Dwarf hamster prolapse: Is surgery with anesthesia the best option?

Thanks for reaching out about Hamlet and including a photo. If this is an everted cheek pouch, a veterinary visit is a necessity. He will likely be chewing on it and will become infected. It is understandable that anesthetic is a risk but return and suturing of the pouch is needed. Good luck.

Hello. It is possible to try & reposition the cheek pouch under anesthesia, but unless the conditions that caused it are addressed, it may happen again. Normally, we just recommend amputating the pouch & sewing the edges closed. Cost, unfortunately, is based on who is willing to do the surgery, & general costs in your area. Just start calling around the vets in your area to find who is best to help little Buttercup. But I would not leave it alone as it will become traumatized, eventually necrotic, & this is a sad way to die. Hope you can help her soon. Take care.

I am sorry to hear about Thaddeus. I would unfortunately be concerned he is suffering from a condition called "wet tail" or proliferative ileitis. You can read more about it in this article: http://www.veterinarypartner.com/Content.plx?P=A&S=0&C=0&A=679 Unfortunately it does require veterinary care. Even if you were able to replace the prolapse if that is what your hamster has (I cannot really tell from this photo other than to see the hind end is raw and the fur is soiled/wet), we still have to treat the underlying cause of the prolapse. I would use this site: http://m.humanesociety.org/animals/resources/tips/trouble_affording_veterinary_care.html to research ideas on how to help afford a veterinary bill.

Your hamster, by now, is a very old hamster and practically at the late stage of his life. You need to weigh up how his recovery from the first surgery was and how long it took. It may be more humane to not put him through surgery again and let him live his last months of life as well as possible, There is pain medicine that can be given for a while if you think he is in pain. Finally, once he stops eating and/or you feel he is suffering, you can give him the best gift by euthanasia to stop his suffering. Should you have the tumor removed, it very likely will come back again, and it is also not a given that he makes it through anesthesia. I am sorry about the situation, you are taking good care of your baby and diseases like this always are traumatic to the animal as well as the owner.

Thanks for reaching out about Evangeline. This is an emergency and needs to be seen by a veterinarian as soon as possible. Not only does the prolapse need to be treated but the cause determined. Intestinal infections, parasites, obstructions, urinary problems and more are possible. Try to keep the tissue clean and moist until the veterinary visit. Good luck.

Poor Kiwi. You can try some Vaseline or aquaphor on the area but I am afraid that she needs to be seen by a vet. It looks like the tissue could be becoming necrotic or becoming infection. This can cause serious illness. I would have her seen so that can try to replace the prolapse, treat the cause, and make sure she doesn't need any antibiotics. Unfortunately, there aren't any certain foods to help with this problem. I hope this helps!

This is most likely a tumor, which are common in hamsters. it's usually possible to remove such a tumor surgically but of course the risks of anesthesia in hamsters are quite high. price wise this could range between 300-500$.