Hamster Central - View Single Post - Melanoma on 21 month old Syrian

Penn · 06-09-2021, 10:59 AM

Hello everyone.

I'm sorry for not updating sooner. There's been a lot to process in between rushes of information.

To rewind a little. The Manuka honey & Milk treatment I was using was a recipe/guide I found on Hamster Hideaway which is a forum many reputable breeders use. I used cosmetic/medical-grade honey and sterile tools, so there was no risk of it causing infection. I was safe with him and I was doing it in the hopes the lump WAS a stye, an injury, or a cyst of some kind, and would heal quicker with treatment. I promise I'm not an idiot and I don't take "Home Remedies" lightly.

Following reading advice from you folks here and talking it out with a lot of people, I spoke to the vet with a vague plan of attack. She and I had a long conversation in which she was very gracious about all my fears and reservations.

I asked her what our options were realistically and safely. We agreed that doing a biopsy of the lump would give us the best idea of what it was and how to deal with it.

So, while Orion was under gas and air she drew some cells out of the lump with a needle (it did bleed a little which proved it has a blood supply). We waited for the results.

I got the results back a few days ago - High-Grade Malignant Melanoma.

I had no idea what the high-grade part meant until I googled it after my phone call with the vet - who is lovely.

She explained that it's aggressive, and invasive, and that what we can see on the surface (I.e. the lump near his eye) is likely just the tip of the iceberg. She said even if we'd biopsied it back when I first noticed it, it wouldn't have changed the outcome. She said judging by the lab results, it was likely any surgery would result in it growing back more aggressively.

So, he saw her once more last night. I'd noticed he had two small cuts on his back in between his shoulders - likely from scratching - and that his fur had started to thin quite quickly, which granted, may be due to the heat we've had here the past week or so. She gave me more Loxicom to continue treating him, and I don't think I'll be opting for surgery at this stage. It would be unfair for me to put him through that knowing that what I can see is just the surface.

I feel awful that Orion has probably been dealing with this for a good while, but what can we do when our babies show no symptoms...

So yeah, that's where we're at right now. It's rough knowing that we just have to wait for the decline. But I will not let him suffer, I swear it.

tl;dr. Opted to Biopsy the lump instead of going straight for surgery. Results came back as High-Grade Malignant Melanoma. The vet heavily implied she would not recommend surgery.

06-09-2021, 10:59 AM
Penn Hamster Pup Join Date: Dec 2012 Location: Liverpool, UK Posts: 110	Re: Melanoma on 21 month old Syrian - Surgery? Yes or No? Hello everyone. I'm sorry for not updating sooner. There's been a lot to process in between rushes of information. To rewind a little. The Manuka honey & Milk treatment I was using was a recipe/guide I found on Hamster Hideaway which is a forum many reputable breeders use. I used cosmetic/medical-grade honey and sterile tools, so there was no risk of it causing infection. I was safe with him and I was doing it in the hopes the lump WAS a stye, an injury, or a cyst of some kind, and would heal quicker with treatment. I promise I'm not an idiot and I don't take "Home Remedies" lightly. Following reading advice from you folks here and talking it out with a lot of people, I spoke to the vet with a vague plan of attack. She and I had a long conversation in which she was very gracious about all my fears and reservations. I asked her what our options were realistically and safely. We agreed that doing a biopsy of the lump would give us the best idea of what it was and how to deal with it. So, while Orion was under gas and air she drew some cells out of the lump with a needle (it did bleed a little which proved it has a blood supply). We waited for the results. I got the results back a few days ago - High-Grade Malignant Melanoma. I had no idea what the high-grade part meant until I googled it after my phone call with the vet - who is lovely. She explained that it's aggressive, and invasive, and that what we can see on the surface (I.e. the lump near his eye) is likely just the tip of the iceberg. She said even if we'd biopsied it back when I first noticed it, it wouldn't have changed the outcome. She said judging by the lab results, it was likely any surgery would result in it growing back more aggressively. So, he saw her once more last night. I'd noticed he had two small cuts on his back in between his shoulders - likely from scratching - and that his fur had started to thin quite quickly, which granted, may be due to the heat we've had here the past week or so. She gave me more Loxicom to continue treating him, and I don't think I'll be opting for surgery at this stage. It would be unfair for me to put him through that knowing that what I can see is just the surface. I feel awful that Orion has probably been dealing with this for a good while, but what can we do when our babies show no symptoms... So yeah, that's where we're at right now. It's rough knowing that we just have to wait for the decline. But I will not let him suffer, I swear it. tl;dr. Opted to Biopsy the lump instead of going straight for surgery. Results came back as High-Grade Malignant Melanoma. The vet heavily implied she would not recommend surgery.