My mouse has a lump in its cheek. Is it food or a health concern?

This could be an impacted cheek, an abscess or a tumor. Your vet may want to sedate Neville in order to properly look into the cheek without causing him too much stress. If Neville has an impaction, the vet will remove the food and check the pocket and teeth for injury or reasons for the impaction. If he finds an abscess, which could easily occur when some spiky food causes an injury, he will likely drain and flush it. As for a tumor, he may suggest to remove it or not. That will depend on the type of tumor and the size and also on the age of your hamster.

Thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! That particular type of mouse does not have a cheek pouch - the only mice that do have cheek pouches are deer mice (these are brown, and have a little bit more hair on the tail). This swelling can be a mass, or swelling of the lymph nodes or salivary glands which are located in that region. This can be due to a viral infection, which is very contagious. I recommend separating the mice with swellings from the mice without them as soon as possible to avoid spread of any infectious agents. The sick mice should be seen by a vet, who can prescribe antibiotic medications and supportive treatments depending on the cause. If this is caused by a virus, the affected mice may shed the virus for the rest of their lives and require life-long care and separation. I hope this helps!

I can't really see properly as the pictures are very blurry but it is likely to be his cheek pouch that is protruding outside, you will have to take him to the vet ASAP, the pouch will need to either been sutured back inside or removed surgically.

I would recommend having Peachy examined by a vet. Mice can develop tumors just like humans, and with the small size of their body, it can be some obviously large very quickly. A vet will do an exam and determine if this is the case. If it is, they can discuss treatment options and help you watch out for signs of decreasing quality of life.

Hello there! I'm sorry to hear that Marvin is having some health troubles. The lip and the leg issue are probably unrelated, but depending on the age of your mouse, several things may be going on. If he's a young dude, I strongly suggest checking the length of his teeth, as overgrown teeth can poke into the lip and cause swelling and abscesses. The lump could still be an abscess even if he's older, and especially if he lives with other mice that may have bitten him. It is also possible that the lump is a cancerous tumor. While the location is uncommon, older mice can develop cancers anywhere. The best thing for him is to visit a vet to determine the cause. They will likely palpate the mass, and may take a small sample of cells from within the mass using a very small needle. These cells may then be examined under the microscope, which may help determine what is causing the mass (bacteria, cancer, etc). Treatment will depend on the cause - he may need antibiotics, or the vet may recommend removal of the mass. Limping in mice is usually caused by injury. Take a look at his foot pad to check for redness or lesions, especially if he's housed on a grate or wire mesh as these can cause pododermatitis (a skin infection of the foot). This should also be evaluated by the vet to determine the cause and to get him some pain medication, if needed. Good luck, and I sure do hope that Marvin the mouse recovers!

She may have an infection in a tooth, jaw or mouth. If she will allow, check her cheek pouches for impaction. Hamsters will sometimes hoard food for so long that it will actually begin to rot in the mouth causing inflammation and infection. You can apply gentle pressure to get her to empty her pouches. They may need to be flushed with an antiseptic solution and she may need antibiotics or pain medication. Unfortunately, these medications must be dispensed by a veterinarian. A physical exam will be required in most instances before antibiotics or other prescription medications can be dispensed.

Thanks for your question about Tiny, and thank you for the photos - they are very helpful. Based on the location on the mass, and how fast it has come on, I would be concerned that it could be an infection, or potentially a tumor. I would recommend taking Tiny into a veterinarian. They can perform an examination, and can put a needle into the mass, remove some cells, and put the cells under the microscope for evaluation. Depending on what they find, they may have medications that they can prescribe (for example, antibiotics if it is an infection). Please don’t give any human medications to Tiny, as many of them are harmful to our furry friends. I hope that gives you a place to start, and that Tiny feels better soon.