My dwarf hamster has a white mass in its ear. What could it be?

Thanks for reaching out. Ear abscesses and ear tumors are fairly common in hamsters. You can try to gently clean with warm water and a cotton tipped applicator, but don't rub too hard as these tumors can bleed a fair amount. If the scab comes out easy and it appears as pus, a veterinary visit is needed to prescribe otic and systemic antibiotics. If it seems like a mass (i.e. tumor), a veterinary visit is needed for this treatment. Good luck.

Thanks for reaching out about Lune. Hair loss is probably due to scratching. The redness inside the ear could be due to infection, inflammation, mites or tumors in the ear. Unfortunately, a veterinary visit is needed for a diagnosis and then to prescribe a treatment. Care must be taken not to apply any topical medications as self grooming is common, and ingestion of medications can be critical. Try to look inside the ear to visualize any lesions. Good luck.

Thanks for reaching out about your guinea pig. Common ear masses are abscesses (infections) and benign wart-like growths. Due to the nature of guinea pig pus and its thickness, both these conditions probably will require some surgical intervention. Seeking a veterinarian and having the mass lances with a surgical blade will help diagnose the problem but also possible remove it. Good luck.

Thanks for reaching out about Stevie. A red ear can be caused by an irritation, an infection, ear mites, ear polyps and possible cancer. Gently cleaning with a warm wet washcloth or cotton tipped applicator could help to determine a cause. If it appears painful or signs of infection, an exotic animal veterinarian needs to be seen to determine a treatment. Good luck.

It may be an abscess or mass. A visit to your veterinarian would be recommended. A fine needle aspirate can be done in the clinic to collect samples for pathology. If it is an abscess, it may be drained and antibiotics dispensed. If it a mass, benign or malignant, you can discuss treatment options with your veterinarian.

Thanks for reaching out about Bean. The concern would be the mass on the ear was a scab over a cancerous mass. The scab fell off and appeared improved. Now has increased in size. A veterinary visit is recommended to inspect the ear and investing the difficulty walking. Good luck.

I am sorry to hear about Rex! I would be concerned about possible skin mites causing these changes, or a vasculitis of the ears. I would recommend bringing him in to a vet who sees pocket pets for an examination. They may try to do a skin scrape or treat him prophylactically for mites.