More Lumps!

22nd October 2009

In my place, it seems like there hasn’t been an isolated incident of hamster illness, i.e. there seem to be at least 2 hamsters who fall sick at the same time. This past weekend was Brain & Baby Hamster.

I discovered a lump behind BH’s left ear a couple of months ago, which the vet took care easily. However, smaller several cysts came back in the same area! I don’t have the stomach to squeeze out the puss ..

On Monday, the vet suggested that BH undergoes a surgery that removes the skin which houses the cysts, because squeezing the cysts is only a temporary solution & it’s a recurring problem. So, surgery was scheduled for the next morning.

Tuesday afternoon when I picked up BH from the animal clinic, the vet explained that as he put BH under anesthesia, he found a larger lump under BH’s neck that he didn’t notice the day before. The lump apparently could move around from side to side! Instead of removing the smaller cysts behind the left ear as planned, the vet removed the lump underneath the neck & decided to only squeeze out the smaller cysts as simultaneously performing 2 surgeries on BH would put too much strain on the little guy. The vet isn’t sure what the lump under the neck is, but he did mention the word “tumor” o_0

BH is now on Baytril for 7 days. I have him scheduled for a second vet appointment 2 weeks from now to remove the sutures on the neck & for the vet to finally get rid of the smaller cysts by removing the skin.

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Posted in Hamster care, Hamster health | Comments (5)

5 Responses to “More Lumps!”

  1. wiffy Says:
    October 25th, 2009 at 10:06 pm

    oh dear! BH will be in my thoughts. I hope the procedures go well.

  2. kisetsu Says:
    October 26th, 2009 at 10:11 am

    Ippo, that’s so sad. It’s not just on your side, I have alot of cases of lumps/tumors/warts in my hammies. Now, Spritez has one big lump on her tummy and I think her days were numbered. :( There’s just something not right with hamsters these days. Really.

    I’m actually quite scared of Baytril. I still remember how Ruddie detest taking this med. Must have been a yucky medicine.

    So is BH 2nd appt only an anesthesia surgery? Hope he recovers soon.

  3. admin Says:
    October 26th, 2009 at 3:39 pm

    I guess that’s what happened when animals have been inbred so many times, causing their recessive deadly genes to be passed on. The vet was saying that the cancers in hamsters are virus-related, so they’re embedded in the hamsters’ DNA & passed on. What kind of lump does Spritez have? I really hope that it’s not the same problem as Brain’s (mammary cancer).

  4. kisetsu Says:
    October 26th, 2009 at 8:19 pm

    I am gonna bring Spritez to see a vet soon but I think I know what they will say.

    It’s on the side of the tummy and I recently saw a big hole! She must have scratch it. But it seems like she does not bothered by it and it did not bleed. She’s still in her normal behaviour, just that she’s not so active like before. :(

  5. admin Says:
    October 27th, 2009 at 12:33 am

    No! There’s a big hole?! Is she hunched though? If she’s hunched, that means that she’s in pain. I wish you all the best for Spritez. Even if Spritez is old, I hope that her old days are comfortable.
    As for the taste of Baytril, some of the chins & hamsters like it, some hamsters don’t, so I guess it comes down to personal taste? It’s supposed to be sweet.

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