I may be biased, but I’m convinced Picco is the strongest little fighter in the world.
This little guy survived surgery for two tumors, an amputation, wet tail and a broken teeth from evacuating from an earthquake – all in the span of 3 weeks!
I’d almost forgotten what a crazy month it was and writing this all out again made me realize just how much we went through. It was such a difficult and stressful time, and I’m so thankful Picco is now fully recovered and back to his silly little self.
I hope that by sharing this, his journey becomes a valuable resource to learn from and can provide hope for anyone going through something similar. Sending lots of love to you and your little ones!
By timeline
By topic
March 12 – Picco’s tumor
I spotted this lump and immediately drove Picco to the hospital, where the doctor confirmed he needed surgery.
While the tumor was quite big, I was only able to see it when I flipped Picco over on his tummy for our weekly check up. Because he had no symptoms and the mass was on his stomach, I am unsure how long it had been growing before I spotted it (something I deeply regret) — the doctor later estimated it had been growing for 1–7 days.
Tumors (and cancer) are common in hamsters due to their fast metabolism and can grow very quickly. Seeking immediate veterinary care is vital, and even one day makes a difference.
/ I knew that cancer was a possibility, but despite having mentally prepared myself for his age, I still burst into tears the second I saw his tumor – this little guy is so loved.
This is Picco at the hospital before his surgery — he still looked like his usual onigiri self. We were playing for a while before I spotted the tumor as well, and I wasn’t able to tell that anything was wrong.
As prey animals, hamsters hide their illnesses to avoid attracting predators, and therefore may not exhibit any symptoms until it is too late. This is why it is so important to perform frequent health checks.
Picco’s surgery
Picco went into surgery that night at 1:01AM and finished by 1:24AM (in less than 30 minutes!).
It went well and our doctor was able to remove the entire mass. During surgery, he actually found a second tumor that was only seen after shaving Picco’s fur; given its small size, it was lasered off. The biopsies would be sent for testing, and we would get results in approximately a week.
I took Picco home after surgery with a cone on, a new recovery cage to limit his movements, and two antibiotics to take over the next 7 days. We also received eye drops, as the cone would make it difficult for Picco to fully close his eyes and might dry them out. I was told to monitor his wound in case it reopened, but that ‘overgrooming’ was normal and to be expected.
Sensitive content – Tumor surgery
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March 13
By the next morning, in true Picco fashion, he had already removed his recovery cone (twice!) until I finally got it back on tight enough for it to stay.
Picco was also not tired at all like the doctor said he would be — our silly boy was as active as ever, running around in the limited space, fully determined to take off his cone and clean his wound. While I was relieved to see him active, I was incredibly worried about his stitches coming off, so it’s not an exaggeration when I say I spent the day holding him over 100 times to stop him from getting to it.
Picco’s paw – However, despite monitoring him as closely as I could, Picco still managed to scratch at his cone and hurt his paw.
Sensitive content – Paw injury
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March 13 – I noticed Picco had a little pooling of blood under his nails on his back left paw and immediately called the hospital.
The vet on duty took a look at the photos and recommended to purchase a medicinal spray to use at home. She explained that it was just a small cut from scratching at the sharp edges of the plastic cone, and that it would heal on its own.
March 14 – Despite the spray, it looked worse the next day, so I called the hospital again.
The vet explained that Picco probably cut it further from scratching at the cone and recommended to 1) keep spraying at home, and 2) find a softer cone for him to wear (though she didn’t know where I could find one for hamsters either, as most cones are too big).
March 13 – I noticed Picco had a little pooling of blood under his nails on his back left paw and immediately called the hospital.
The vet on duty took a look at the photos and recommended to purchase a medicinal spray to use at home. She explained that it was just a small cut from scratching at the sharp edges of the plastic cone, and that it would heal on its own.
Sensitive content – Paw injury
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March 14 – Despite the spray, it looked worse the next day, so I called the hospital again.
The vet explained that Picco probably cut it further from scratching at the cone and recommended to 1) keep spraying at home, and 2) find a softer cone for him to wear (though she didn’t know where I could find one for hamsters either, as most cones are too big).
Still worried, I insisted on bringing Picco to the hospital in case they could wrap his paw to help prevent him from hurting it further. Sadly, by then, Picco had already lost his toes.
The x-ray showed damage to his toes, and the vet explained that Picco was chewing his paw, likely from the stress of the surgery and having the cone on, and because of the initial cut to his paw. She believed that necrosis was likely to occur and that Picco would need an amputation to stop it from spreading, but was unable to make a decision or perform the surgery herself. We had to wait for the surgical vet (the doctor who removed Picco’s tumor) to take a look the next day when he was on duty.
Terrified that Picco would further hurt his paw or necrosis might set in — and since wrapping it wasn’t an option, as the vet said it could cause swelling — I asked to have Picco admitted to the hospital overnight just in case.
March 15 – The next day, I received both news at once — his paw diagnosis and his biopsy results.
1. Paw diagnosis
The doctor confirmed that Picco had lost his toes, and explained that self-mutilation in hamsters actually happens often when under stress. The cone stopped Picco from biting at his stitches, but sadly couldn’t stop him from reaching his paws.
/ I regret not knowing this earlier, as I’d actually caught it early enough to save his toes. If only the initial diagnosis hadn’t been just a simple cut and spray…
At that point, necrosis hadn’t set in yet and the doctor didn’t think an amputation was necessary. We were prescribed a new medicinal spray and a bigger cone. If the wound heals well and the remaining bone doesn’t cause issues, nothing needs to be done; however, if it gets worse, surgery will still be needed.
2. Biopsy results
Picco’s biopsy results came back earlier than expected, but sadly confirmed malignancy. His diagnosis was fibrosarcoma, or cancer of the soft tissues. It wasn’t common in hamsters, but it was operable — if more tumors develop, our doctor could surgically remove them again.
Picco will need to be on 3 cancer medicines twice a day, indefinitely — the hope is to suppress the cancer so it doesn’t spread. I’ll be doing daily checks for potential lumps and bringing him to the hospital every month for a thorough check up and fresh meds.
Our doctor remained hopeful and explained that he’s seen many cases of hamsters with cancer live for several months to over a year, making it to 2-3 years of age.
/ I truly hope for that — and so much more.
March 16-18
The next couple of days were a series of mini heart attacks, with constant monitoring and intervention to stop Picco from chewing at his paw or scratching at his cone. Even at night, alarms were set every 30–60 minutes to check in on him, and Picco was never more than a meter away from me at all times.
Cute medicine tray
Determined to keep my spirits up
& stay strong for Picco
How cute is he!
While adorable, I couldn’t wait to take the dreaded cone off of him
Picco & my WFH set-up
Having ‘portable’ Picco with me everywhere was actually quite nice
Wound scabbing over well!
The doctor confirmed his paw was healing and drying over nicely.
March 19
To my surprise, Picco got his cone & stitches removed at the appointment.
I’d assumed he’d need it on for longer given his paw, but the doctor was comfortable with how nicely it had healed. I still had to monitor it for any signs of necrosis (i.e. black skin), but was told we should be fine.
Sensitive content – Stitches removal
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I also had to watch out for the stitches wound, as the next 24 hours were when it’s most vulnerable.
In addition, overgrooming would likely occur and I was to expect some fur loss. Picco didn’t keep me waiting long — by the time we got home, he had already groomed away half the fur on his face.
March 20 – Amputation
Despite checking on Picco periodically throughout the night, he still managed to chew on his paw until there was exposed bone. Worried, I took him back to the hospital and the doctor regrettably confirmed that Picco would need an amputation after all.
The doctor amputated up to Picco’s knee, as removing just the paw would’ve meant exposed bone that could easily get injured. Necrosis had also started to set in so it was good that Picco was brought in quickly; we were shocked at how quickly and suddenly necrosis had spread, seeing as the injury was healing well just the night before when Picco got discharged.
Picco was sent home at ~3AM with three new antibiotics and an even larger cone on to try to prevent any biting and chewing. I was assured that Picco would still be able to run around as usual once everything healed.
Sensitive content – Amputation surgery
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Sensitive content – Amputation stitches
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I was absolutely heartbroken. Picco had now lost a paw on top of the tumor surgery.
The new recovery cone, while thankfully big enough to stop Picco from chewing at his wound, also meant that when he flopped his head down, it was difficult for him to get back up and I was worried he would suffocate. Terrified he wouldn’t make it, I pulled an all-nighter to monitor him.
/ Definitely not the healthiest way for me to deal with it, but Picco’s my first and I was a mess. It was an incredibly long and stressful night, but looking back now, that night was truly the push for me to start Picco Studio.
The expansion of the recovery cone
Picco’s cone got bigger and bigger with each visit.
Fun fact — a nurse actually told us this was the largest cone they’d ever given a hamster. /Just Picco (sadly) making history
March 21-23
The next few days were another endless series of medicines, sprays, eyedrops, cage cleans and constant monitoring.
It was going well so far though! Picco’s fur had started growing back from the first surgery, and his amputation wound was healing well. The big cone also prevented Picco from biting at his stitches, and he’d even learned to lift his head back up again when it flopped down from the cone.
Everything seemed to finally be looking up for us, until Picco suddenly got diarrhea.
March 24: Diarrhea/Wet tail – Round 1
Picco’s stool was mushy and I was incredibly worried about wet tail (which can be fatal). At the hospital, the doctor explained that it was mainly yeast overgrowth — not typical ‘wet tail’ caused by bacterial overgrowth — although she did find one protozoa and one bacterial spore. It can exist without issues, but led to mild diarrhea given Picco’s weakened immune system.
Luckily, Picco’s case was still early and his existing antibiotics helped with this. We were prescribed a higher dose, a new probiotics mix to help adjust his digestive tract, and I was also told to clean his cage more frequently i.e. whenever the padding got dirty. Picco had solid poop again over the next few days.
Sensitive content – Diarrhea
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March 27: Diarrhea/Wet tail – Round 2
I woke up to watery diarrhea again 3 days later, which looked worse than the first time. We went back to the vet, who determined that our current antibiotics were sufficient given Picco was already on a lot — 3 cancer meds, 2 antibiotics, the probiotics, a medicinal spray and eye drops. She did suggest to take the probiotics at a different time than antibiotics so the beneficial bacteria isn’t destroyed (something we weren’t told last time by another vet), and to strongly disinfect his cage with alcohol to prevent any contamination.
I’d actually asked to admit Picco just in case, but she recommended bringing him home as I’d be able to monitor him more closely. Thankfully, while dehydration is a key concern of wet tail, Picco was still drinking water normally so the doctor wasn’t too worried. The diarrhea cleared up within a few days.
Sensitive content – Diarrhea
Click to view
We also got his amputation stitches removed.
Most of the wound had healed well except for the lower area where Picco’s skin hadn’t closed, which had pus. I was recommended to keep spraying the wound twice a day, to limit his movements and to make sure sure nothing touched the open wound.
/ By this point, I was exhausted and honestly a little dispirited. In just 2 weeks, we had tackled two tumors, an amputation and two rounds of diarrhea and there were still new complications. I was constantly scared of losing him. Thankfully, Picco is the biggest little fighter ever and made sure to stay active (perhaps a little too much) throughout.
Our makeshift bunker during the earthquake
March 28
And just when you think we must be in the clear by now, an earthquake hit. An actual, literal magnitude 7.7 earthquake.
For context, we don’t get earthquakes in Thailand. They are incredibly rare — our last one was decades ago and barely noticeable — so we were sorely unprepared. This one, originating in Myanmar, was strong enough to be felt all over Bangkok and tragically caused many deaths, especially after a building under construction collapsed.
/ They say your life flashes before your eyes when you think you might die, but I remember just dashing to grab Picco and thinking ‘why now?!’
I huddled under a table with Picco as the building swayed and things crashed down from shelves, trying to quickly transfer him to his travel cage. I held onto Picco (and a table leg) until the earthquake and the first aftershock passed, then ran down 29 flights of stairs. Luckily, I made it with only a few scratches and Picco seemed okay, and we eventually evacuated to my family home.
That night, I had to ask the hospital to send us Picco’s medicine as I didn’t have time to grab anything while evacuating, and Picco ended up having to stay in his travel cage overnight.
March 29
We had an appointment the next day, which was good because I noticed Picco’s tooth was broken; this probably happened during the evacuation, despite my best efforts to keep his cage still while running.
I was told his tooth wasn’t an issue and would quickly grow back and to keep taking the antibiotics so his diarrhea wouldn’t return. However, the stitches wound still hadn’t healed so I had to start cleaning the pus from his wound twice a day. If it didn’t get better by our next appointment, he might need new stitches.
The doctor on call that day also dubbed Picco
✨the naughtiest hamster ever ✨
An exotic doctor who looks at hamsters on a daily basis, and of course our silly, squirmy boy is the naughtiest she’s ever seen (to be fair, Picco did pee on a nurse that day).
Picco was also becoming a familiar face at the hospital, as we’d basically cycled through their entire staff, given his visits were always emergencies and never routine.
April 1-5: New month! We were finally done with the longest 3 weeks ever.
We moved back home after our place was cleared for structural integrity. By then, I was an expert at our routine of medicines, sprays, eye drops, wound cleans, cage cleans and constant monitoring; I even found a stitch the doctor had missed and removed it myself. I’d also kept his portable cage and a flashlight close by in case of another earthquake, but thankfully, everything was going smoothly this time.
At the check-up (with our usual doctor this time!), Picco was finally confirmed to be recovering well. His wound was better and I was advised to keep spraying it for another week. He could stop the current antibiotics, but would start one final one. His stool exam was clear as well — no more protozoa — so we could stop the probiotics.
Picco was sent home cone-free and cleared to go back to his big enclosure (minus the sand bath for another 3-4 days). However, given his chew-on-a-limb tendencies and multitude of complications, we decided to monitor him in his recovery cage for one more night to be safe.
April 6: Back home & road to full recovery!
Picco definitely loved the freedom and immediately explored every inch of his enclosure as soon as I put him back. It felt like we were finally at the finish line and I was overjoyed (but still worried).
During the first week, Picco, understandably tired, slept more than usual and only came out sparingly for food and meds. He was a little jumpy when touched, had lost some weight, and also lost some fur from overgrooming. I started giving Picco extra supplements.
/ I was so happy to see him back home, but I also missed having ‘portable’ Picco next to me 24/7
Thankfully, I didn’t have to worry for too long — by the second week, Picco slowly bounced back. He started becoming more active, gaining weight again and was floofing back up little by little.
We also quickly got into routine, so much so that I somehow taught Picco to start taking his cancer meds and supplements on his own. He initially avoided the medicine, but by following up his meds with some food, I somehow unintentionally primed him into taking meds — no complaints there!
3 paws, no pawblem
As for his paw, Picco could walk right away but initially ‘lifted’ his amputated side up with every step, resulting in an uneven limp. He also couldn’t climb as much as before, so it was good that I’d
rearranged his enclosure earlier to accommodate this.
By day three, the rearrangement felt almost unnecessary, as Picco was already back to running on his wheel. He was also getting better at balancing and climbing.
In a little over a week, he had adjusted his gait so his limp was barely noticeable, and he was back to doing zoomies.
This video is coincidentally from April 20th, exactly 1 month since his amputation.
I was so excited — not only was he running at full speed despite having only 3 paws, but this is also the first and only time he ever ran with the lights on. Picco usually only runs on his wheel late at night with the lights off, and even if he’s mid-run, he immediately stops once the lights turn on.
April 27 – good news!
Picco’s 1 month cancer check was excellent — no new lumps, and both his tumor and amputation wound were fully healed.
Fast forward to today, Picco is now his wonderfully silly little self again and is back to all his usual shenanigans.
/ If you’ve made it this far, thank you! We’re so glad you’re here (-:
Meet Picco!
Meet Picco!
