Hamster has Strange lump in Ear ADVICE?!

HikariLynn · 02-10-2016, 02:39 PM

Hi I am reaching out to you guys and hoping you can help me with a strange lump that i have noticed in my hamster Mochi's ear. She is A Russian Dwarf Hamster about 23 months old.

I dont actually have a picture of it yet because i cant hold her and take a picture shes too squirmy ( I have to wait for my sister to get home from school) but i searched the internet and this picture is the closest to what my poor Mochi has.. except hers is bigger and inside her ear.. the color is the same though.

earwart.jpg

google tells me it is ear warts but the pictures I found of most ear warts look different? this lump has appeared pretty much over night.. I wasn't home yesterday but when i had her out the day before that I didn't notice anything in her ears. her ear is not swollen or discolored around the area either, at first i thought she got food or something stuck in it.

She's still acting completely normal.. eating, drinking and chewing on the bars to get my attention as usual and when i was touching it and looking at it she wasnt bothered at all. I am unsure what to do at this point, I have had Mochi since May of 2014 so I am not sure taking her to a vet would be a good idea, I dont know if they would do anything because of her age.. and her last vet trip cost me over $170 CND and its $100 dollars to just get them to look at her. Without running tests or anything.. I of course will take her to the vet if thats what everyone thinks is best but what would you guys recommend? what would you do if Mochi was your hamster?

kuba · 02-10-2016, 03:58 PM

Would it be possible to call a vet and ask for some advice as to what it may be over the phone? Hopefully the lump is benign.. seeing as so far it's not affecting her quality of life. Definately watch her to see if she's scratching or picking at it. Best of luck to the both of you. X

cypher · 02-10-2016, 10:27 PM

Any growth or lump really needs to be checked out by a vet, sometimes these things don't change much or bother the ham but they can become quite aggressive & grow fast so the earlier it's checked out the better.

racinghamster · 02-11-2016, 02:43 AM

Hi HikariLynn. What you describe does sound like an ear wart. These can be genetic or bacterial but older hamsters can be very prone to them. The issue you need to address is how big the wart is and is it growing inside the ear canal preventing normal circulation? They can be removed by cauterisation yes, but vet prices and expertise varies. She sounds happy enough in herself and at this age, their body can be changing and ageing and become more prone to lumps/bumps and lowered immunity, just as we do.

Keep checking it to determine if it`s blocking her ear or I attached only by a small area. It`s never easy making these decisions and vet pricing outwith the UK can be high. But weigh up the risks given her age too and I you feel it really needs addressed, maybe try and find a vet that will have a look at it and give you their honest opinion and a pricing for any removal. x