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Old 08-11-2020, 02:13 AM   #11
sarahhhh
Newborn Pup
 
Join Date: Dec 2019
Posts: 32
Default Re: My hammy has a tumour.

Quote:
Originally Posted by Vierville View Post
Hi sarahhh, I'm so sorry to hear about your hamster's tumor. Sadly tumors are a very common thing for hamsters to get.

As the others have said, whether or not to put her through surgery depends largely on her age and physical condition. My one little boy, also an older rescued dwarf of undetermined age, developed tumors and after consulting with the vet it was decided that the trauma of surgery would be too much for him.He lived a number of good, happy months without the tumors bothering him.

If she does need surgery, please ask the vets about cost when they see her as it may well cost less than you think and some vets will be happy to offer a payment plan so you can pay them over a number of months.

Lastly, please don't think she hates you. She's had a difficult life and is likely scared of people but I believe that they can sense who the humans are that love them and I am absolutely certain that you love her very much which she can pick up on.
Thank you so much, I'm so sorry about your hammy. Your story's brought me some comfort though, that if that is a decision I need to make, others have too. She hates me a little less that most people, when she was aggressive at the vets, she calmed down when she was back with me. She's just an odd character, which I'm ok with. Again, thank you xx
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Old 08-11-2020, 02:32 PM   #12
Maker
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Default Re: My hammy has a tumour.

I just want to say what a wonderful hamster carer you are. So many people would have given up on this wee one given her nature but you have accepted her as she is and given her the opportunity to be the happiest hamster she can be, if she could speak I'm sure she would tell you this. I can tell by the way you talk about her you will make the right decision for her, many owners put their pets through endless treatment for their own benefit more so than the animals. Sending you strength and your little hamster lots of love
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Old 08-11-2020, 03:46 PM   #13
Pebbles82
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Default Re: My hammy has a tumour.

How long have you had her again? I am just wondering if she needs time to adjust to her new home and owner. Some hamsters will never be fully tame or handleable - especially if they've had a traumatic past or had a bad experience with rough handling - but you can still form a bond of trust and that is important. She will come to learn that you are gentle. I actually think one of ours might have a nip if I tried to cut his nails!

I had a roborovski hamster who developed a lump or two at 18 months and decided against surgery - mainly because I didn't think he would survive due to the location of the lumps and the amount of his body they covered - it would have been fairly drastic surgery.

He lived another six months and then deteriorated to the point where he had to be pts.

It is a very difficult decision and I hope your vet can help with it. A lump/tumour can be removed. But if it has been there a long time and is cancerous it could have spread. That is the difficult decision. A lump could be benign but become cancerous also.

I hope the vet can advise on the correct course of action, but each decision and situation is individual.
At 18 months old though, for a dwarf hamster, I would think if she is not suffering with it, it may be better to let her live out her life.

I would have liked to have surgery on our robo - if the tumours had not covered such a large area of his body. As it is he lived happily (even dragging his lump around) for another six months.

I have known of two year old syrians who have had surgery and gone on to live another few months. But it is a difficult one - she could live until she is two years old without the tumour bothering her much. Or she could pass under the anaesthetic (although I think this is rare). Hamsters don't deal that well with anaesthetics - a slight whiff is ok but the more times they have it the less well they recover from it.

Whatever you decide will be the right decision, but I would base that on what the vet thinks.

The difficult bit is you haven't had her very long and without surgery she may decline quickly due to her age (18 months is fairly old for a russian dwarf hamster - they rarely live past the age of two usually).

Do let us know what the vet thinks.

Last edited by Pebbles82; 08-11-2020 at 03:52 PM.
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Old 08-11-2020, 03:54 PM   #14
sarahhhh
Newborn Pup
 
Join Date: Dec 2019
Posts: 32
Default Re: My hammy has a tumour.

Quote:
Originally Posted by Maker View Post
I just want to say what a wonderful hamster carer you are. So many people would have given up on this wee one given her nature but you have accepted her as she is and given her the opportunity to be the happiest hamster she can be, if she could speak I'm sure she would tell you this. I can tell by the way you talk about her you will make the right decision for her, many owners put their pets through endless treatment for their own benefit more so than the animals. Sending you strength and your little hamster lots of love
Thank you so much, this actually made me cry as I've been so stressed that I'm not doing enough. I'm really grateful for your kindness <3
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Old 08-11-2020, 07:05 PM   #15
sarahhhh
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Join Date: Dec 2019
Posts: 32
Default Re: My hammy has a tumour.

Quote:
Originally Posted by Serendipity7000 View Post
How long have you had her again? I am just wondering if she needs time to adjust to her new home and owner. Some hamsters will never be fully tame or handleable - especially if they've had a traumatic past or had a bad experience with rough handling - but you can still form a bond of trust and that is important. She will come to learn that you are gentle. I actually think one of ours might have a nip if I tried to cut his nails!

I had a roborovski hamster who developed a lump or two at 18 months and decided against surgery - mainly because I didn't think he would survive due to the location of the lumps and the amount of his body they covered - it would have been fairly drastic surgery.

He lived another six months and then deteriorated to the point where he had to be pts.

It is a very difficult decision and I hope your vet can help with it. A lump/tumour can be removed. But if it has been there a long time and is cancerous it could have spread. That is the difficult decision. A lump could be benign but become cancerous also.

I hope the vet can advise on the correct course of action, but each decision and situation is individual.
At 18 months old though, for a dwarf hamster, I would think if she is not suffering with it, it may be better to let her live out her life.

I would have liked to have surgery on our robo - if the tumours had not covered such a large area of his body. As it is he lived happily (even dragging his lump around) for another six months.

I have known of two year old syrians who have had surgery and gone on to live another few months. But it is a difficult one - she could live until she is two years old without the tumour bothering her much. Or she could pass under the anaesthetic (although I think this is rare). Hamsters don't deal that well with anaesthetics - a slight whiff is ok but the more times they have it the less well they recover from it.

Whatever you decide will be the right decision, but I would base that on what the vet thinks.

The difficult bit is you haven't had her very long and without surgery she may decline quickly due to her age (18 months is fairly old for a russian dwarf hamster - they rarely live past the age of two usually).

Do let us know what the vet thinks.
I'm really sorry about your hammy, it seemed like he lived a full happy life. I adopted my hammies at christmas last year so I've had them for around 8 months. I'd like to believe that she trusts me, she'll take food from my hand and gets excited when I come into my bedroom, it's just as soon as she's taken from her safe space (her cage) she gets extremely uncomfortable.
I've just checked on her and fed her and tbh she's not looking to good. I think I might've not noticed it for too long, it's starting to look like it's her time.
I'm heartbroken in all honesty, it's the first time I've ever had to make this kind of decision in regards to a pet.
Thank you for your kindness, I'll keep you all updated x
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Old 08-12-2020, 09:47 AM   #16
Vierville
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Default Re: My hammy has a tumour.

Please keep us updated. I'm so sorry to hear that she is not looking too good... It could well be her time and if it is, please know that helping her on her way is the kindest thing that you can do. You really sound like you are a very loving and caring owner and I am absolutely sure that you have made the latter part of your little hammy's life make up for the bad start she had. She experienced the unconditional love and care of a kind human and that is something many many hamsters never get.

The most important thing to guide your decision is how is her quality of life. If she is suffering or looks like she's in any pain then it is time.
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Old 08-12-2020, 11:18 AM   #17
sarahhhh
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Default Re: My hammy has a tumour.

Quote:
Originally Posted by Vierville View Post
Please keep us updated. I'm so sorry to hear that she is not looking too good... It could well be her time and if it is, please know that helping her on her way is the kindest thing that you can do. You really sound like you are a very loving and caring owner and I am absolutely sure that you have made the latter part of your little hammy's life make up for the bad start she had. She experienced the unconditional love and care of a kind human and that is something many many hamsters never get.

The most important thing to guide your decision is how is her quality of life. If she is suffering or looks like she's in any pain then it is time.
Thank you so much. She's seeming a little more erratic and she's making her little clicking noises more often. I cleaned her out this morning and she was more scared than usual. I've also found another tumour above the original one so it's seeming like surgery isn't going to be an option.
Thank you so much for your kind words, I feel like a failure because I've missed them for so long. They're just so hard to notice because she's a little chunky and not sociable anyway, I really hope there's some way to make things easier for her. This is her x
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Old 08-12-2020, 01:02 PM   #18
Vierville
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Default Re: My hammy has a tumour.

Oh she's absolutely beautiful.

Please don't feel like a failure because you are not one. It is very diffcult to spot a tumour on a hamster as they are so furry and even holding a hamster it won't always be easy to feel a tumour as they can be very soft and 'squishy' making them hard to detect. Often tumours only first become noticeable when they grow big enough to part the fur and stick out. This happened with my beloved little Admiral Lord Nelson, also a rescue who clicked and squeaked when handled, meaning that I didn't handle him as often as I do my other hams because I knew it traumatised him.

I only noticed the first tumour he had when it parted his fur and stood out. Also, she may not have had the tumour very long. Some hamster tumours grow astonishingly fast, like in a matter of days even. My little Monty had to be put to sleep after we discovered a tumour on her tummy that grew from nothing to the size of a grape in a few days.

I would monitor her behaviour looking out for signs of unusual distress or any discomfort and if you notice anything, I'd say it may be time to take her to the vets to be peacefully helped on her way. It is heartbreaking I know - I'm a grown man in my 30s and I cried both times my hammies passed away so I do know how diffucult a decision like that is but I must say I think you are making the correct decision not to put her through surgery.

You mentioned that cost was a concern...may I ask if you would be in a position to take her to the vets should she need to be put to sleep?

I'll keep you and your sweet little hammy in my thoughts.
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Old 08-12-2020, 01:15 PM   #19
sarahhhh
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Posts: 32
Default Re: My hammy has a tumour.

Quote:
Originally Posted by Vierville View Post
Oh she's absolutely beautiful.

Please don't feel like a failure because you are not one. It is very diffcult to spot a tumour on a hamster as they are so furry and even holding a hamster it won't always be easy to feel a tumour as they can be very soft and 'squishy' making them hard to detect. Often tumours only first become noticeable when they grow big enough to part the fur and stick out. This happened with my beloved little Admiral Lord Nelson, also a rescue who clicked and squeaked when handled, meaning that I didn't handle him as often as I do my other hams because I knew it traumatised him.

I only noticed the first tumour he had when it parted his fur and stood out. Also, she may not have had the tumour very long. Some hamster tumours grow astonishingly fast, like in a matter of days even. My little Monty had to be put to sleep after we discovered a tumour on her tummy that grew from nothing to the size of a grape in a few days.

I would monitor her behaviour looking out for signs of unusual distress or any discomfort and if you notice anything, I'd say it may be time to take her to the vets to be peacefully helped on her way. It is heartbreaking I know - I'm a grown man in my 30s and I cried both times my hammies passed away so I do know how diffucult a decision like that is but I must say I think you are making the correct decision not to put her through surgery.

You mentioned that cost was a concern...may I ask if you would be in a position to take her to the vets should she need to be put to sleep?

I'll keep you and your sweet little hammy in my thoughts.
Hi, thank you for being so kind. I don't blame you for crying, I've done my fair share of crying this week. She seems quite distressed and like she's struggling tbh. She has an appointment on Friday to see the vets and it seems like it might be her time, I'm going to see what the vet suggests but I think thats a possibility.
Luckily my boyfriend is a sweetheart and he's lending me the money to take her and even offered to pay for treatment. Without him I'd really struggle but I'd do anything to ensure my animals got the care they need, I'd even sell pictures of my feet on the internet.
Again, thank you for your kindness and I will post an update on Friday x
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Old 08-13-2020, 12:58 PM   #20
Charlie Dunn
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Join Date: May 2018
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Default Re: My hammy has a tumour.

Dear Sarahhhh I have had tears streaming down my face reading these posts. You are so hard on yourself! You have done an amazing thing adopting your ham and letting her just be. She looks gorgeous and she will know that you are caring for her and love her. Her behaviour will be a product of her former experiences and also how she is feeling now. The decision as to whether to operate or let nature take its course (whilst she has some quality of life) is yours to take in consultation with the vet. We have had to have similar discussions about our 19 month old dwarf ham boo who has a tumour and we have decided to not operate and just keep him has happy and comfortable as we can. That is not to say that is the right decision for another ham in a similar situation. We are closely monitoring him and will see how it goes. Do keep us all posted as to how things go tomorrow and remember to be kind to yourself. X ps Your boyfriend sounds a keeper by the way!
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