(no subject)

[whiskas]

Hi, whiskas's owner here. LJ just ate my post, so I'm trying again in a condensed version.

1. Whiskas is very old, having arrived here around Nov. 2000 from a petshop.
   
2. He has been losing hair and color. He is not as spry as he used to be.
   
3. My sister noticed this week that he has some kind of sac, growth, *something* between his right cheek and right leg, where the fur is sparse.
   
4. It does not seem to cause him pain, even when I pick him up and touch it.
   
5. It feels soft-ish but hard like a lump.
   
6. I fear that it's getting bigger.
   
7. I have no car, so taking him to the vet takes a great deal of preparation and pre-planning.
   
8. I'd like to get more info on what this might be, preferably from people who have a great deal of experience with hamsters and aging.

If anyone has any advice or intelligent questions, please let me know. I have taken some pics of the *thing* but they haven't turned out well, given that Whiskas is a hamster and his natural state is "fidgeting".

Thanks for any help you can provide.