Testicles or growth ?

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Hi all
We got our little Syrian hamster a few weeks ago and this weekend a lump has popped out near his bum. It’s our first hamster so we aren’t sure whether to take him to the vets or if it’s normal?
 

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Hello and welcome to the forum. Congratulations on your first hamster.😊

I have not had a Syrian before but just wanted to welcome you.
 
Hello & welcome to the forum 😊

I’m not entirely sure from the photo tbh but it is common for Syrian’s testicles to pop out like that.
I’m not a Syrian owner either but I’m sure someone who is will be able to confirm soon.
 
Hello and welcome - it's very common for their testicles to pop out and look a bit like a red swollen lump - and sometimes it's only one of them. Often when they are very relaxed or warm. I really can't tell very well from the angle of the photo though. If it's his testicle/s it'll disappear again :) If you have any other photos it could help determine. I think it's most likely his testicles, if he's a young hamster.
 
Grateful for people’s thoughts. I didn’t know that about hamster testicles!
It’s hard to see on the picture but it’s a bit discoloured too.
We ended up taking the little fella to the vets and he said it wasn’t so much the lump that was concerning but the dark patch on it so we have some antibiotics and anti inflammatories for him.
So basically it’s his testicle but something looks wrong :(
Hoping it all heals now
 
Im sorry to hear this but luckily you have been very observant to notice and take him to the vet. Hopefully the medication will kick in soon. Is he eating and drinking okay?
 
That was a wise move. It does sound unusual to have a dark patch on them but hopefully nothing ontoward.
 
Did the vet rule out a testicular torsion? This is when the testicle twists and the blood supply is cut off.

Sometimes a bluish or dark tinge to the testicles can be a sign of a heart or lung condition causing cyanosis but at his presumably young age, that does seem quite unlikely. I would recommend keeping an eye out for any breathing problems, lethargy or weight loss/gain though, just in case.

It's also possible that he just has some natural pigmentation there. I think that would be unusual but possible. If he remains well over the next few weeks and the dark patch stays the same, I'd assume it's normal pigmentation.
 
Daisy said:
Did the vet rule out a testicular torsion? This is when the testicle twists and the blood supply is cut off.

Sometimes a bluish or dark tinge to the testicles can be a sign of a heart or lung condition causing cyanosis but at his presumably young age, that does seem quite unlikely. I would recommend keeping an eye out for any breathing problems, lethargy or weight loss/gain though, just in case.

It's also possible that he just has some natural pigmentation there. I think that would be unusual but possible. If he remains well over the next few weeks and the dark patch stays the same, I'd assume it's normal pigmentation.
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Hi no that was discussed specifically. He moved the lump between his fingers and said he could get his fingers completely around the lump?
He said he seemed in very good condition and no evidence he was in pain as let him examine it.
I’ll post a photo of how it looks now- hopefully it’s a bit of a better photo!
 
If I am seeing that correctly it is quite a large dark area and looks a bit like a sore. Good to hear he is eating and drinking ok and behaving ok. Keep an eye on things. Was the vet an exotic vet?

Did he say it’s actually his testicle or a lump - because normally his testicles wouldn’t be protruding all the time.
 
Maz said:
If I am seeing that correctly it is quite a large dark area and looks a bit like a sore. Good to hear he is eating and drinking ok and behaving ok. Keep an eye on things. Was the vet an exotic vet?

Did he say it’s actually his testicle or a lump - because normally his testicles wouldn’t be protruding all the time.
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Yes it’s been 24 hours on the antibiotics and the redness has decreased but the dark area is larger. I am wondering if it’s scabbing over and healing maybe.
Yes he was an exotic vet. I asked whether it was his testicle and he said something along the lines of - it’s not his testicle it’s the skin of his testicle or something like that!
 
It sounds like the vet knows what he’s talking about then. It does make you think of blood supply being cut off like Daisy mentioned. I guess you could always get another opinion. If it’s infected then antibiotics are the right thing by the sound of it, but if it is out all the time and restricting the blood flow then that won’t have been resolved. Apologies I don’t want to alarm you but if it doesn’t seem much better by tomorrow then it could be an idea to see another exotic vet for a second opinion.

It’s reassuring he checked he could get his finger right round the lump - but it doesn’t look right to me. Did the vet say what could have caused it?
 
Maz said:
It sounds like the vet knows what he’s talking about then. It does make you think of blood supply being cut off like Daisy mentioned. I guess you could always get another opinion. If it’s infected then antibiotics are the right thing by the sound of it, but if it is out all the time and restricting the blood flow then that won’t have been resolved. Apologies I don’t want to alarm you but if it doesn’t seem much better by tomorrow then it could be an idea to see another exotic vet for a second opinion.

It’s reassuring he checked he could get his finger right round the lump - but it doesn’t look right to me. Did the vet say what could have caused it?
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Thanks for your thoughts and advice. I’m checking it regularly so will see how it looks tomorrow.
He suggested it could be an abscess or alternatively it could be a solid lump eg a tumour but given his very young age this would seem less likely. To be sure he said he would need to take a sample and send off for testing but given he seems well and happy could be less invasive to try some medication first of all and hope that it resolves, if no better by weekend to come back.
 
It does look it might be a sore or something similar on the external skin. It does look quite nasty and with black growths there's always the concern of it going necrotic which isn't very nice at all. I think I would agree with Maz to see if another vet if it doesn't look better very soon or continues to grow.
 
He’s lucky to have a caring owner. Is he taking the antibiotics ok? They taste nasty. Some people suck a tiny bit of runny honey into the syringe with the meds to disguise the taste. The anti inflammatory is probably Metacam (aka Loxicom) which tastes nice and they will sometimes lick that from the syringe. If not you can drop it onto a tiny bit of food. Eg a bit of mashed banana or bread - but only a pea sized amount of food. Good doesn’t disguise the taste of baytril (antibiotic) unfortunately - unless it’s something strongly meaty flavoured. Or the runny honey in the syringe.
 
Maz said:
He’s lucky to have a caring owner. Is he taking the antibiotics ok? They taste nasty. Some people suck a tiny bit of runny honey into the syringe with the meds to disguise the taste. The anti inflammatory is probably Metacam (aka Loxicom) which tastes nice and they will sometimes lick that from the syringe. If not you can drop it onto a tiny bit of food. Eg a bit of mashed banana or bread - but only a pea sized amount of food. Good doesn’t disguise the taste of baytril (antibiotic) unfortunately - unless it’s something strongly meaty flavoured. Or the runny honey in the syringe.
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Thank you 😊
The vet said to put the antibiotics into his water so I put less in his bowl than usual (as he always has plenty left that we discard) He drank all but a small amount over the 24 hour period so I feel pretty satisfied he got a good dose of that.
The anti inflammatory he said could give it from the syringe or add to his food so after the stress of the vet trip I let him go back in his nest and added to his dry food and mixed around. Most of that had gone over 24 hours too although obviously he has likely hidden some of that in his nest. (For some reason he seems to particularly like to hide the bits that look like dried sweetcorn kernels?)
I didn’t realise that was quite sweet so think I will try from syringe or mix with banana as you say. Is banana ok to have then? He is my sons hamster (well my son is a child so he’s also mine in reality) and my son gets worried about diabetes as he has read up on diet and not having much fruit etc. would be better to see he has had it all if I offer it in something sweet and tempting.
 
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