Custard has a swollen belly :( - Page 2

livedinhogwarts · 07-09-2018, 08:39 AM

I've been following this thread for a while now. It's such good news to hear that Custard has pulled through his surgery. I hope that he will make a full recovery and not have any complications. Hopefully he will be safe and sound in your arms in a few hours. I'm sure he will love to receive all the attention, cuddles and treats given to him and that will make him feel a lot better already.

Take care and all the best for you and your little one xx

Hammy992 · 07-09-2018, 01:09 PM

Thanks livedinhogwarts. x

Custard is now home and sleeping. The vet said they syringed 4 huge vials of fluid from the cyst. He is 75g lighter. I almost cried when I saw him, he is so small. He has always been a chubby boy so it's a shock to see him looking as tiny as when he was 3 months old. I am buying some critical care for him to arrive tomorrow. He needs to start gaining his weight back if he is to get strong and healthy again.

He is very slow as he had more anaesthetic than was probably needed, due to the fact they did not expect the cyst to be so huge(and heavy), it was actually folded over inside him. So he is still very sleepy and quiet but as he is eating and drinking the vet was happy for him to come home as long as we keep an eye on him.
Another thing she discovered was that he also has a congenital deformity of his rib cage where it bows inwards in the centre.This can often lead to organs like heart, lungs, ect being adversely affected but he has lived his whole life with it and had no health problems so she doesn't think it will cause him any issues now.
He really is a little superham. He has beaten cancer, survived 2 surgeries and is fighting this cystic disease like a champ. I never thought such a small creature could be so strong, hamsters are amazing little animals for sure xx

cypher · 07-09-2018, 10:51 PM

Good to hear that Custard came through the surgery ok & is back home with you now, he really has done amazingly well & I hope he can remain comfortable for some time now.

Hammy992 · 07-10-2018, 12:47 PM

Thanks cypher, it is such a relief to have him home.
He has been quite slow moving and shaky, also he walks funny on his toes almost as he seems unsure of how to move with all the weight gone.
He has been sleeping mostly and very quiet, perhaps drinking less but we have given him a shallow jam jar lid for water in case stretching for his bottle is painful. His food is in a lid as well. He is eating everything we put in front of him but we have left him in his travel cage as he is not really leaving his house except for food and toilet.
I do hope he is not in too much pain; he has metacam at the same dose as we were told to give after his last surgery, maybe he is a bit traumatized from the shock of such a big procedure.
The vet did mention he might get a bit of flushing or light pink bruising on his tummy which he seems to have, but she said as long as it's not purple or black it should be fine. Hopefully he starts to feel better soon.

Hammy992 · 07-12-2018, 11:12 AM

Hello all,

So Custard's aftercare appointment went very smoothly today. He is well hydrated and has put on 13g in 3 days! Which just goes to show how much the cyst was impacting his health internally. Luckily the vet is sure this gain is from him being able to eat properly so he is weighing in at 159g now. He will have his final checkup in 1 weeks' time so will continue the antibiotics until then and pain relief for another 2-3 days.

Custard has certainly been enjoying all the tasty food he has been getting to help him gain weight but we have been told not to give him too many fatty things to try and help his liver recover. So sadly no more seeds as treats for him!
We put him back into his big cage last night and he was waddling around and running through his house and tunnel a lot so I think he's happy to be mobile in his own home again. At his worst he could not walk very well and had trouble accessing certain parts of his cage but that doesn't seem to be a problem any more!

Scarlett Empress · 07-12-2018, 12:28 PM

Really happy to hear that Custard is doing so well, what a brave little guy!

Chicleteer · 07-12-2018, 09:30 PM

I’m glad to hear that Custard has rallied so well, and I hope he continues to get better and regain his weight. It sounds like it’s been a real ordeal for both of you!

Hammy992 · 07-21-2018, 05:21 AM

Thank you for your well-wishes Scarlett Empress and Chicleteer

Custard had his aftercare yesterday and unfortunately the vet could feel a bit of fluid building up in the abdomen again. I had a feeling this would be the case as although he is small his tummy does have a round squishy feeling to it. He has gained another 10g of weight but some of this is probably fluid. We have been advised to increase his diuretic up to 0.05ml twice a day for 1 week to see if it makes any difference. And we are to measure his belly circumference with a piece of string and mark the fluctuations regularly to monitor any ups and downs in weight.
He has also been given a diet plan to follow now that the diuretic is to be used as long-term maintenance;
Potassium rich fruits such as banana and strawberries, and for the veg broccoli, courgette, green beans, kale and spinach to be given regularly alongside his harry hamster mix. To help with gaining more muscle mass he also needs an increase in protein rich sources like small pieces of cheese, chicken, tofu, chickpeas, plain mashed potato, lentils and rolled oats. He is allowed to have the occasional nut or seed treat again as well.

One thing that is positive is that the vet said now that she knows his anatomy and where the cyst is if it does get much larger she can likely aspirate the fluid without surgery, but still with a bit of iso gas as she said it's not a particularly pleasant thing for him to have to go through.
He is such a tough little guy I hope that these changes will help him to continue feeling better and enjoy his 'senior years'

livedinhogwarts · 07-21-2018, 08:58 AM

I'm sorry to hear that Custard is starting to get some fluid in his stomach again. Hopefully the diuretic helps with the fluid build-up and his new diet helps increase his weight. The procedure the vet described sounds like it would help quite a bit. I hope his health continues to improve and that he can enjoy playing, spending time with you and doing all things hamstery.

All the best to you and Custard xxx

dreamtree1234 · 07-30-2018, 06:46 AM

I'm so very sorry that you and your beloved Custard have been going through such a difficult ordeal. Custard sure is a determined little trooper and his will-power to live is extremely admirable. I'm so glad that he was able to pull through his surgery well and gain some relief from that. It is also wonderful that he has been able to hamster around better and gain back some of his weight. I'm sorry that his latest checkup showed that his fluid is beginning to buildup again though. Hopefully, the diuretic will help and luckily the vet said she will be able to aspirate the fluid if needed without having to have him go through another surgery. I will be keeping my fingers crossed that he is able to enjoy his life for as long as possible and the two of you will be able to make many more precious memories with one another. Hugs to you and cuddles to your darling Custard.