Tiny Henry's remarkable tale of survival

A plucky hamster found dumped in a pile of rubbish has beaten the odds to survive a potentially life-threatening operation to remove a tumour.

Things couldn’t have got any worse for tiny Henry before he was rescued by Blue Cross Veterinary Nurse Tracey Parnell, who found him abandoned down an alleyway with another hamster. 

She was on her lunch break when she spotted two teeny cages piled high with rotten food and bedding just round the corner from our Hammersmith Hospital site. 

Not only was Russian hamster Henry very underweight, he also had a tumour growing on his head and over his tummy. His friend was rehomed, but Henry’s future looked bleak - and Tracey decided to take him in.

She said: “With a new cage, fresh bedding and food, Henry settled in quickly to his new home. He started to gain weight but the mass growing on his tummy was stopping him walking properly. The tumour became bruised and it was decided the only option was to operate.”

But surgery came with huge risks. “Anaesthetics in small animals are high risk and to remove such a large tumour added to the danger,” explained Tracey.

In a remarkable tale of survival, Henry survived the operation and made a speedy recovery.

Sadly, several smaller tumours have since been found and it’s unlikely vets will operate again, especially since nobody can tell how old Henry is. But, for now, he’s enjoying life at home with Tracey.

“A week after his operation, he has fully recovered and is a much more active boy. He’s very sweet and sociable, always asking for treats,” she added.