PLEASE HELP! Hamster has big lump on foot - Page 2

AprilPearl · 12-03-2019, 02:54 PM

Just to add, I have heard somewhere that manuka honey can be used as a home remedy for bumblefoot though I don’t have any first hand experience of this. Really though, he does need a vet.

Could you go to the vets and explain that your hamster is very sick and will likely die without medical attention but you don’t currently have any money to pay them. They might agree to see him on condition that you pay them back when you get your next pay check/when you can.

doban911 · 12-03-2019, 04:50 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Vierville

Please don't try to pop it...that will not end well.

I'm not sure what antibiotic would be given if it is infected...there are a number of types.

I must be honest that looking at it, It might be a tumor, in rodents they can develop to quite a substantial size in a matter of days. I don't want to alarm you and I really feel for you not being able to take him to a vet but really it is the only thing to do.

If I had the money to spare I would honestly sponsor a vet visit for him.

Please also remember that many vets will be ok with you agreeing on a payment plan or will waive their fee if you discuss your situation. Please do all you can to get him proper vet treatment.

In looking at other posts online, I have seen similar bumps that have all ended up to be tumors.

doban911 · 12-03-2019, 04:56 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Serendipity7000

Could you google exotic vets in your location? If you can find an exotic vet, they are usually no more expensive than a regular vet and they know a lot more about hamsters. Just tell them you are short on funds and could they give a quick look and an opinion. If you need antibiotics you'll need to pay for those. I have usually paid about £20 for a check up - meds can double that. The antibiotic commonly used is Baytril but the dose needs to be worked out by a vet. There is another one sometimes used as well but Baytril seems to be the most common one.

For Thyme tea you just buy some dried thyme, put a heaped teaspoon in a jug and add a pint of boiling water, leave it to steep and cool down, then strain it and use the liquid to dab on (use a qtip eg). You can then keep the liquid in the fridge for a few days and keep using it.

Does it seem to be sore for your hamster at all? I also wondered if it might be a tumour if it's not red and inflamed. Assume it is just the one foot and not both feet? If it's a tumour then he needs surgery really - so you do need to know what it is. How old is your hamster? That might depend on whether surgery is an option or not.

The cheapest vet I could find was $90 for a visit, which I do not have. I may get a credit card for this, but from what I have seen online, it appears to be a tumor. An almost identical bump was seen here https://www.reddit.com/r/hamsters/co...mp_on_his_leg/
that ended up being a tumor.

Due to his age, I may let him live it out or try a home surgery (not recommended).

I know going to a vet is the best option, but I feel confident after looking online that they will diagnose it as a tumor, and either recommend surgery (cannot afford) or more likely do nothing. It is on one foot, and does not seem to hurt.

Pebbles82 · 12-03-2019, 05:09 PM

If he is quite elderly and it doesn't seem infected then letting him live out his time is an option. Don't try and do home surgery please! Tumours often return, even after surgery, but it enables the hamster to have more comfort and mobility if it's removed. But if he is elderly then surgery wouldn't be good anyway probably. It's a difficult one. We had a robo with a large lump. If it had just been one lump I'd have had surgery but he had multiple lumps and would almost certainly have not survived the operation, so we let him live out his time and adapted his cage so he could get about easier.

I have to say though you may still need to make the decision to have him put to sleep at some point if it is cancer as they can start to suffer. Weight loss and looking hunched would be signs of this.

How old is he?

Vierville · 12-04-2019, 08:40 AM

Please please don't try home surgery.

Pebbles82 · 12-04-2019, 08:47 AM

Absolutely don't. It would be cruel. At a vet's they have carefully dosed anaesthesia and even that is a risk but at least they are pain free. There is all kinds of rubbish on the internet that is basically animal cruelty and surgery needs an expert and expert anaesthesia.

doban911 · 12-04-2019, 03:46 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Serendipity7000

If he is quite elderly and it doesn't seem infected then letting him live out his time is an option. Don't try and do home surgery please! Tumours often return, even after surgery, but it enables the hamster to have more comfort and mobility if it's removed. But if he is elderly then surgery wouldn't be good anyway probably. It's a difficult one. We had a robo with a large lump. If it had just been one lump I'd have had surgery but he had multiple lumps and would almost certainly have not survived the operation, so we let him live out his time and adapted his cage so he could get about easier.

I have to say though you may still need to make the decision to have him put to sleep at some point if it is cancer as they can start to suffer. Weight loss and looking hunched would be signs of this.

How old is he?

He is a bout 2 (human) years old, but just as active as the day we got him. I will keep a lookout for those signs, thank you

doban911 · 12-04-2019, 03:49 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Serendipity7000

Absolutely don't. It would be cruel. At a vet's they have carefully dosed anaesthesia and even that is a risk but at least they are pain free. There is all kinds of rubbish on the internet that is basically animal cruelty and surgery needs an expert and expert anaesthesia.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Vierville

Please please don't try home surgery.

I know it is not always a safe option, and many people say an expert has to do it. But, if the lump was on the top off his foot just hanging on by a small piece of skin, would giving it a quick cut be such a bad idea? I could give him painkiller (if I am able to find a safe does, which I have not been yet) and bandage it up properly. It would be a millisecond of possible pain for increased mobility and lifespan potentially

Pebbles82 · 12-04-2019, 04:28 PM

No. Don't do it. He could need stitches, could bleed to death and get an infection. Surgery is done in aseptic conditions with proper anaesthetic. Sorry but please don't try. Believe me I know how you feel - I used to look at our robo's dangly lump that he kept tripping over and wishing it could just be snipped off, but even the vet wasn't going to attempt to do that at his age by then and because he wouldn't have survived the anaesthetic. The only safe pain meds you can get would be from a vet also - and they wouldn't be strong enough to cope with the pain of surgery. The shock could kill him as well.

Pain is a very specialised thing - which is why anaesthesia was invented - you cannot imagine the pain.

Two is a very great age and I would let him just live out his life with his lump if it doesn't seem infected. Have everything on one level at floor level and plenty of nice soft substrate.

If it does start to be painful for him he may start chewing at it and that's a sign you might need to help him on his way as well.

If he seems happy enough in himself, just think of it as a disability. Does he still use a wheel or has he given that up now?

Vierville · 12-04-2019, 04:34 PM

Under NO circumstances at all is it OK to try to perform home surgery.