A lump on my hamster...
By bloglog
@bloglog (628)
Singapore
6 responses
@janiceines (799)
• Singapore
20 Apr 09
it's seem to be very common, my hamster has a lump on his neck too.
@Pigglies (9329)
• United States
22 Apr 09
It is also common for abscesses to form at the neck. The swelling/abscessing of the area is so common it has a name "cervical lymphdenitis" (not sure I spelled that correctly).
A lot of people just decide their pets should die of whatever the problem is if they are deemed to be "older", but really a lot of these problems are treatable.
@Latrivia (2878)
• United States
19 Apr 09
Assuming it's still eating, drinking, and exercising normally, it may be a benign tumor. The rate of growth may indicate if it's benign or not. If it's growing fast, it may be a fatal cancer, but if it's growing slowly, it could be harmless. Cancer is quite common in hamsters, so I wouldn't be surprised if that's what it turned out to be. However, it could also just be an abscess. Inspect the lump closely to see if you can find an old wound.
At any rate, if you can afford to see the vet, you should probably do so. However, given that the hamster is already at the end of it's lifespan, if it doesn't look like it's causing the hamster any pain, you could just let it take it's course.
1 person likes this
@owlwings (43897)
• Cambridge, England
19 Apr 09
It's likely that your hamster has a tumour which may be cancerous. If you can afford to take him to a vet, the vet would be able to confirms this and would advise what to do. It is unlikely that there is any cure that would be effective either in terms of extending his life or in terms of cost.
The life span of a hamster is not much more than two years, so your hamster would appear to be old and would be likely to die naturally very soon, anyway. (Sorry, but those are the facts!)
1 person likes this
@Pigglies (9329)
• United States
22 Apr 09
To know for sure you should see a vet as soon as possible.
It is somewhat common for hamsters to get tumors and unfortunately 2 years is somewhat old for them. Although it's not unheard of for them to live to 5 years old, so don't write it off to old age just yet.
They can also get cysts and abscesses which could be drained. Tumors can also be benign and be removed. I would definitely recommend taking that hamster to see a vet to find out what the lump is and get it treated.
