my hamster has started to grow a tail

Question
Hi, My dwarf hamster is nearly two and a half years old which i have been told i a good age for a dwarf hamster, although he is still pretty active and runs in his wheel for hours he has started t look pretty old, the problem is in the last week he has started to grow what looks like a tail and it seems to be affecting him when he walks, is he ok or should i take him to the vet's apart from this he still seems pretty healthy , regards Jim ......

Answer
It sounds like he has a growth on him. You can take him to the vet but because of his age I doubt there is anything that they can do. It sounds like it may be a tumor of some sort. It could be cancerous or benign.
Your hamster is really old though. Dwarf hamsters are only expected to live 1-2 years. You've kept him for a while which is very good but it sounds like he's getting up in age and the vet may not have anything for him because surgery might be too risky for such an old hamster.
I wish my dwarf hamster was pretty active. He's only active when he sees food and treats and he's only a year old :-).