Tumour and abscess

lonelygoldfish · 06-03-2016, 02:38 PM

Hello everyone,

Six weeks ago, Oswald had a very large abscess on his face lanced and drained, then a week later he had another operation to remove the scab, as it had healed incorrectly. It then healed surprisingly well and quickly! He was always incredibly happy and active throughout, even though it was obviously painful and very uncomfortable.

About three weeks ago, I noticed a very slight lump on the back of Ozzie's neck, slightly to the side of his spine as you look down at him. The last two weeks it has been getting steadily bigger, and is now about the size of peanut. However, it really doesn't seem to be bothering him that much. I had the vet check it out, and he says it's quite firmly anchored to his spine, and they wouldn't be able to remove it.

After being busy yesterday and unable to play with him, I checked on him tonight and offered him some baby food as a treat, and he sort of launched himself at it, seemingly very hungry, although he's had his normal hamster mix in his cage. I then tried giving him a nut and he seemed to have a little trouble biting it. Ozzie's teeth are misaligned, but he had his teeth clipped on Wednesday so they should be fine. He may just have been sleepy to be honest!

Looking at his face, I can see he's got another small abscess, nowhere near the size of his old one, starting to form in the same place on his face. Antibiotics and antinflammatory's didn't work last time, so I'm hesitant to pay for them again and to have them not work.

So, poor little Oz has got a tumour on his spine and another little abscess on his face. He seems a little slower than usual, but still relatively happy. I'm just concerned that with the rate the tumour has grown and the abscess appeared, he'll go downhill very quickly. Is it justifiable to book an appointment at the vets, say next week, to have him euthanised? I know at some point I will need to, and I can tell he's already started to slow down, and I don't want him to suffer. He's been such a little soldier, and I want to do what's best for him.

Thanks xx

pinkneon · 06-03-2016, 03:31 PM

Hi, sorry to hear about Ozzie. I think if he seems to be in pain or is suffering then having him pts may be the kindest thing for him. I think that you know him best, so will know whether or not he seems to be in pain or is suffering. You could try asking him ... I hope you will be ok

Pebbles82 · 06-03-2016, 03:37 PM

Hi there. Sorry little Oswald is having all these issues. I wouldn't say having him pts was appropriate when he seems well and doesn't seem to be suffering. I can see where you're coming from though, about not wanting him to suffer. Maybe see how he goes over the next week ago. Slowing down can be a normal part of ageing (how old is he?). If the lump on his spine doesn't seem to be bothering him then he could live happily for a while. The abscess on his face would need observing as an abscess tends to be an infection. It might need lancing (which may work better than antibiotics, but antibiotics make sure there is no infection in the bloodstream).

Eating hamster mix can be difficult as they get older and their teeth aren't as good. You could soften his hamster mix - put a little bit of boiling water on it in the bowl before putting the bowl in the cage, to soften it, and wait till it is cold - then put the bowl out for him - it just means doing it 20 minutes or so earlier than usual.

You could also give him some baby food to supplement (ie puree'd food). I'm doing this with our hammy at the moment who is nearly 2. I put a teaspoonful in an egg cup and push the egg cup down in the substrate so it can't fall over (ie to put it in a different bowl than his normal bowl).

I just did a list of suitable baby foods that are available recently

A lot of them contain ingredients that hammies can't have, like onion, leek, garlic, tomato, spices, lemon juice.

So this list gives the brand name and foods that don't have those in.

Baby food suitable for hamsters

I think the main thing is - when you said he seems relatively happy. He could go on like this for some time and just need a bit of tlc and extra help with his diet. It could also be an idea to have everything lower in his cage - eg the food and water, and less things on the shelves - plus nothing he could fall on from the shelves (or take shelves/levels out).

I did this for our hammy recently too as he is still active but seems to have a bit of difficulty climbing - so his food and water are at ground level now. I've left his shelves in as they are quite low, but have made easier shallow access to them and not much on them.

It can be difficult when you've just had some vet bills, but it's when they are older they often need a bit of vet help to keep them comfortable.

So I would accept the lump on his spine (which may not bother him). Keep an eye on the abscess over the next few days and possibly get that looked at by the vet as that could cause pain and illness and is a more minor thing to treat.

I wouldn't have a happy hamster euthanised. If he was ill and squeaking and suffering it would be the kindest thing to do, but he may pass happily in his sleep one day and enjoy more life.

So basically it's more a case of adapting things for him being older, rather than thinking he has had his time.

lonelygoldfish · 06-04-2016, 10:56 AM

Thanks for the replies!

He's been on baby food on and off for a while, it's mainly a day or two before when his misaligned teeth are clipped at the vets, and then when he was recovering from his operations. I'm leaving some baby food and some hamster mix in his cage so he can eat what he feels like, but I've tried softening the mix before and he's never eaten it that way sadly.

He is nearly two, and he doesn't have any trouble climbing things at all, and seems to be able to run as fast and do all the things he did when he was younger, just less so. I panicked a bit last night, as he seemed worse, and it was when I first noticed the abscess.

I'm so worried about putting him through more operations, as he's having a general anaesthetic every three weeks to sort his teeth out, and then he's had two operations to sort his previous abscess out. I've spent upwards of £700 in the last two months on him, and although the financial side is difficult, I would happily keep paying. But he is getting on, and I do worry about the stress of all this on him. He seems to keep bouncing back from the operations, and even when he was in a great deal of pain from the first abscess he had, with vets prodding and poking him, he has never even nipped anyone.

I'll keep trying with him, because he is worth it, but I had a freak out last night at this other abscess. Any ideas what might be causing him to keep having them? He's been on antibiotics before, after his abscess operation.

Thanks!

Scarlett Empress · 06-04-2016, 11:09 AM

Sorry to hear about Oswald's problems, he sounds like a real little soldier!

I think it can be very difficult to know what to do for the best - I had my hamster put to sleep last week because she had a fast growing tumour, she had been getting on with her life pretty much as normal and was about 2 so the vet wasn't too keen to operate, so I brought her home with some Metacam in case she had any pain, and she carried on enjoying her life for a couple more weeks, but then went downhill.

I did wonder if I should have had her pts before it got to that point, so I do understand why you had wondered about that option. Sometimes it is very hard to know where to draw the line with how much treatment it is fair to put a small animal through.

I hope his abscess will heal this time, and that he can manage well with the lump. Maybe he just needs a longer course of antibiotics to sort out the abscess. I will keep my fingers crossed for him, he does sound like he's a little fighter!