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"Doc, be gentle to my sister's hamster"

"There are two choices," I said. "To stitch up the extensive L-shaped bite wound and take the anaesthetic risk that the hamster may just die on the operating table or you just wash it every day and let the wound heal slowly."  

The white hamster was over one and a half years old and had lost a lot of blood from the wound when she was savaged by the other hamster more than twenty four hours ago. The bleeding had stopped. Dark red blood clots gathered on some parts of the exposed abdomen and small balls of greenish yellow pus gathered at the inner edge of the wound. The skin had shrunk and retracted exposing the lower one quarter of the abdomen and the right knee muscle glistened in pink.

The skin wound had started to shrink and repair whatever it could by closing up the edges. However, the wound was too big and exposed a quarter of the abdomen. Infection at one edge as evidenced by yellowish green pus had set in. 

I left the brother and his two sisters in the consultation room to discuss further while I attended to another case. This could be the last day for the hamster if she died on the operating table and the younger teenaged sister's silent tears flowed freely. 

"We decided to take the second option," the elder brother said.

I re-examined the hamster by holding her neck and the elder brother flinched again. The abdominal wound was extensive and the closure of the wound would be difficult as the hamster had to lick it every day to "clean" the seeping wound.

I was more worried about the exposed muscles around the right knee. They were licked clean by the hamster and it would be difficult for the body's repair system to cover up this large muscle area with granulation tissue as the hamster would continually lick it.  Bacteria and fungi would grow on it and cause a lot of inflammation and pain. The hamster would not live a peaceful existence.  So there was not really a second option.

I said: "In the next few days, the flesh would be brownish yellow as the bacteria germs multiplied and the whole area would be soft and rotting. The hamster would experience great pain and would not eat anymore. It is kinder to euthanase her now."

The hamster looked all right today. He was still eating. His stools were passed and looked normal. 
  
"What are the chances of the hamster surviving the anaesthetic?" the elder brother, a strong teenager asked. He  flinched whenever I held the hamster by the scruff of her neck to examine her. His face contorted as if I was pinching his face with a pair of clamps and causing him much pain. He relaxed whenever I put down the hamster.  

"50%," I estimated. It was not possible to estimate properly as it was not possible to the body temperature with the ordinary thermometers, run blood tests and give intravenous fluid during anaesthesia to such a small animal, unlike the case of a cat or dog. Time was of the essence as the germs had proliferated much more rapidly in this hot and humid Singapore.

The owners had a discussion again as to whether to let the hamster undergo anaesthesia and surgery. It was Hobson's choice for them.

This was one of those high risk anaesthesia I would rather not do. Death of a pet always tarnishes a veterinary reputation by word of mouth to various friends in the neighbourhood and by emails to associates and friends by a grieving owner. Yet risk taking was part and parcel of the veterinary practice.

"Doc, be gentle to the hamster," the elder brother said. "It is my sister's favourite hamster." I presumed he did not like me to hold the hamster by the scruff of her neck.

"Yes," I replied. "Holding the scruff of the hamster's neck is not cruel as the mother hamster uses this method to carry the babies around. How do you handle your hamster>"

The elder brother said: "I put the hamster on the palm of my hand."  

This would not be possible for outsiders as the hamster might bite. In any case, she had wounds below her body and holding her by the neck would give a better view. 

The hamster was put under gas anaesthesia. I had to keep a sharp eye on her breathing rate as there were no heart or chest monitoring equipments as in the case of a dog or cat.

The wound was cleaned when the hamster was under anaesthesia.  As I cut off the contaminated areas, removed blood clots and pus and snipped off the  old edges of the wound, the fresh blood started flowing. 

The hamster stirred, trying to get up. More anaesthestic gas was given. She lapsed into unconsciousness. I continued as fast as I could.  

There was no chest movement suddenly. This was cardiac failure. Her tongue was pale pink. Her eyes were opened even in deep anaesthesia unlike the case of the dog or cat and therefore it was of no use in checking the blinking reflex to gauge the depth of surgical anaesthesia. The eyes in the dog or cat would not blink when the anaesthesia was deep but the hamster's eyes could not do that.

I pulled out the tongue and blew air to inflate the lungs. I massaged the heart. No sign of life for the next few seconds. The tongue turned slightly purplish. This looked like the end. I repeated the procedures again. As gently as I could. There was no electro-cardiogram to monitor the heart beat in hamsters. The foul smell of the hamster's mouth hit my nostrils as air from her lungs flushed out. Was it her voluntary breathing or was it a reflux from my mouth-to-mouth resuscitation?

It seemed an eternity. The hamster started breathing. The gas was not given anymore as I quickly stitched up the wound. Would the hamster tear off the fine stitches after the surgery? She disliked the Elizabethan collar and wanted to groom herself. To get rid of the blood. Would she succeed in taking off the restraining collar? 
Much now depends on how the family nursed her, cleaned up the blood, feed her and make sure that the collar was on for the next seven days. Antibiotics would be given orally. 

I hope there will be no more of such laceration wounds as owners keep hamsters separate when they grow up.

  

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