need help, problem with my hamster

[tmurray411]

Hello, I have a hamster that is a little over 3 years old. 2 days ago she developed this round shaped object on her chin. Now my last hamster had this problem and it was an absyss or a buildup of blood in an area. I can try and get a photo of It soon if its required. But anyway is there anything that I can do to get this thing out of my hamsters body, i caught it early so I think there might be something the vet can do. If all else fails is it possible to put the little guy to sleep, i dont want this one to suffer like the last one did. Please help, I dont want this one to pass away..:(

[LilCandi69]

Hello... I had this exact thing happen to my little dwarf hamster... and i took a little chance on this and it COMPLETELY WORKED... i was thurally plzd... anyhow i took a cotton swab (q-tip) and i put pollysporn on the absyss..this will get your hamsters fur alittle sticky but nothing that wont hurt the hamster... if u apply the pollysporn on the hamster once a day or if the absyss is dry every time you hold her... of corse it will end up getting worse before it gets better but.. if it looks like its getting bigger it really is just getting it deep in and is taking the absyss out... after a few dayz to a week the absyss should start falling off.. still keep on puting the polysporn on it tho.. eventually after a few weeks you will get to the skin of the hamster.. at that point your hamster will be healed... my hamster lived an extra 4 monthes because i healed her with the polysporn.. now i know that 4 monthes doesn't seem alot but my hamster died of old age not because the absyss had killed her... i am glad i tried polysporn..

P.S. Polysporn is easily found at any drugstore just ask the workers.. they will have it... for about 3-6$ depending on where u live

[dwankrista]

PLEASE do not do what the above user recommended! you do not know if it is an abcess, tumor, or something else. please, please do not do this. not only is it unsanitary and risking infection but if the problem is something other than an abcess you are not helping. since you caught it early a vet can more than likely help. either way you need to take your little cutie to a vet ASAP for proper diagnosis and treatment. good luck!

[LilCandi69]

then why did it work for me... i did not know it was an absyst and if you wash your hands before and after then swab the hamster it is sanitary... I cought my hamster at a later stage of the absyssed and she lived on... why else could i not do this...

[GillyXBean]

then why did it work for me... i did not know it was an absyst and if you wash your hands before and after then swab the hamster it is sanitary... I cought my hamster at a later stage of the absyssed and she lived on... why else could i not do this...

I think what Dwankrista is saying is that if you are not a vet, you have no way of being certain, and the problem could be any number of things. In your case, you got lucky, but you were doing something that could have hurt the ham rather than helping it.

If you are uncertain of what is wrong with the ham, asking here is good, but this board is NOT a substitute for vet care. There are many problems that may look or sound similiar withour actually being the same thing, and what might treat one ham, could harm another.

[bubblz]

I think everyone knows that there is no substitute for a vet. However I know where I live it's hard to find any small animal vets. Also when my hamster has had problems the majority of the time my vet was stumped too. People come her to get additional advice from others who are often more familiar with the ins and outs of hamsters than their local vet.

[tmurray411]

well I took my hamster to the vet today and she officially has an absyss. Fortunatly I brought her there with plenty of time to spare, and got her some antibiotics for it. It was either that or sedate her and cut it out, which he did not recommend since it could die during the proscess. It is 3 and a half years old now. So I have a couple of questions. Ok the vet told me that this absyss will eventually pop, do I have to give her something so I can kill the infection? and also will this thing pop on its own or do I have to do it? I mean this thing is growing on its throat so will this thing suffocate her if it gets too large? O and thanks for all your help before XD