Hamsters are really fun pets that have become very popular with certain people. They’re small animals that are fairly easy to care for overall, and kids really seem to love them.
If you have a pet hamster, then you should already know how satisfying it can be to care for one. You want to do your best to keep your hamster healthy so that you can spend as long as possible together.
This is why it’s important to pay attention to the hamster to see how it’s doing. If you notice that something is off with the hamster, then you can try to take steps to fix things.
Have you noticed that your hamster seems to be losing hair? Is it losing hair on its nose somehow?
Why would a hamster lose hair on its nose? Keep reading so that you can get to the bottom of this situation and help your hamster out.
1 – Barbering
One of the most common reasons why a hamster will lose hair on its nose is barbering. Barbering is an action that hamsters do that involves chewing on another hamster’s fur.
Some hamsters will barber each other so much that they will wind up having bald spots in certain locations. If your hamster has a bald patch near its nose, then there is a chance that this happened because of barbering.
Of course, if your hamster is alone, then it wouldn’t be possible for another hamster to be the cause of the hair loss in this spot. Barbering could still be to blame; this could be a case of “self-barbering.”
Some hamsters will rub parts of their bodies against solid objects. They do this repeatedly and the friction will eventually cause them to lose hair in that spot.
Excessive rubbing against the bars of the hamster cage could be to blame for the bald spot near the nose. You might be able to observe your hamster doing this at some point if you pay attention.
This doesn’t mean that this is the only thing that can cause a hamster to lose hair on its nose. There are other potential factors to consider.
2 – Wounds From Fighting
If your hamster is living in a habitat with other hamsters, then the hair loss could be because of fighting. Sometimes hamsters will fight each other and it will cause one of the hamsters to get wounded.
A hamster might lose some hair near its nose in a fight. Try to keep an eye on your hamsters to see if they’re quarreling.
3 – Parasites Can Cause Hamsters to Lose Fur
It’s also known that parasites can cause hamsters to lose fur. If you’re noticing that your hamster has less hair on its nose than it should, then there could be something wrong.
Your hamster could be dealing with parasites such as ticks, fleas, mites, or even ringworm. If you think that this might be happening to your poor hamster, then you’re going to want to get help right away.
It’s wise to call a veterinarian to come to take a look at your hamster. You can take the time to explain the hair loss on the nose and the veterinarian can perform a thorough investigation.
After examining the hamster, the veterinarian should be able to determine what is going on. If the hamster is dealing with parasites, then this issue should be able to be solved by the veterinarian.
It’s always best to ask professionals when you’re concerned about your pets. Veterinarians know how to best treat problems that pop up and you won’t be left guessing.
4 – Allergies and Skin Infections
Sometimes issues such as allergies and skin infections can cause hamsters to lose fur. If you’re seeing bald patches on your hamster, then it’s possible that this could be what’s causing that to happen.
However, this would usually cause a hamster to lose fur in more locations. You wouldn’t expect a hamster to only experience hair loss near its nose if it was experiencing issues due to allergies or skin infections.
This is a possible cause of hair loss in hamsters, but it’s not likely the case in this situation. Unless your hamster is also losing hair elsewhere, it’s probably better to look into other potential causes.
5 – Excessive Burrowing
Excessive burrowing can cause hamsters to lose hair near their faces. If your hamster’s hair loss seems to be just around its face, then maybe it’s just burrowing too much.
Do you see your hamster burrowing all the time? Most hamsters do love burrowing, but your hamster might simply be burrowing so much that it’s causing it to lose hair on its face.
If this is the case, then it isn’t really anything to worry about. It’ll probably get its hair back when it starts burrowing less.
Final Thoughts
There are quite a few reasons why hamsters will lose fur. A hamster could wind up losing hair on its nose due to barbering.
The most likely situation is that your hamster is losing its hair due to barbering. This is especially true if it doesn’t appear to be losing hair anywhere else but around the nose.
Other hamsters could be barbering the hamster in question and this is what’s causing the hair loss. If the hamster is living alone, then it could be rubbing its body up against the bars of its cage or other solid objects.
The rubbing causes hair loss and it’s not really anything to worry about. Another likely cause involves the hamster burrowing excessively.
You’re probably not going to have to worry if your hamster is just losing a bit of hair near its nose. Excessive burrowing isn’t necessarily problematic.
If your hamster is losing hair elsewhere, then you might need to worry and get help. Parasites could be causing the hamster to lose fur or your hamster could have a skin infection of some sort.
When you’re concerned about your hamster’s health, it’s best to call a veterinarian. The veterinarian can check things out and will ensure that your hamster is taken care of properly.
Whatever winds up being the cause of the hair loss, it’s going to be good to keep paying attention to your hamster. Proactive hamster owners can catch problems before they get too bad and will be able to keep their pets much safer.
I have a bachelor’s degree in Film/Video/Media Studies, as well as an associates degree in Communications. I began producing videos and musical recordings nearly 15 years ago. I am a guitarist and bassist in Southwest MI and have been in a few different bands since 2009, and in 2012 I began building custom guitars and basses in my home workshop as well. When I’m home, I love spending time with my three pets (a dog, cat, and snake) and gardening in my backyard. I also like photographing wild birds, especially birds of prey.