E-mail to Dr Sing dated May
7, 2010
Hi doctor sing,
I'm the owner of the hamster
who developed the tumour
(armpit) who just
 pass
away today. I just want to
say thank Q to u. At least
now my hamster passed away
without the tumour.
Actually i thought of
collecting her home today,
but after i receive a call
saying she had passed away i
really feel so sad. I think
if i bring her earlier to
surgery she might survive. I
really feel bad. Any way i
just get a new hamster
today. : ) take care doctor
sing.
Best regards
Name of owner : ) |
VISIT TO MARINA BAY SANDS
 As
I was off on Saturday, May 8,
2010, I went to Marine Bay Sands
Singapore Integrated Resort to
visit the place for the first time
and to see the owner of the
hamster that had passed away after
surgery. She was working in a
retail shop at the beautiful
Marine Bay Sands Integrated
Resorts.
I was going to tell her not to buy
sibling hamsters as both of hers
had similar tumours (see pictures
in this webpage). She was happy to
see me but she had bought a
hamster. So I did not say
anything.
The hamster's sibling had
recurrence of chest tumour of a
similar appearance and died on the
operating table on the 3rd
anaesthesia and surgery some 2
months ago.
This hamster was not eating and
was in weak condition when the
young lady owner brought her in to
get the tumour excised. I told her
firmly that the risks were very
high as she had waited too long,
weakening the hamster's immune
system.
The hamster was warded for 2 days
prior to operation so that she
could regain her appetite. She did
not eat. She was given hand
feeding, antibiotics and
electrolytes for one day. I needed
to operate since time was of the
essence and she was getting weaker
(closed eyelids, lethargic, few
pellets of stools passed).
I put the dwarf hamster in a
plastic container and passed
isoflurane gas for a few seconds.
She slept and I quickly excised
the massive armpit tumour. She did
survive the anaesthesia and was
alive at the end of the surgery
but I told Vet Intern Theresa that
the chances of survival
post-operation are very slim.
I phoned the owner to take her
back for nursing after surgery.
But she asked me to care for it a
few days. Her hamster passed away
peacefully the next day.
She was a very high risk surgical
case. She would die soon if she
was not operated as she had
problems drinking and eating.
However, surgery would give her a
chance to live longer. In this
case, the post-surgical outcome
was not good. Surgery gave her a
chance. No surgery meant imminent
death. So there was no choice but
to operate with the owner's
awareness of the great risk. She
understood the risk but was glad
that the hamster passed away
without a large armpit tumour.
P.S
Tumours in older hamsters don't
disappear. When they are less than
3 mm in size, get your vet to
excise them. Chances of survival
are usually very good in my
experience. Don't buy 2
sibling hamsters as some tumours
run in families as in this case. A
retrospective study of the
sibling's case is presented
below:
In the sibling, the tumour recurs
one month later. This was a
malignant tumour. The hamster did
not survive on the operating
table. The owner was very sad.
Then in May 2010, the sibling had
the large armpit tumour. This is
the case mentioned at the
beginning of this report. This
report is written to educate
hamster owners that tumours in
older hamsters cannot be wished
away and that early removal saves
the hamster's life.
 Be
Kind To Hamsters
Get your vet to excise tumours
when they are 3 mm in size or
smaller.
More interesting case studies at:
Hamsters |
TOA
PAYOH VETS
