4121. OCT 2022 CASE STUDY. A dwarf hamster is emaciated and has a smelly gangrenous everted cheek pouch. What to do?

AN EMACIATED DWARF HAMSTER HAS A GANGRENOUS MASS DANGLING FROM HER MOUTH - VETERINARY STORY by Dr Sing Kong Yuen, BVMS (Glasgow).

 

Thur 13 Oct 2022. Dwarf hamster, F, 1.5 years old. Emaciated, 33g body weight

The young lady was quoted $3000 for treatment of the black smelly gangrenous everted cheek pouch by Vet 1, so she phoned up several vet clinics. "Some don't perform hamster surgeries, others have a long waiting list", she said to me. "Finally I googled the web and found that Toa Payoh Vets had a video of everted cheek pouch surgery on hamsters."

"How long had the pouch been everted?" I asked.
"I saw it 1 day ago."
"The everted cheek pouch does not become black in just 1 day," I said. "Neither do dwarf hamsters become emaciated. A normal hamster weighs 40 - 50 g, but this weights 33 g!"

 

 

 

 

 15 OCT 2022: CASE STUDY

EVERTED CHEEK POUCH of the dwarf hamster had become black gangrenous and smelly over some weeks. Hamster is emaciated at 33g as the lower teeth had embedded in the pouch.

Hamster is active and eating after electro-excision of the pouch and trimming the teeth under gaseous anaesthesia. It was a high risk anaesthesia (video) as the hamster was motionless towards the end of surgery. But the hamster recovered fast from anaesthesia.

This emaciated hamster should weigh 45-50 g if normal. He is a tough cookie as gangrene and not able to eat and drink properly and painlessly should have killed him! SEEK A HAMSTER VET EARLY!

This owner told me she was quoted $3000 vet fees from another vet for the treatment of her hamster.

#evertedcheekpouch #dwarfhamster #singkongyuen #toapayohvets #singapore #shutterstock.com/g/toapayohvets

UPDATES AT:
https://2010vets.blogspot.com/2022/10/4121-dwarf-hamster-is-emaciated-and-has.html

 

 

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 INSTAGRAM STORY

 

15 OCT 2022: CASE STUDY

The EVERTED CHEEK POUCH of the female, 1.5-year-old dwarf hamster had become black gangrenous and smelly over some weeks. She was emaciated at 33g when normal bodyweights are from 45 – 55g. What to do?

“She is active and eating very well” reported the owner 3 days after my electro-excision of the pouch and trimming the teeth under gaseous anaesthesia. It was a very high risk anaesthesia as the hamster was motionless momentarily towards the end of surgery (see video). But she breathed and recovered fast when I thought she had passed away.

This emaciated hamster is a tough cookie as gangrene, not able to eat and drink properly and daily pain in the mouth due to the cheek pouch being embedded by the lower overgrown teeth and the curling upwards and inwards of the overgrown upper teeth should have caused her to die from malnutrition and sepsis.


This owner told me she was quoted $3000 vet fees from one vet for the treatment of her hamster. Other vets were not free or do not do hamster anaesthesia and surgery. She googled “everted cheek pouch” and found Toa Payoh Vets had treated some cases. Hence she WhatsApp me.

This was a happy outcome for the owner and for the vet. But it is better for many vets not to undertake such high risk anaesthetic cases as owners do not forget when anaesthetic death occurs.

SEEK A HAMSTER VET EARLY!

#evertedcheekpouch #dwarfhamster #singkongyuen #toapayohvets #singapore #shutterstock.com/g/toapayohvets

UPDATES AT:
https://2010vets.blogspot.com/2022/10/4121-dwarf-hamster-is-emaciated-and-has.html

 

 

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VIDEO SCRIPT ACCORDING TO SUGGESTIONS BELOW

 

HOOK. Owner's two videos to Dr Sing Kong Yuen on 12 Oct 2022 shows a big black
mass dangling from the left side of the hamster's mouth.
 

First video from owner WhatsApp to Dr Sing Kong Yuen. Not clear although

I can see the black everted cheek pouch.

 

2nd video was clearer. Everted cheek pouch normally should be pink

but this hamster has a gangrenous rotting black cheek pouch hanging out for some weeks

 

 

 

 

WHAT TO DO?
Dangling left cheek pouch for many weeks
Vet 1 quoted $3000 for treatment - Phoned other vets
Some vets too busy, some not treating hamsters
Internet search - "everted cheek pouch"

 

 

 

HOW TO DO SURGERY - Electricity to cut away the gangrenous cheek pouch. 

This procedure is called electrosurgery.

 

 

RISKY ANAESTHESIA - "Died" at end or anaesthesia (see video). Hamster is
emaciated, malnourished and in great pain - not fit for anaesthesia but there
is no choice as death will result soon.

HAPPY OUTCOME

Owner's video on 16 Oct 2022.

 

 

 

ADVICE

NO DELAYS IN SEEKING VETERINARY TREATMENT
$3000 FEE BY VET 1
INTERNET SEARCH FOR HAMSTER VETS - "everted cheek pouch".

 

 

 

 

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ORIGINAL VIDEOS at Toa Payoh Vets. 13 and 14 Oct 2022

Video 1/4. Consultation at Toa Payoh Vets

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vlq8OX0QlHM


Video 2/4. Consultation and physical examination.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vmbqo2FwuUg

Video 3/4. Cheek pouch has been excised. Overgrown teeth have been trimmed.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3Vp3y5qj-OQ


Video 4/4. Day 2 of inpatient. Fully recovered and active. Goes home.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ejMClppQQs0

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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FOUR VIDEOS DOCUMENT THIS CASE

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Video 1/4. Consultation

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vlq8OX0QlHM


Video 2/4. Consultation and physical examination.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vmbqo2FwuUg

Video 3/4. Cheek pouch has been excised. Overgrown teeth has been trimmed.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3Vp3y5qj-OQ


Video 4/4. Day 2 of inpatient. Fully recovered and active.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ejMClppQQs0