My hamster has a growth in its ear. What should I do to treat it?

Thanks for reaching out about Nick Fury and including photos. Abscesses and papillomas are common in hamster's ears. If the mass continues to grow or seems to bother him, a veterinary visit is recommended to assess. An abscess can probably be treated with antibiotics, the papilloma might need to be removed, a laser or freezing works well. Good luck.

It has the appearance of an abscess or other infection. She likely needs antibiotics for treatment. These require an exam with your veterinarian before they can be dispensed. In the meantime, keep the area clean and dry. The most you can do is use diluted Betadine or chlorhexidine (Hibiclens) to cleanse the area daily. Monitor for lethargy or loss of appetite.

Thanks for reaching out about Galya. You can clean the abscess are with a warm, moistened cloth or cotton tipped applicator. Topical medications are often ingested and can cause gastrointestinal upset, so not recommended. Try clipping the fur around the open lesion to lessen contamination. Continue with the oral antibiotics if hamster appropriate. Providing heat support in the 75 F range could give some aid, not letting it get too cold. If this veterinarian can't help you, find one who can. Good luck.

It is hard to know just by looking at the pictures. It could be caused by trauma, infection, cyst, or a tumor. You could clean the area with a wound cleaner and see if it resolves. If it is a tumor or cyst it may continue to grow. The only way to know the exact cause is to have a vet do a needle aspirate.

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.

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 Polly. A first though would be skin mites causing her to itch a lot, creating wounds. A veterinary visit is recommended to assess and provide a diagnostic/treatment plan. If it turns out to be mites, all animals need to be treated and the environment cleaned thoroughly. Good luck.