Cancer in HamstersUnfortunately tumours do occur in hamsters. They tend to affect older animals more than young ones and may be benign or malignant.
Tumours (cancers) in hamsters may be present internally or externally. If they are external they will be noticed easily as abnormal lumps. These masses may be soft or hard, may or may not seem to be infected, (bleeding/ discharge/ smelly) and may or may not cause discomfort to the hamster, (discomfort will be apparent if for example the hamster is grooming the area excessively and causing baldness or self inflicted injury, or perhaps the hamster will move abnormally or stop eating.)
Internal tumours are less easily spotted even by the most dedicated owner and will usually only be found once they are large enough to cause the hamster to stop eating or lose condition and become noticeably sick. Your vet may then be able to palpate the tumorous growth especially if it is present somewhere in the abdominal cavity. The most commonly found internal tumours include intestinal polyps and kidney tumours. Lymphosarcoma is also found in hamsters; this is a very aggressive type of cancer.
Unfortunately by the time internal tumours are noticed and subsequently diagnosed it is often too late to treat them and the hamster may be suffering. In this case it may be kindest to consider euthanasia of the hamster to prevent further suffering when there is no effective treatment available. If surgery is an option do be aware that it may not be successful . Due to the small size of these animals making them more susceptible to shock and the difficulty of performing internal surgery there is a high risk associated with surgical and aneasthetic procedures in these pets. Cost may also be something that pet owners have to consider when choosing whether or not to opt for surgery. Discuss all your concerns with your vet who will be happy to help you decide the best course of action. If the hamster seems to be well and thriving despite the presence of an internal growth it is perfectly acceptable to allow the hamster to live out it's natural life-span.
External tumours often have a more favorable outcome than internal ones. It is often possible to remove external tumours under general aneasthetic. It is wise to send a sample of the tumour to the laboratory to find out exactly what kind of growth it was. A better prognosis can then be given regarding the likelihood of the tumour recurring or having spread to other parts of the body. © Samantha Coe. All rights reserved. Further information, news and pet-related healthcare articles are available at vetbase.co.uk
Questions Answered
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Lumps (dog) (01-Feb-07 09:26PM)
Helen asks:
She has a number of lumps, some soft, some hard. One is on her chest. Is there a way of telling whether she has cancer and at 11 is ... view
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Getting another hamster! (na) (12-Sep-07 10:27PM)
Lindsey asks:
I have a full grown adult, female, Blueberry Dwarf Hamster that is not neutered. I was wondering if I could buy another hamster, but a new baby one (of the same ... view
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Growth on Right Hind Leg (Behind Joint) (na) (09-Feb-07 01:19PM)
Carl asks:
I have recently discovered a growth on the rear of the cats hind leg (right side). I noticed this when I witnessed the cat kept shaking his back leg (as if ... view
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Hair loss (hamster) (19-Jan-07 11:12PM)
Philip asks:
My hamster's fur seems to be falling out Do I need to see a vet with her? ... view
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Dog with a lump (na) (12-Feb-07 05:30PM)
Matilda asks:
My dog who is a female aged about 8/9 has a lump on her side towards her back leg. The lump is hard and pointed, and feels quite hot. ... view
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Dragging back legs (hamster) (24-Mar-07 12:34PM)
Christine asks:
My hamster is 15 months old and was hardly able to walk for last day or two, dragging back legs, didn't appear injured. Was breathing rapidly, didn't eat, slept anywhere slumped ... view
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Urinary (na) (05-Feb-07 07:29PM)
Allison asks:
My 4 month old border collie seems to have a weak bladder (leaking small amounts of urine when she has been outside) ... view
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All the dog's limbs (na) (09-Feb-07 08:57PM)
Janice asks:
I have a large 8 month old dog, a cross breed newfoundland sheep dog, welsh mountain, who is having problems with his legs. The back one, trouble standing, keeps having to ... view
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My cat has a lump in his mouth (cat) (03-Mar-07 06:53PM)
Kirsty asks:
My cat has a black lump in his mouth, it is on the right hand side just underneath where his top tooth sits. He is not off his food and it ... view
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Pets for kids (bird) (22-Jan-07 11:08PM)
Amanda asks:
I am wondering what kind of animal you would recommend for a childs first pet My daughter is 6 and she is desperate for a pet but I never kept animals ... view
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not eating (dog) (06-Mar-07 10:20AM)
Mark asks:
Sasha is 12 years old, she has gone very quiet, not getting up to greet me when I come home, has gone off food, drooling a little. Checked mouth; cannot see ... view
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Dog's Health (dog) (01-Nov-07 04:17PM)
William asks:
My dog is around 11 years old, possibly older (we received her as she was taken from a bad owner seven years ago) and is a Yorkshire Terrier. She has began ... view
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Lump on my dog's head (dog) (24-Jan-07 01:24PM)
 Tom asks:
My dog has had a lump on his head for about 3 months now and I am a bit worried about it because it seems to be bleeding from time to ... view
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Sick hamster (hamster) (17-Apr-07 12:45AM)
Gail asks:
Martin is 20 mos. old. Overnight he seems to begin a rapid breathing, not eating much, back legs seem weak, not drinking much only when made. Temp in room got very ... view
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Bleeding from the nose in lungworm (dog) (08-Feb-07 04:15PM)
Coleen asks:
My friend's dog has been bleeding from the nose & the vet has treated him for lungworm. Could you tell me what this is? ... view
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Wobbly and fast breathing (hamster) (03-Apr-07 06:26PM)
Katherine asks:
Today, I noticed my 2-year-old hamster, Ally, wobbly, rocking back and forth, and breathing fast. Even when she's sleeping, she's breathing fast. She is eating and drinking well, nothing ... view
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puppy habit (dog) (12-Sep-07 05:23AM)
Lynn asks:
We have 10 day old puppies and they have been sucking each others private parts, is this normal? The females are getting swollen also the mother has no milk, the puppies ... view
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Sleepy little hamster (na) (01-Oct-07 08:00PM)
Jess asks:
My new hamster is 6-7 weeks old. I got her from a shop on Friday and she is sleeping more than I think is normal. I know they are nocturnal, but ... view
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colitis (dog) (31-May-07 06:40PM)
Ruth asks:
Is it acceptable to give milk products like yogurt and cheese for dog with occasional colitis or would it cause a bout of colitis ? I would discontinue when colitis ... view
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colitis (dog) (29-May-07 02:42PM)
Ruth asks:
8 year old Basset, very healthy except for occasional stomach upsets and 2 bouts with colitis. I wondered if giving her yogurt was helpful to add bacteria to her intestinal ... view
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Your Questions Answered
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Injured Wild Owl 30-Nov-07
Kelly asks:
I found an owl this morning, very small but adult. It flew into a power line. It's still alive. ... view
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swollen hind leg 20-Nov-07
 Zshai asks:
I have a 6-day-old bunny who has a swollen hind leg. I saw her mama step on her but ... view
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Sick syrian hamster 08-Nov-07
Sara asks:
Hi. My syrian hamster is 2 and half yrs. old. The last 24 hrs I have noticed a big ... view
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lack of sleep 07-Nov-07
Bill asks:
We have a 14 month old Yorkshire terrier, which goes to bed at around 6.30pm, because I have MS ... view
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wet tail 06-Nov-07
Evelyn asks:
Can a young hamster be successfully treated for wet tail and what would it roughly cost? ... view
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Alfie 06-Nov-07
Elaine asks:
Hi Sam
Thank you. Alfie has no feeding time he just has food in his bowl when he wants it ... view
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Guarding problem 05-Nov-07
 Elaine asks:
Alfie is a terrible guarder and will take your hand off if you try and retrieve an object he ... view
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White Gums and Dark Stool 02-Nov-07
Leslie asks:
My 8 week old American Bulldog has really white gums, around the eyes is also white. She has dark ... view
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Dog's Health 01-Nov-07
William asks:
My dog is around 11 years old, possibly older (we received her as she was taken from a bad ... view
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behaviour 31-Oct-07
Debby asks:
Hi Max is very lively of course but he seems to get very excited and bites the children, not ... view
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Blood in dog's stools 31-Oct-07
Lee asks:
Hi. We recently got a 3 year old Labrador from a friend. From what we can see she has ... view
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upset stomach 30-Oct-07
kat asks:
About three days ago my dog started acting like she was sick; diarrhoea and vomiting along with excessive sneezing ... view
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Blood in Poo 28-Oct-07
Mandy asks:
Treacle is now 9 wks old and had her first vaccination two days ago. I have noticed that at ... view
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neutering 27-Oct-07
 ashen1956 asks:
3 days ago Molly-Mae gave birth to 5 kittens. How long should I wait before having her neutered and ... view
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Ordering Insulin Online 26-Oct-07
Purdie asks:
Purdie is diabetic and I'm keen to find a way of reducing the cost of the treatment. Currently ... view
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Fleas and skin problem 26-Oct-07
Joanne asks:
I have two cats, a neutered tom and his sister. They are 6 and a half yrs. old. They ... view
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My cat has a hole in its stomach! 23-Oct-07
Sarah asks:
My cat has a hole the size of a dime in its stomach. He doesn't seem to be ... view
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labrador vomiting bile and nearly passing out 22-Oct-07
Paul asks:
Hi there - our five year old male labrador is generally in very good health - excellent appetite, plenty ... view
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Guinea pig fits 22-Oct-07
Renate asks:
My guinea pig is acting strange. I've only had him around a week and he's running as if spooked ... view
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feeding 22-Oct-07
Terry asks:
Is it safe to feed my GSD raw chicken wings, he is 16 months old and is 37 kg? ... view
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