Case 1.
A roborovski can't walk properly.
Case 2. A roborovski carries 10% of his weight on his shoulder Dr Sing Kong Yuen, BVMS (Glasgow), MRCVS
Date:
23 November, 2013
Tumours grow and grow,
till the roborovski
can't walk properly.
"Why didn't you get
the tumour removed
when they were much
smaller?" I asked this
bank analyst. "The
trend is for the
tumour to grow larger.
Just like in a banking
situation. If you
analyse the economic
situation incorrectly
for your client, he
may have gone
bankrupt!"
"Actually I have
brought my hamster to
consult a vet much
earlier," she said.
"But he says they are
fatty tumours and to
leave them alone! Now
she can't walk
normally."
It is much safer
and cheaper to excise
dwarf hamster tumours
when they are very
small but many
Singapore hamster
owners wait till the
hamster can't function
normally before they
decide to risk
the anaesthesia.
Dr Daniel wanted to
excise both tumours at
the same time. The
hamster survived and
went home 2 hours
later to a happy owner
who actually wanted to
wait or watch the
surgery.
Case 2. A roborovski carries
10% of his weight on his
shoulder
The young lady has this common perception that any dwarf
hamster going under
anaesthesia will surely die
and so had not wanted the
shoulder tumour to be
removed by any vet.
The tumour on the right
shoulder skin grew bigger
and bigger during the past 3
months. She researched the
internet and consulted me to
get the surgery done for her
2-year-old male roborovski.
HIGH RISKS. At this
old age of 2 years, a state
of lethargy and weight loss
and carrying an inflamed
infected shoulder burden
weighing 3 gm, the risk of
dying during anaesthesia is
very high.
Zoletil 50 of one drop
(0.01ml) IM was insufficient
but not deadly. Isoflurane
5% + O2 gas was given around
3 seconds once when needed.
The tumour was
electro-excised, the skin
undermined to relieve
tension and 5/0 Monosyn of 4
stitches closed the skin. On
the previous day, I gave
this hamster a drop of oral
prednisolone and
trimethoprim before the
surgery. The hamster went
home to a happy young lady.
Not every hamster under such
high risk survive operations
as they are not fit for
anaesthesia. However, this
case had a good surgical and
anaesthetic outcome. The
dwarf hamster was much
active and went home the
next day.
Hamster owners may need to
seek a vet who will operate
on their hamster tumours.
Much smaller ones are easily
removed and much less risky
and expensive.
TOA
PAYOH VETS
