A tiny hamster influencer had life-saving surgery to remove a huge tumour – and made a speedy recovery to the delight of her 50k followers.
Jasmyn Purewal, 15, and her mum, Harj Kalair, 46, discovered their pet – named Coco Chanel – had a tiny red spot on her stomach on 8th June 2022.
They took the dwarf hamster – who weighs just 50g – to the vets in June 2022 and were initially given a course of antibiotics.
Coco tried to continue as normal, but it was clear something was weighing her down. She couldn’t go in her wheel and seemed more tired than usual.
The lump continued to grow and, two weeks later, vets at White Cross Vets, Birmingham, West Midlands, suspected it was a benign tumour that needed to be operated on.
The growth weighed 10g and accounted for 17 percent of the rodent’s body weight.
The operation was considered risky due to Coco’s small stature, but the family was prepared to do whatever it took to save their beloved pet.
After a two-hour procedure in June 2022 to remove the lump, Coco has made a speedy recovery and is back to her usual cheery self – much to the delight of her 50k fans.
Jasmyn’s mum, Harj, a quality control officer, from Birmingham, West Midlands, said: “We were scared as it was the first time we had not been with Coco and there was a risk she wouldn’t make it through the operation.
“There was no way we were going to give up on her – like we were advised to by other vets.
“We are so thankful to White Cross Vets for removing the lump and saving our hamster.”
“Thanks to their care, she made a swift recovery.”
“Coco honestly has a better lifestyle than me.
“She is so pampered and looked after – Jasmyn insists we give her the best of the best.”
The family have spent at least £3k on their dwarf hamster and she is only a year old.
When her birthday comes around, she receives more presents than anyone else.
Jasmyn bought her goodies and toys all wrapped up in pink paper along with a birthday card.
After the surgery, Coco had to take it easy and couldn’t have all the luxuries she was used to.
She had to go into a small hospital cage without beddings or toys, so she avoided breaking her stitches.
Coco also had to refrain from running on her wheel.
After one week Coco was back to her lavish lifestyle and back in her mansion cage from Germany – kitted out with a sand bath, house plants and toys.
The tiny, pampered queen is a social media sensation and Jasmyn shares tips and tricks to the hamster community on her TikTok @cocothedwarfhamster and Instagram @cocothewinterwhite.
Coco even had her own birthday cake for her first birthday and her bedding costs £80 alone.
The hamster enjoys a gourmet diet of mixed leaf salads, freshly prepared scrambled eggs, insects and seed mixes.
Harj added: “We love her so much and she means so much to Jasmyn, it is amazing seeing their special bond.”
