Hi, I’m Glad you managed to find a good vet!!
Sadly I’m only 18 & have to rely on parents for lifts, so they wouldn’t travel more than 20 minutes because of their busy days & lack of investment in my hamster’s health. One of my parents is a doctor who looks up hamster medication briefly and suddenly thinks they’re a vet, and the best course of treatment is a quarter of an ibuprofen tablet. Lol.
I love the idea you had about using a shallow container, I’ll have to look for one that’s suitable as that’s sure to make him more comfortable. The only problem would be if the vet tries to handle him too roughly, or tries to scruff him/flip him to examine his underbelly, because he would get scared and bite at that point… eek.
All I’m doing right now to check his belly is putting him on my hand in a position that makes him expose his belly for a few seconds at a time, so I can feel it, but he freaks out after more than 20 seconds. I also use the power of mealworms to get him to reach up against the bars of his cage. His belly is more full of flabby bumpiness rather than a single lump. His scent gland looks very bumpy & swollen, but not super red or visibly irritated.
His eye looks the same.
Vet appointment booked for Wednesday btw
