Moo wants to say thank you to everyone who voted for him
Shortly after that photo was taken I noticed he had a lump on his lower chest area - hidden by fur and hangs down. He seems quite happy in himself and it doesn't seem to hurt him as he rests his paws on it when he sits to eat and doesn't flinch when it's pressed against something. (It hangs low and difficult to spot until he sits on his back legs). He is at least two years old now.
I had a telephone consultation with the vet after sending photos and a description and she thinks it's mammary tumours and has prescribed metacam for him. Without wanting to sound gross - it's like he has grown an extra set of testicles on his chest! The lump (or two) is in a sac of loose skin and quite mobile and hangs down hidden by fur.
Anyway he seems fine in himself apart from one toe that looks a bit swollen and red but the vet doesn't think it needs antibiotics and thinks the metacam will help with that too. I have gradually been snipping his nails recently. One or two at a time - the only way to do it in the end was when he was out of the cage and eating something (ie sitting still) when I could snip the odd one before he got humphy.
It is affecting his mobility a bit in the cage so I shall have to tweak that. I've been putting his food at floor level for a while and the other night his water bottle was missing! It is in a clip on the bars above his house roof. He has pulled it out of the clip before so I had a good look around the house roof area and down the sides and couldn't find it. I had heard quite a bit of banging in his house earlier that evening and thought - surely it can't be in his house! But looked and there it was - he had dragged it all the way into his house! Through the top entrance I assume. I am taking this as a sign he wants the water bottle lower down now so he doesn't have to go on the house roof. So I've just added an extra bottle he can reach from floor level and left the other one where it is (in case he still goes up there).
I had to wear OH glasses on top of mine to see the nails clearly! Had a very interesting conversation with the vet as well about recent studies in facial expressions with rodents that given an indication they are in pain (she doesn't think he is). To add to the signs of noticeing a hamster might be in pain as they hide it so well. I think most of us can tell but the facial expression is "looking drawn" - the muscles of the face contract so their face looks more triangular with slitty eyes. Anyway the metacam is to reduce any inflammation and just in case he's in pain but she said it can also be helpful with tumours to stop them growing so quick.