Hamster Central - View Single Post - Red sore / lump on my female Syrian's bum. Need advice!

jessandflo · 03-01-2022, 04:21 AM

Just thought I'd give an update for anybody who comes across this post!

Took Queen Flo to the vets today and she was good as gold (as per). She's absolutely fine in herself and is acting as normal / isn't in pain.

The vet checked her out and believes that the lump is a tumor that has become ulcerated (not sure whether it's cancerous or not). The ulceration is because the blood from the tumor has come to the surface. The ulcer is close to where she wees but not directly on her urethra, so it won't affect her water works for now.

The vet teased the scab off for today, but reckons that the ulcer will keep scabbing up, followed by the scab falling off. However she doesn't believe it will fully heal. She offered me 3 options: 1. To leave her as is and keep caring for her / keeping her environment extremely clean. 2. To administer anti-inflammatory and pain medication, or 3. To do surgery. She explained that she could do the surgery but with her age and being so tiny it is always with risk. She was also concerned that it could mess up her water works, but could be possible to do successfully.

I decided to go with the anti inflammatory and pain relief in attempt to clear up the wound. She prescribed 0.1ml of Metacam and 0.02ml of Sulfatrim to be given once a day, for about 10 days. I gave Flo her meds as soon as we got home and she took them like a little trooper, followed by some broccoli leaves.

The vet asked for me to keep an eye on her, and said that she would like to see her again in about 14 days to assess the situation, and see whether the meds have made a difference.

She thinks that the tumor will keep growing, and in time it could potentially start affecting her bladder area. But that's a different conversation to be had completely.

I still feel very tense about the situation as it is day-by-day, and it's possible that this tumor could be Flo's fate. But I'm holding on to hope that the meds may help in shrinking the ulcer, and from there we can control it. If it got to the point where the tumor grows bigger and little Flo is struggling to walk or go to the toilet, I think the best option would be to put her to sleep rather than risk the surgery. But ONLY if her quality of life declines.

The vet visit and meds cost me £74.63 which is about what I expected - she's worth every penny. She is already very spoiled but I'm going to take extra care by giving her a bigger range of fresh foods and things that she will enjoy. I have taken all things rigid / sharp out of her 4ft tank to prevent the scab from being ripped off prematurely, and I'll start filling her tank solely with carefresh bedding so she's always cushioned, and comfortable.

Thanks so much for reading, and if your hamster has a similar problem to this then please go to the vets immediately! Little animals' lives are just as important as human lives. I'll keep updating this post as she goes on this journey

Jess

03-01-2022, 04:21 AM
jessandflo Newborn Pup Join Date: Jul 2020 Location: North of England Posts: 16	Re: Red sore / lump on my female Syrian's bum. Need advice! Just thought I'd give an update for anybody who comes across this post! Took Queen Flo to the vets today and she was good as gold (as per). She's absolutely fine in herself and is acting as normal / isn't in pain. The vet checked her out and believes that the lump is a tumor that has become ulcerated (not sure whether it's cancerous or not). The ulceration is because the blood from the tumor has come to the surface. The ulcer is close to where she wees but not directly on her urethra, so it won't affect her water works for now. The vet teased the scab off for today, but reckons that the ulcer will keep scabbing up, followed by the scab falling off. However she doesn't believe it will fully heal. She offered me 3 options: 1. To leave her as is and keep caring for her / keeping her environment extremely clean. 2. To administer anti-inflammatory and pain medication, or 3. To do surgery. She explained that she could do the surgery but with her age and being so tiny it is always with risk. She was also concerned that it could mess up her water works, but could be possible to do successfully. I decided to go with the anti inflammatory and pain relief in attempt to clear up the wound. She prescribed 0.1ml of Metacam and 0.02ml of Sulfatrim to be given once a day, for about 10 days. I gave Flo her meds as soon as we got home and she took them like a little trooper, followed by some broccoli leaves. The vet asked for me to keep an eye on her, and said that she would like to see her again in about 14 days to assess the situation, and see whether the meds have made a difference. She thinks that the tumor will keep growing, and in time it could potentially start affecting her bladder area. But that's a different conversation to be had completely. I still feel very tense about the situation as it is day-by-day, and it's possible that this tumor could be Flo's fate. But I'm holding on to hope that the meds may help in shrinking the ulcer, and from there we can control it. If it got to the point where the tumor grows bigger and little Flo is struggling to walk or go to the toilet, I think the best option would be to put her to sleep rather than risk the surgery. But ONLY if her quality of life declines. The vet visit and meds cost me £74.63 which is about what I expected - she's worth every penny. She is already very spoiled but I'm going to take extra care by giving her a bigger range of fresh foods and things that she will enjoy. I have taken all things rigid / sharp out of her 4ft tank to prevent the scab from being ripped off prematurely, and I'll start filling her tank solely with carefresh bedding so she's always cushioned, and comfortable. Thanks so much for reading, and if your hamster has a similar problem to this then please go to the vets immediately! Little animals' lives are just as important as human lives. I'll keep updating this post as she goes on this journey Jess Last edited by jessandflo; 03-01-2022 at 04:31 AM.