Be Kind To Pets, Vet case studies, Photography tips, Travel Stories: 3896. Stefanie. Video creation. A dwarf hamster has a large upper lip lump. Tumour or abscess or both?

See video in Youtube. The following is the script

HOOK

Video footage. Use footage 0:00 to 1.23 approximately as hook.

"But the lump has doubled in size, " the owner consulted me today, 12 Nov 2020. "It had become harder. My hamster finds it hard to breathe normally"

"6 months ago, Dr Daniel had incised the lump," the owner recalled. "Tere was blood but no pus (Get 2 images from Hsu).

"TWO WEEKS AGO, The owner saw some pus from inside the mouth, on the lower part of the swollen left lip. (Get the footage from the ABOVE MENTIONED video - owner was narrating about using the cotton bud tip to clear the pus...)

"But the lump has increased in size," the owner brought the hamster to Toa Payoh Vets for a review. "My hamster has difficulty in breathing."

PAUSE YOUR VOICING OVER. Insert the following:

narrate text of image

A dwarf hamster has difficulty breathing

This is Part 1 of 2 Parts of the case study.`

SINGAPORE SETTING

Singapore is a city state with over 80% of the residents living in high rises. The Covid-19 pandemic caused a complete lockdown from April to June. Nowadays, air travel to most countries is still restricted - making the busy Changi Airport look like a ghost destination. A few plane, mainly transporting cargoes fly from the airport.

Mandatory face mask wearing and other restrictions apply to every one in an attempt to stop the spread of the coronavirus.

BACK TO THE DWARF HAMSTER

Dwarf hamsters are popular pets as they need little space and are good companions to youngsters like students. They are easy to maintain. But lumps and abscesses are common medical conditions.

6 months ago, a big upper lip swelling to the left of the nostrils in this 1-year-old female dwarf hamster was seen by Dr Daniel. He lanced the swelling but no pus leaked out. Red blood oozed out (Stefanie to get images from Hsu).

He sent the hamster home with baytril and pred medication.

"The hamster's lump became softer," the owner told me she had seen some pus leaking from the lower end, from inside the mouth area. "I used a cotton bud tip to clear the pus."

In this case, the size of the left upper lip lump is gigantic. It is around 7 mm x 5 mm and hardened covering at least 80% of the left upper lip and crushing the left nostril. Most likely it is a hardened abscess with or without a capsule.

See the left nostril...Its opening is narrowed...

"Is the hamster eating all his food?" I asked.

"My hamster still ate all her food in the food bowl. We feed twice a day." "How many stool pellets she passes a day?" I asked.

"She passes many stool pellets, but they are half the normal size!"

"Is she able to drink normally?"

"She drinks a lot and pees a lot," the owner answered. "She is having difficulty breathing. That is why I got her here for examination," the mother came to Toa Payoh Vets with her two tall and slim teenagers - a boy and a girl.

TREATMENT

I warded the hamster for treatment to soften the hard lip swelling. My digital photos show AN intense inflammation in the lump as evident by the red colour. There appeared to be yellowish "pus" inside this lump.

I will soften the hard abscess with oral prednisolone and baytril daily for 7 days.

The following are options depending on the hardness of the lip lump.

1. ABSCESS INCISION AND DRAINAGE. If the abscess is soft, lancing and drainage will be done.

2. ENTIRE EXCISION. If it is hard, I don't advise excising 100% of the lump. It will be hard to heal by granulation and will become infected. The hamster will not eat and drink normally and will die from malnutrition and stress.

3. PARTIAL EXCISION. A partial removal of the swelling may be done to relieve pressure on the left nostril . I will use electrosurgery to excise a portion of the swelling nearer to the left nostril. A small wound after removal of 3 mm x 3 mm section may not cause the hamster to lose appetite.