Hamster leg amputation tomorrow! (help!)

RE: Hamster leg amputation tomorrow! (help!)

Gillian Mostyn — Mon, 06 Feb 2017 12:34:41 GMT

[quote user="Julie Innes"] I know the reasoning behind charging £100 or so for these type of surgeries, but I admit I tend to make them a lot cheaper, just so that these wee guys get a chance, as very few people are willing to pay for them.[/quote]

Which does your colleagues no favours at all. At £100 it is still being heavily subsidised by the practice. These 'little' ops often take up more staff time and effort than a bitch spay, for which a lot more is (should be) charged. People should be encouraged to understand that with pets, a life is a life, regardless of lifespan or cost of the pet. The responsibility is the same.

I would probably have followed up the case with a few phone calls and a request to attend, but we cannot force owner compliance. Much worse welfare issues exist within small furry animal/exotics cases than this.

RE: Hamster leg amputation tomorrow! (help!)

Julie Innes — Mon, 06 Feb 2017 09:27:58 GMT

That's a shame. Poor hammy is therefore still hobbling about with a broken leg. I know the reasoning behind charging £100 or so for these type of surgeries, but I admit I tend to make them a lot cheaper, just so that these wee guys get a chance, as very few people are willing to pay for them.

It just makes me think of welfare- a couple of weeks ago we had a patient with an osteosarc and subsequent pathological fracture. The owner wanted to keep the dog going on painkillers, and we advised that would be a welfare issue. Would it not be the same for the hamster?

RE: Hamster leg amputation tomorrow! (help!)

Rebecca MacMillan — Sun, 05 Feb 2017 20:02:33 GMT

It didn't happen! The owner was supposed to come in and discuss the surgery/costs with myself but unfortunately she was taken into hospital and uncontactable, so her friend bought the hamster in. As estimates hadn't been discussed in advance (my colleague was leaving it down to me to come up with a figure and discuss it and the surgery with the owner on the day of admit), the friend couldn't really sign the consent form on the owners behalf ie neither of us knew if the owner was going to pay around £100 for a surgery that the russian dwarf hamster may or may not survive.

So they went away again, with a view to discuss things and get back to us. That was the last I heard...

RE: Hamster leg amputation tomorrow! (help!)

Benjamin Alyoshkin — Sun, 05 Feb 2017 10:40:15 GMT

That's one monster of a hamster! I think Rebecca did - either Syrian or Russian dwarf. HOW DID IT GO, REBECCA?

RE: Hamster leg amputation tomorrow! (help!)

Neil Wheadon — Wed, 04 Jan 2017 14:32:36 GMT

[quote user="Gillian Mostyn"]David - I generally agree with you but query your hacksaw comment. Fine and great for decent bones ( go quickly and the heat generated cauterises beautifully) but a hamster femur??? [/quote]

No-one mentioned how big it was?

Neil

PS Also demonstrating that can get a bicycle into any post

RE: Hamster leg amputation tomorrow! (help!)

David Mills — Wed, 04 Jan 2017 02:28:15 GMT

[quote user="Gillian Mostyn"]

David - I generally agree with you but query your hacksaw comment. Fine and great for decent bones ( go quickly and the heat generated cauterises beautifully) but a hamster femur???

[/quote]

Just saw quickly

RE: Hamster leg amputation tomorrow! (help!)

Rebecca MacMillan — Tue, 03 Jan 2017 18:48:00 GMT

Great - thanks for the replies! I knew I was probably overthinking it. I've only ever done a hedgehog before in the small mammal stakes for some reason, and that didn't do that well on recovery :o(

RE: Hamster leg amputation tomorrow! (help!)

Gillian Mostyn — Tue, 03 Jan 2017 17:56:21 GMT

David - I generally agree with you but query your hacksaw comment. Fine and great for decent bones ( go quickly and the heat generated cauterises beautifully) but a hamster femur???

RE: Hamster leg amputation tomorrow! (help!)

David Mills — Tue, 03 Jan 2017 15:49:06 GMT

We amputate a lot of legs, including hamsters and hedgehogs.

My advice to newer vets is to not read a textbook before (same goes for splenectomies and bitch spays). The only vessels you need to worry about are the femoral artery/vein. If you saw through the bone with a hacksaw it rarely bleeds. Patch together muscles. intradermal sutures or glue.

RE: Hamster leg amputation tomorrow! (help!)

Gillian Mostyn — Tue, 03 Jan 2017 14:41:44 GMT

Agree with Chris.

The most important things are:

-be as quick as you can safely be

-keep hamster warm (well insulated body, clip and wet site as little as possible, keep op room toasty warm etc)

-Provide good analgesia for a few days - more likely to recover well, less likely to chew sutures

-Excellent haemostasis- everything is so small, it is pretty easy to clamp and tie off everything before cutting.

-Small pair of bone cutters for femur, then finger pressure on cut end for a short while aids haemostasis.

I suspect it will be a lot easier than you're expecting.

Good luck.

RE: Hamster leg amputation tomorrow! (help!)

Judith Archbold — Tue, 03 Jan 2017 14:40:18 GMT

My advice would be to perform the op as quickly as possible: gas her down ( always give analgesia .....buprenorphine and meloxicam injections as examples): sounds like the leg needs amputating proximal femr which you'll be able to cut with a pair of scissors as the bone is tiny. Pull out any small shards of splintered bone, close up in a couple of layers with vicryl etc. ( I like to use a soft suture material for small furries). As mentioned already aim for minimal blood loss and keep her warm. I'd give subcutaneous fluids on recovery.

10 minutes or so from start to finish. good luck!....hamsters can be tough little things so definitely worth giving her a good chance.

RE: Hamster leg amputation tomorrow! (help!)

chris Jones — Tue, 03 Jan 2017 14:30:29 GMT

you will likely get some better answers from people who know more but from a gp standpoint it can be quite reasonable as per a normal cat or dog amputation.

the ga is the tricky bit heat loss death etc but you need to be very open with the owner about the risks. as for the surgery I would cut thro mid femur, cut through the muscles and cover over the femur just as with a cat. just be very careful about blood loss as it doesn't take much before they bleed out. and be quick, its not one to 'faff' around with as they lose heat so quickly. done a few and some hedgehogs and they can do quiet well.

I wouldn't disarticulate as I think you would end up with a synovial fluid swelling and the hamster may be inclined to walk on the stump which may be a problem.

good luck they can be quite fun.

chris