Slightly swollen sides - Page 2

Lemon · 09-11-2022, 03:11 PM

Here are 2 pictures of her

She is still acting normal today

It’s a lot easier to see her swelling when she’s curled up in a ball. When she’s stretched out in “long mode” like my family calls it, it’s much harder to see

I was able to get her to stand still by giving her a tiny bit of mushed carrots

I’m not sure if it’s fluidy or just bloating, it kinda just feels soft like her, but her stomach is a little firm I think

Lemon · 09-12-2022, 07:32 AM

POST-VET UPDATE

I have to admit the vet visit made me even more scared than I already am

First of all, icy responded very panicky and afraid of the trip and the appointment

Second, the vet said she didn’t even notice any abdominal swelling, which makes me really scared and frustrated because I’m 100000% sure it’s there.

but she also said that since I spend the most time with icy, I would notice better than anyone if she has a physical change

She said she did, however, notice her stomach was a bit discolored maybe? And she asked if there was any way icy could’ve gotten hurt or bruised

So they told me to just come back if she starts to act sick, and that then they might treat for an infection if they have reason to believe there is one

But now I’m just scared because they didn’t know the problem, and now icy is panicking and still seemed really upset and off even when she got home. As of now she’s back in her sleeping nest, and I hope she’s happy and calm and that the stress didn’t hurt her

Ria P · 09-12-2022, 07:57 AM

The vet visit wouldn't have hurt her. I know how upsetting it is for us when the hamster gets upset but they get over it quicker than we do.
I've been to a vet visit like that where you come out none the wiser after forking out for the bill.
I just put it behind me and asked to see a different vet next time until i found one i felt confident with.
Aside from observing Icicle i'd start weighing her so you could record any changes.
Good thing is that the vet didn't see anything obvious wrong which is kind of reassuring. Did the vet examine Icicle's abdomen and feel for any internal masses or fluid build up?

Lemon · 09-12-2022, 08:05 AM

The vet did feel her abdomen and said that she didn’t feel any mass or firmness

She also said that a tumor would be less likely because her abdomen was the same on both sides

I’ll definitely start weighing icy, and I also forgot to mention that I’ve been told her poop is a little dry, so I should provide a little bit of special supplement food that helps with that

On the bright side, she was very eager to eat some blended carrots from me when she got home (despite her still seeming really nervous). She also didnt show any aggression towards me while she was nervous

Pebbles82 · 09-12-2022, 08:12 AM

Sorry she reacted so badly to the vet visit. So it sounds like just ageing really. They can get a bit of a belly or a bit bloated - with natural ageing processes like organs starting to fail. I wouldn't worry about it too much. It's just the way she is now

Having said that - I've just looked at your photos and she definitely looks enlarged at the back end. Almost as if she was pregnant. But that doesn't sound likely at her age and no other hamsters around.

Is it possible to have a second opinion? Was the vet you saw an exotic vet? I'd suggest that.

Give her a day to get over this vet visit. I have a few tips that can help make vet visits less stressful

. Do you have a kind of cosy hide or snug fleece cube or similar she likes to crawl into and a guinea pig sized carrier?

Pebbles82 · 09-12-2022, 08:17 AM

I'd find another vet in the area, that's an exotic vet, if you can.

AmityvilleHams · 09-12-2022, 09:33 AM

This might be a bit of a far fetched idea, but could it potentially be a phantom pregnancy? Hopefully others can help with even more ideas but that's one thing I can think of. I know it can happen with other small animals including rodents even with females housed on their own.

Ria P · 09-12-2022, 09:55 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by AmityvilleHams

This might be a bit of a far fetched idea, but could it potentially be a phantom pregnancy? Hopefully others can help with even more ideas but that's one thing I can think of. I know it can happen with other small animals including rodents even with females housed on their own.

I've encountered that once with a woman.

Hamsters don't show until quite late into the pregnancy. Does Icicle display any other behaviours like hoarding more food and building a big nest which would also be part of a phantom pregnancy?

Pebbles82 · 09-12-2022, 10:33 AM

At her age it's more likely to be fluid and could be uterus. Female hamsters can get pyometra but I think if she had that she'd be showing signs of illness or infection.

sushi_78 · 09-12-2022, 10:42 AM

They can have pyometra and still appear well (eating, drinking, active and so on). I have come across two hamsters with pyometra and both were well in themselves. It starts insidiously and can go undetected for weeks or maybe even months. Both hamsters had increased drinking and minor vaginal discharge. One had weight gain. A hamster with closed pyometra won't have vaginal discharge but will probably have abdominal swelling.

Is she drinking more than usual?