Posted: January 27, 2010, 5 a.m. EST
Q: My female hamster has pimples on her belly. Are they pimples? If they are nipples, are they supposed to be around the arm area?
A: Without seeing pictures of the “bumps,” it is difficult to tell what is causing these bumps on your hamster. It is unlikely the bumps are nipples if they are around the arm area.
Hamsters can get a superficial bacterial skin infection that could be causing what you describe. Or this could be a reaction to something in the environment.
If the bumps do not go away on their own, consider changing things in your hamster’s cage. You might change the bedding, check on the humidity, and consider if your cleaning agents could be causing the bumps. If your hamster does not improve and if these changes do not make a difference, then you may need to take her to a veterinarian to determine how best to treat these bumps.
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