Keeping your hamsters clean is important for their health. But one thing to watch out for is fleas infestation. Fleas are common among many household pets. They are a danger to your hamsters if not identified and treated.
Let’s find out from this article if hamsters can get fleas.
Can Hamsters Get Fleas?
Hamsters can get fleas. Fleas love to live and thrive on the blood of animals. So hamsters are not exempted. They contract fleas as a result of living with other domestic animals such as dogs and cats. Your hamster’s constant scratching is a sign of fleas infestation.
What Are Fleas?
Fleas are small insects that thrive by feeding on animal or human blood. They are normally found under the skin of animals.
They cause itching, discomfort, and irritation for these animals. They have been found on dogs cats and other small pets such as hamsters.
How Does My Hamster Get Fleas?
fleas love to live and thrive on warm blood animals. Dogs, cats, and other animals are potential carriers of fleas.
If they catch the flea they can easily transmit it to your guinea pigs. Fleas are known to be good jumpers.
Fleas tend to jump from one host to the other.
Hamster Fleas Symptoms
Fleas are uncomfortable for any animal. Hamster has fleas if you notice them constantly scratching or washing as he or she attempts to alleviate the irritation.
You will observe swollen or sore on your hamster’s body as a result of scratching.
Can Fleas Harm My Hamster?
Fleas do more harm than simply irritating your hamster but they aren’t life-threatening. Depending on the extent of the infestation, is determined primarily by how long you allow it to persist.
The effects can range from skin inflammation to anemia and, in rare and severe circumstances, a loss of fur, an allergic reaction, or an infection.
This is exacerbated by your hamster’s scratching and licking.
How Do I Check My Hamster For Fleas?
If you spend a lot of time with your hamster, you may notice that it’s acting a little differently. This can include being disinterested, sluggish, or not having much of an appetite. There are clues that you should check further.
Here’s a simple two-step process to determine if your hamster has fleas:
- Use your eyes. Gently part your hamster’s fur with your fingers. Look at the hair roots and the skin around them. You may see fleas and you may see signs of scratching.
- Use a flea comb. Gently run a fine-toothed comb through your hamster’s fur and then wipe the comb on a clean, white paper towel. If your hamster is infested, you will see fleas or, more likely, flea dirt (feces) on the towel. It will look like specks of black pepper.
This is enough to tell you that your hamster has fleas. if you are still skeptical you can put a few drops of water onto the dirty area of the paper towel. Fleas feast on their host’s blood, so you will see the wet area showing a red hue as the blood in the fleas mixes with the water.
What To Do About Fleas On My Hamster?
It’s important not to ignore fleas infestation in your hamsters. Fleas can make your hamsters sick and cause death,
There are two things to address if your hamster has fleas: your hamster and your hamster’s cage.
Treating Your Hamster Fleas
Your goal is to kill your hamster’s fleas and all the eggs that they have laid on your hamster’s warm, furry body. The good news is that you don’t have to take your hamster to a vet. There are many inexpensive hamster mite sprays on the market that will help you do the job.
Make sure that the spray you select is safe for hamsters.
Here’s how to use the spray:
- Gently brush the fur against the grain so that you can expose the skin.
- Put on some lightweight gloves. Surgical gloves are a popular choice.
- Spray a light coating onto the exposed skin.
- Once you’ve sprayed your hamster’s skin, spray a light coating onto your hamster’s fur. You don’t have to douse him but put enough on so that the fur is a little damp.
Place your hamster in temporary housing like a plastic basket that’s large enough for it to do a little exploring.
Treating My Hamster’s Cage For Fleas
There’s no point in treating the fleas and eggs on your hamster if you don’t treat your hamster’s cage.
Here’s how you clean your hamster’s cage:
- Take everything out of your hamster’s cage and place it in a plastic garbage bag. This includes bedding, toys, shavings, bottles, dishes – everything except hard plastic toys and accessories, which you can wash with warm soap and water.
- Seal the bag and immediately put it in the garbage.
- Wash the cage with warm soap and water.
Once the cage is completely dry, you can replace all the bedding and other things you removed from the infected cage with brand-new, flea-free items and the hard plastic items that you washed.
Seek Professional Help
if you aren’t sure how to handle flea infestation in your hamsters, you need to speak to a Vet immediately. He or she should be able to help you with the best treatment for your hamsters.
How Do I Protect My Hamster From Getting Fleas?
Fleas can cause serious itching and skin infection for your guinea pigs. So you must do everything within your power to minimize your guinea pigs from getting fleas.
Here are some things you can do to prevent a flea infestation:
- Carefully monitor other pets for fleas, and treat them promptly
- Thoroughly clean your hamster’s cage every week
- Check the bedding each time you clean your hamster’s cage
Your House Needs Treatment
If you treat your hamster and other pets for fleas it is equally important you pay attention to treating your house. Fleas may be harboring on your carpets. If you have wooden floor fleas may be hiding in cracks and other tiny openings.
You must be in the habit of hovering over your house on daily basis to get rid of any fleas. Take the time to have your carpet also treated for infestations as well
Do hamster Fleas Bite Humans?
Fleas love to survive on the blood of mammals. so himans ate no exception. Hamster fleas can bite humans. if one jumps from your hamster onto your skin.
According to research, fleas have to stay on the body human body for 12 hours to lay eggs. However, because human skin doesn’t have much hair compared to mammals, fleas don’t survive for a long time.
Final Thoughts
So can hamsters get fleas? Hamsters do not themselves get fleas. But other pets in your home can transmit fleas to your hamster er[racilly dog and cats. The cage your hamster lives in, the carpet, and other things in your home can be host to fleas.
It is important to make sure after you have treated your hamster or flea you pay attention to pets and other things in your home.
There are a variety of flea treatments you can use to treat your hamster. You must never use products meant for dogs to treat fleas on your hamster.
If you are not sure what to do when you identify fleas on your hamster, consult your vet.