray. In addition, antifungal agents are prescribed for oral administration.
The duration of treatment depends on the condition of your pet and its body. On average, it takes two or three months. Most importantly, therapy should continue until complete recovery. Otherwise, there is a great risk that the disease will return. After the disappearance of scabs, you must again show it to the veterinarian and take tests. After this, the animal can be considered completely healthy.
Prevention
Sometimes, noticing strange spots on the body of the pet, the owners are surprised to ask: "Can there be lichen in hamsters?". Maybe this disease is not too rare. Therefore, it is better, without wasting time, to go to the veterinarian and undergo treatment. But there is one difficulty. Lichen can become a chronic disease and stalk a pet for life. If immunity is reduced, the symptoms of the disease will flare up with renewed vigor.
To prevent relapse, you must constantly maintain the rodent's immunity. So, you first need to pay attention to his diet:
- Provide the animal with proper nutrition. The basis is a high-quality grain mixture. As a supplement, you can use fruits, herbs and nuts. Be sure to include protein-rich foods in your diet. These are fish and meat, cottage cheese, worms and grasshoppers.
- In spring and autumn, the likelihood of vitamin deficiency increases. At this time, you need to give your pet special vitamins.
- Keep track of your overall health. Any deviation from the norm should be an occasion to see a doctor. If you see that the animal refuses food, does not crawl out of the house, then show it to a specialist.
- Implant the hamster against major serious diseases.
- Do not take your pet outside and do not allow contact with other animals.
Vaccination against lichen
Any veterinary clinic can offer you such a service. In extreme cases, you can use it. But most veterinarians believe that the procedure is useless and retains its properties only in the first months. In this case, rodents carry it hard. Again, after vaccination, the fungus becomes more resistant to antiviral drugs. To put it or not, each breeder decides for himself. Consult a doctor, after which it will be possible to draw conclusions.
Instead of a conclusion
Loss in hamsters is no less possible than in other pets. This disease is quite serious and dangerous for all family members. Therefore, measures must be taken to prevent its occurrence. If the pet is still ill, then exercise maximum caution so as not to become infected, and at the same time give him the necessary help. If this is done on time, then there is a high probability of defeating the ailment forever.