Hamster Abscess
Signs and Symptoms
Swelling beneath the skin that appears raised and red. These abscesses can be soft to the touch or hard if the abscess is long-lasting. On occasion there can be discharge that will make the hamster’s coat wet or matted. An abscess right beneath the skin is easy to see but internal abscesses are difficult to detect. Related illnesses caused by a hamster abscess can include anorexia, respiratory problems, or painful abdominal problems.
What are the Causes
The most common cause of a hamster abscess is due to a bacterial infection that enters the body of a hamster through a scratch, scrape or open wound but it could also be caused by parasites or a foreign substance that makes its way into the body. An abscess on the face is often cause by some sort of hamster teeth problem like tooth decay. The bacteria that is most often the culprit of a growth of an abscess is Staphylococcus aureus, Pasteurella pneumotropica and Streptococcus species.
How to Treat It
The way to treat a ill hamster with an abscess is to have it lanced off by a veterinarian or medical professional or to treat it with a salt water solution or disinfectant. Some hamster owners make a thyme tea to help rinse and treat these. Antibiotics may be needed to treat multiple or particularly large abscesses. Tooth related abscesses need to be treated by a vet and often requires the infected or rotten tooth to be removed.
Reviewed By: Tim Winter
Tim Winter has a strong affection for pets and wildlife. His years of experience caring for various types of pets has led him to share his knowledge with others on the best practices in pet care. Tim holds a Bachelor of Science from the University of Oregon School of Journalism and Communications.
Hello. So I found an abscess on my winter white dwarf hamsters cheek, and it’s about the size of a pea. She is currently 2 years old. I was wondering if there is anything to heal or cure it at home. Taking my hamster to the vet is not an option. Please respond, and thank you!
Hi… I need help. My Campbell Syrian hamster has some kind of tissue lump on the side of his mouth. It’s not under the skin and it looks like a worm curled on itself. I just noticed it… And I don’t know for how long it’s been there… I don’t even know if it’s an abscess or something else… plz respond!!
My hamster has a burst abscess and my parents refuse to take him to the vet. What can I do for him? He doesn’t seem to be eating, although his overall condition is much better than it was yesterday, when the abscess was not burst.
My syrian hamster has a small purple lump on the side of his left leg im not sure what it is but i am hoping to get some help here and his lump is also attached onto his skin
Hi, my hamster is looking exactly like photo and i think have a healty problem. I didnt see him to eat or play in last week . He look really weak . I was thinking because he is old (2 years) . What i can do to help him ? Will be the vet expensive? Thanks
So i have a Syrian hamster and his arm is swollen and its super fat and im not sure what to do. Hes in so much pain and he walks with his arm in a position where he cant walk. i dont wanna pay 300$ for him but all i want is him safe. ive put vasaline and hydrogen peroxide and i dont know if anything is happening. Please let me know what i need to do. I want him to be ok..
My hamster has a lump underneath it’s ear and puss is starting to come out his ear how can I clean and treat this
I have a female dwarf hamster and yesterday morning we noticed she had a little lump right around the back of her cheek towards the body. It grew in size like crazy overnight and it felt scabby. I’m an esthetician so I’m ok with lansing and gently squeezing stuff out of human skin so this morning I thought I’d do the same so I could investigate what was up with that lump. I prepared the area…got some cotton swabs, warm water, hydrogen peroxide. Took her and gently swiped at the area to clean with the warm water on a cotton swab. I didn’t even have to lance it. Immediately it just started oozing chunks of pus. I very gently squeezed out and drained all the pus I was able to get out. There was so much that by the time I got most of it out there was a big hole (like the size of a split pea) in the area the pus was being held. A bit of blood. I took another cotton swab and soaked it in peroxide and gently cleaned out the area. She did NOT like this and bit me! After I recovered from the shock of the bite, I did it again and then put some neosporin in the hole. I will monitor her to see how her wound recovers but I believe a vet would have done the same thing. The only thing I didn’t do was give her some antibiotics which a vet would probably have her on at this point. I don’t know of any hamster vet so I’m going to continue dabbing the area with peroxide 3-4 times a day. I am hoping she will be well soon! I hope this helps but I don’t recommend doing the above if you’re a kid or you don’t know what you’re doing. I only did this because I’m used to doing the same on humans. If you know of a hamster vet, I would suggest you take it to them.
How did it heal. Im going to attempt the same this evening on my baby ?
So I have two dwarf hampsters and I take them out of there cage regularly to play and get human interaction… Well today I noticed something on my males stomach… I flipped him over and there was a giant scab about the size of a small grape… The scab was hard and I was able to peel it off quite easily , once off I gave it a little squeeze and thick yellowish puss came out.. and I kept squeezing and soooo damn much shit came out and now the hamster is left with a giant hole him her stomach .. he is about 2 to 2 and a half inches long … He is very tiny and is full grown… And the hole that was left is about the size of an almond.. so I put him in a tiny warm bath with antibacterial soap and let him run around and get clean then I gave him a little wash… I am going to go buy peroxide and Neosporin or antibacterial ointment and care for his wound… I just could NOT believe how much thick puss came out of the hole and how badly it smelled…. I wonder how long it has been there and how in the hell I didn’t notice the sore on him when it was smaller… But while I was giving him his little bath I noticed a very large lump on his side deep under the skin… I’m not sure if it is a tumor or another abscess… I’m broke so I’m not sure exactly what to do …. Any Help and advice is highly appreciated… Thank u
I have a girl Russian dwarf hamster that is year and a half old and has a huge lump on the side of her ear, I have taken her to vers4pets in Sutton Coldfield and the vet squeezed tiny bit of it out and have her some meds which all in all cost me £75 quid. However, when I got home I read on the instruction to give the antibiotics for 6 days but the bottle only had like 2 drops in it that was barely enough for two days, so my hamsters lump got worse and so basically I got ripped off by some careless vet.
I had to get some iodine online and put it on the lump, next day I squeezed the lump and puss started coming out but at the end of it all I think she was in a lot of pain. The moral of the story is that you need to get some iodine and do it yourself or the hamster will die!!
My baby has the same issue. What ended up happening. I think I am gping to lance it tonight. I have a degree in med science. I’m thinking of using Orajel to numb the area and baby Motrin 1 ml mixed with a little bit of water. Atleast get it drained. He is 4 years ild. Ill call him bo jangles. If I could afford the vet I would take him in but unfortunately I can’t so I have to try to do something. I’d rather him passed away from me trying then live in pain like this ?
I have a Syrian hamster with a lump on his side that seemed to increase in size over the course of 6 weeks. He’s been scratching at it to the point where there’s blood and a scab. He’s almost 2 and I don’t have money to take him to the vet. Also, it looks like his butt has swelled up.
I have the same hamster with the same problem. I took mt hamster to the vet. The medicine they gave him after they surgically removed the abscess didn’t work. It came back three weeks later. His eye is shut and I called the vet to have them give him another medication. I spent 360 dollars for a treatment that didn’t work. I am so furious
Same and I’m so scared for my little girl Syrian hamster
Hi, am so worried about my long haired hamster, he was fine a few days ago then we noticed a big lump by his foot , it smells really bad, i can’t really afford to take him to the vet right now, can anyone help me on how i can help him at home?
My dwarf hamster has a lump around her armpit area. She is not the one to like being held, so how do I disinfect it? Is there somthing I could buy in the store for her?
My Syrian Hamster Has A Small Red Lump on the left side of her mouth and it’s Been there for a while she seems fine and she is eating and drinking well and acting normal but it looks like there is a couple of minor cuts I applied a very very mild saltwater solution and I’m looking for further help what should I do?
My dwarf hamsters neck is all swollen and I don’t know how long it’s been like that but today it popped and a lot, and I mean a lot, of pus came out. And my sister said to try to get the rest of it out so I tried and when I did. A lot more came out but it hurt him when you squeeze it so I don’t wanna do it anymore. What do I do? Do I take him to the vet?
Get him to the vet immediately he needs antibiotics to stop the infections, keep the area clean and wipe it with water the vet should give you medicated wipes
My hamster had a small cut on his head,it was healing nicely but then he scratched the scab off.it has now tripled in size,oozes and has a big lump.i can’t afford to take him to the vets ? but have been using hypocare skin care spray on it.what else can I do?
you can use hydrogen peroxide on a cotton swab, and hold it on there for 10 seconds and then repete it. do that three or four times a day.
My hamster has a big red hard lump on the bottom lid of her eye she has had it for ages and it’s just grown from just a small lump to a one that affects her sight and her eye is just closed up! ? advice?! I’m taking her to the vet now
My hamster has a lump on one side of his face, under his eye, right above/ on his mouth and his gums on that side are swollen, kind of pushing his nose to the other side. And his eye is a little bit crusty and red, could this be an abcess???
I have the same exact problem with my Syrian hamster. I really want to help her
My syrian hamster has an issue also. He has a lump and his eye is shut. I took my hamster to the long beach animal hospital three weeks ago. I spent 360 dollars to be told it was due to an infection in his pouch. I was given Metcam/meloxidyl and orbax short for orbifloxacin to help with the swelling and pain. This did not work. I called the vet back today and am awaiting a call back. I am upset because I don’t think it is right I am told I may have to pay again. He was malpracticed with no good medicine and treatment. What else can I do for my pet?
Yes my hamster had the same thing and it popped and now its a hole Im gettin rlly worried tho
Did you find out what caused this? As my hamster has the same thing..
use hydrogen peroxide on a cotton swab on the area. the hole is normal, it just means that it needs to drain.
I have a small robo hamster she’s a girl I noticed she has a lump on her neck she’s not active she stays in the corner she eats if I put food in water in front of her but she won’t come out to eat I don’t have money to take her to the vet I believe she has an abscess does anybody know what I can do to help her at home
Can you tell me what it turned out to be? My hamster is going through the same exact thing and I cannot afford to take her to a vet.
My male hamster Calypso got in a fight with my female hamster Rosemary a few weeks ago and where she bit him is still swollen and red. I just became known of this a few minutes ago because he was scratching at his walls and squeaking (which he never does). He hasn’t been drinking out of his bottle but he drinks it if I’m holding the bottle.
I got my 2 hamsters 4 weeks before both of them are very active one it is having a swelling in testicales and he has become more numb than before now …….Feeling scared and pls tell me what to do ….Really worried
My daughters hamster had the same thing and it eventually tunneled through to the surface and drained pus. The vet had to drain the atea and he had to be on antibiotics.
Did he hamster make it? My daughters is like that and we are going to try to get him into the vet tomorrow
My 1-year-old Syrian hammy has recently developed a swelling on her left lip next to her nose. It was bleeding then scabbed and when we cleaned it looked pretty okay. It was swollen but not bleeding or leaking the next morning. We think that it may be due to her chewing her water bottle, but we don’t know. Any ideas would be useful! Thanks!
Did you get any feedback on this post? This is very similar to what I am experiencing with our hamster right now.
My hamster is sniffling and all wet and gray under her chin. There is a small growth or something by her nose. Not sure what to do.
My hamster is sniffling and all wet and gray under her chin. There is a small growth or something by her nose. Not sure what to do.
Hi my dwarf hamster has matted fur and doesnt run around like she used to. I don’t know why this is happening. can anybody help.
Hope your little furball is okay.
my golden bear hamster has pus looking drainage coming from her bottom. I also believe she is pregnant. she does not act like she feels well. she had a litter of pups about 2 months ago. she sleeps all the time and her bottom becomes crusted over, she will let me clean her up with warm water on a q-tip. I am very concerned. is there anything you could tell me about what this is.
thank you
It’s possible that the lady has pyometra. Please take her to the vets ASAP.
Dwarf hamster has a small growth or something on the inside of his left front foot. What could it be. He eats and runs and is very happy just concerned about that thing on his foot
My winter white has red skin hanging out of her mouth. Could this be an everted cheek pouch? Its been hanging out for 4 days. Any home remedies or anything I can order online to help her?
I got my hamster from the pet shop and he has a cut around his one cheek and pet shop said it’s fine and it will heal but it seems his scratchedoff the scab what can l do to make sure it doesn’t get infected ?
Use a healing ointment like Neosporin. Just dab a little bit on a Q-Tip and apply it to the wound. Your baby won’t like it, but it’ll prevent infection.
My little dwarf hamster go into fight with other one (teddy bear hamster) and I remove both of them. Few days ago i notice that one little spot seem odd @.@ is it infection??.her tail is wet but idk it pee or something?. Eat sometime and sleep all day but run around all night. I am worry about it and have anyone have this problem? Should I go to the vet or any kind of treatment for it?
She might have wet tail. Take her to the vet
To all of the comments above. Like me. If your hamster has a lump. Take them to the vet ASAP. No point asking what do I do?! Take them to get treated.
My hamster has a lump on its right side. It came up quickly. He is eating and drinking good but I don’t know what to do. Please help!
My hamster is limping & isn’t playful at all it stays in one spot
Take your hamster to the vet…my one had the same symptoms and she is on 5 days of antibiotics. They think is an abscess…might be tumour. I have to take her back in 5 days.
Hi Diane,
What was wrong with your hamster ?
My hamster has a very large hard lump hanging on the front of her chest. Been given antibiotics but finding it impossible to give them to him.
I’m taking him back on Monday and they said they would remove it.
Noticed tonight there is a bit of blood coming from it.
X
Louisa
My Syrian “fluffy” also has, after researching a bit, what appears to possibly be swollen sent glands. The one is very large as well as a swollen sack hanging by his leg. The swollen sent gland on his right is very large and has a scab. I have been cleaning it with band-aid hurt free antiseptic liquid as well as using triple antibiotic ointment. I have had him for a year and about five months. I’m terrified that he is suffering or that I have done something wrong. Someone please help.
What antibiotic are you using
My hamster testicles are swollen and red and are popping out..
Can anyone help me with this..
I am very much worried about this..
Hi my male Syrian has just had this happen it’s been a week and it has got bigger. Did you find out what was wrong with your hammy? I’ve been giving mine a little salt water rinse to see if it’s an infection but no luck so far.
He’s probably just in heat. Their testicles become swollen and red when they need to release
I noticed the same on my male syrian last night, we went to the vet this morning and he was diagnosed with a abscess. The vet said she can put him to sleep or put him under anaesthetic and drain it, ive gone for the 2nd option. Now I’m sitting at home waiting for the phone to ring and I’m praying he makes it.
I have a golden bear hamster and shes oozing out white pus from her area and i dont know how to cure it please help me asap.
Are you sure its pus and not ejaculation? When female hamsters are in heat, they flatten their bodies, lift up their tails, and ejaculate. The ejaculation smells like their pee.
Today I just noticed that my robo hamster has a pinkish some what swollen area on his anus and this is new because I never seen him like this before, is this something I should be concern about? His behavior is as normal as usual.
If he is a male, then they might just be his family jewels. My hamster, when he wakes up specifically, has big, red, and swollen ones. The vet said it was natural, at first I was worried.
hi , ( did you see my question as i cant see it up top ? ) my dwarf white hamster has a wart next to its nose , what shall i do , ? is there cream or does a vet need to cut it off
thanks
My winter white has a wart ( its dark brown ) just next to her nose , i took her to the vet yestarday and she gave me two types of medicine ( one homeapathic the other a strong cream for cancer for dogs / cats written on it ) as she thought its either a wart or tumour ( looks like a wart and she has had it nearly 2 weeks but it is still small ) but i have read that it is best to cut it off ? she is 20 months old whay should i do …………… i dont want her to suffer , i dont have much faith with this vet
Hi, our hamster has stopped taking his food – he seems interested and comes to his bowl but isn’t actually putting anything in his mouth – he doesn’t seem able. Could he have an abssess? How can I look inside his mouth to check ? He has never bitten but might not like being touched around his cheeks/mouth? Thanks
Scruff him like you would a cat. Grab his neck with your fingers and lift him up. He won’t like it, but that’s how you can see inside his mouth. If it doesn’t look right, take him to the vet
My hamster has this wierd red bump/rash under his anus but it’s definitely not a testicular lump it’s in between his anus and where a testicular lump would be. I don’t know if it’s an infection or a start of a disease but I noticed that he is losing hair on his neck area and lost a bit of his weight. Any treatments that I can try at home?
Hi my male teddy bear hamster has lost all his hair but now I’m noticing that on his “butt/testicle” area it looks like he was an open wound. What could that be? I know vet would be the best option but I can’t afford to do that and it’s not even technically mine. It’s a class pet.
My teddy bear hamster has some kind of growth in his ear, it’s a bit black in colour, not sure if it’s scabbing , he’s eating normally but it has definitely grown and become more black/bloody. Anyway to tell the difference between abscess, wart, cyst? Is there something I can put on it topically?
You might need to take it to a vet to drain the issue. You could try to use a warm thyme tea mixture to apply to the area. It might help reduce the some of the swelling.
My hamster is a winter white dwarf and his coat is all white but lately he has had a stain on his coat near his tail can you tell me what it could be and what I can do about it
My hamster had a very swollen right pouch and a swollen nose. The vet drained the abscess and gave me an anitbiotic and pain med to give him. He is a dwarf hamster…29 g. That was two days ago. He is still not eating/drinking or moving around much…just sleeping and breathing. Should he be recovered by now??? What is normal behavior after a procedure and how long should it take for him to recover? I’m afraid he is dying…it’s scary to watch….Please respond…
Thank you!
It just might take more time to recover. Make sure your hamster is at least drinking water. You might need to get an eyedropper and force feed him water if need be.
How much did the procedure cost I am scared because my hamster has a very swollen access and I want to take him to the vet but I do not have the money are there any financial ways to get this drained
My hamster also has a bump on its leg. I am very worried too. My hamster is still eating, drinking and running but that bump is worrying me … It also has a bump on its foot (same hind leg) I feed it some carrot everyday. The hamster with the bump is about 3-4 years old. Please help me. I would like to know if I can somehow treat it or take it too the vet. From behind my hamster almost looks like its hipbone is skew.the small bump on its foot looks like a small mole and its a light purple and brown. PLEASE HELP ME.
My hamster has gone very thin, doesn’t seem to be eating much. It seems to have a hunched back that is hard when you touch it (maybe its it’s bone I can feel). My mum thinks it may be teeth related? She thinks it’s teeth look too big
you might need to go to the vet and have them trim the teeth. chew toys are a good way to avoid overgrown teeth. Granted, hamsters do have two fairly long front teeth. In the mean time, you can use an eyedropper to force feed it some soft, liquid food and of course water.
my friends hamster is screaming, and not moving. its just laying in front of the cage door while screaming. he also has a lump on his butt, and one near his shoulder. what should she do?
It’s difficult to tell what the lumps are so i would recommend a trip to the vet. A vet can drain the lumps or provide antibiotics. In the mean time you can help reduce swelling by making a strong thyme tea mixture and bathing the lumps in (not hot of course). You can also try feeding the hamster diuretic type foods such as dandelion leaves to help reduce fluid build up.
My dwarf hampster has stopped eating her treats and not eating much of her regular food. She is staying mostly in a corner and when she is moving around she seems not to be using front left paw a lot. Also left check looks like she is storing food in it but she has nothing in her mouth. What could this mean?
How old is your hamster? Does your hamster have any other visible symptoms? Does the paw issue look like an physical injury or something more neurological? A typical injury could mean it just needs time to heal up. You can also ensure all the surfaces in the cage are nice and soft. No exposed wire bars for example. If the paw issue look more serious as in the hamster isn’t able to use its left paw at all, it could be something more serious. In that case, you should consult a vet. In the mean time, you need to make sure your hamster continues to drink water and if you have to, you may need to had feed it water using a small water dropper.
My dwarf hamster just had his infection removed and I put him inside his wheel ball and he peed inside it. He still has the open wound. Is it possible his pee could cause another infection?
Lost of things can cause an infection. For this reason, when you have a hamster with an open or healing wound, you should keep it clean. Some warm water and perhaps a mild antiseptic should be all you need in your case. Manuka honey is a good idea to use if your hamster picks at the infected area.
My hamster got into a small fight with the new hamster when in was introducing them. I immediately removed them from each other. But I noticed the next day she had a swollen lump on her lower abdomen. But she eating and exercising normal. What is it.?. Please email me back.
If you see any cuts or scratches make sure to keep the area clean by using a mild antiseptic. Continue to monitor the lump to make sure it starts to go away and not get worse. Apply a warm wet cloth to the lump might help reduce swelling or try adding a warm thyme tea mixture into the cloth. Thyme is a go to natural and safe treatment among hamster owners.
My hamster has a circle like abscess in her throat. Can this be a ring worm or from tooth?
Ringworm can not live in the mouth so it probably isn’t that. It’s hard to tell what it might be from the information provided. It could just be a cut in the mouth that is healing or it can be an abscess – or it could be several other things. You might want to consult a vet for a proper course of treatment. The abscess, if it is one, may need to be drained, lanced or treated with medication. Small cuts in the mouth can heal on their own if kept clean.
Can the swollen area be the hamsters bottom? My poor hamster has a lump coming from his bottom
When you say it is coming from its bottom do you mean there is a lump on the backside somewhere or more specifically, its anus? If it is the later, it could be an abscess or something other than one. It could be constipation, a parasite like worms, prolapse or something else. A trip to the vet might be in order. Are there any other symptoms or odd behaviors you can observe?
I’m almost convinced it could be testicular lump. I Google images and some looked similar. What’s the normal time span that they last before I should be alarmed?
It sounds like an issue to be concerned about already. You should consult a vet for a course of treatment. You might try to feed your hamster dandelion leaves or another diuretic. This could help reduce the swelling but it isn’t a cure.