Cyst?

Question
I have a Syrian hamster. I got him about a month ago and today while I was playing with him I noticed a lump on his side. I touched it, thinking it was hair sticking up because it looked like that for a moment, and he jumped back like he was in pain. Do you know what this could be?

Answer
Hi Casey

It is very difficult to know what this lump is.  Firstly, how far down his body is it?  Hamsters have scent glands on their hips and sometimes these can be quite prominent - is it definitely just one sided?

Is there any possibility that this is food that is stuck in his cheek pouch?  Hamster's cheek pouches extend almost to their waist and sometimes it is easy to mistake a piece of food for a lump.

What does the lump look like?  Is it covered in fur?  Is it red/shiny?  Is there any sign that it contains pus?

Hamsters can get cysts or abscesses - these do need treating by a vet who would need to lance it and clean it out, and possibly give antibiotics.  They can get these after an injury etc that has infected.  If you think it could be this, try to keep the area clean and have a good look to see if there is any pus in it.

Hamsters are very prone to getting tumors, although these are generally associted with old hamsters.  However, there is an illness called Polyomavirus that causes wart like tumors to grow superficially on the skin, usually around the head and upper body.  As these tend to be superficial they can be removed, but they do have a tendency of appearing again.  This is also a very contagious disease and can easily be transfered from one hamster to another, therefore care should always be taken with handling hamsters with this.  I am not aware that this type of lump causes pain as such, however.

I would be tempted to try and examine him as best you can - you might need to get someone to help you as I know that hamsters can wriggle around when you try to have a good look at them.  See what type of lump it is - if it is fur covered, see if the lump is attached to anything or if you can get your fingers all round it.  Gently see if the 'lump' moves.  Also, see if there is any fluid/pus in it - if you gently squeeze it, what happens?  If this is a shiny red mass, then don't squeeze it as it is more than likely a tumor of some sort and sqeezing it will only make it bleed and won't achieve anything.  

If he has injured himself and it has infected it would be worth keeping the area clean - you can use warm salt water to bathe the area, or you can get a cream called 'teatree' cream which is sold in pet shops - this is a natural antiseptic.  If it looks like there is pus in it and it needs cleaning out then it would be recommended to get a vet to look at it.  If this is just a temporary sore area due to an injury, then it might heal on its own.

If this is actually a piece of food (like a small nut, or biscuit) that is in his cheek pouch, if you gently push it you should notice it moving.  Usually hamsters are able to empty their cheek pouches on their own, but if you need to assist do not be tempted to apply any liquid inside the cheek or force any food out of it.  Gently push the 'lump' a bit like gently working toothpaste out of a tube and see if it will move.  The inside of the cheek pouch is very delicate skin and you don't want to injure it.  Usually if you start moving the object, the hamster will very quickly take over and remove it.  If in doubt get a vet to do this.

If this is polyomavirus then this definitely would need a vet to get involved as surgery could be an option.  I had a hamster with this once and he ended up having 3 operations as the lumps kept re-appearing.  He was fine in himself, however, and the lumps were only removed as a precaution to stop them rupturing, especially as one of them was very close to his eye.  He went onto live a full life.  If by any chance you discover it is this, it is worth telling whoever you got him from as this is contagious - if you bought him from a pet shop there is always a chance their other hamsters may have it too so they should be notified.

Hopefully this is nothing as such to worry about and the situation will sort itself out.  It might be a good idea to measure the lump and perhaps photograph it so that you can see if it changes in size/colour etc which may give a better indication as to what it is.

I'm assuming that apart from this he is fine in himself?  Make a note if there are any changes in his behaviour, such as change in eating/drinking/peeing.  If there is any sign of diarrhoea.  If he doesn't want to come out and play or if he looks dull, rather than alert.  If there are other signs, then this could be a clearer indication as to what is wrong.  If he is still his usual self, then whatever this lump is certainly isn't causing him any problems at this point in time (apart from his reaction when you touched it).  Do be careful when you touch the lump - if this is sore, then as you discovered he wasn't happy and you might put yourself in a position whereby you could get bitten, so take care.

If you are in any doubt at all about this then it would definitely be worth consulting a vet so that they can diagnose the problem in case he needs any treatment.

I hope this helps you and he gets on OK.

Regards
Sheila