Help!!!! My hamster's eye...

Question

I am pretty sure that my hamster has an eye infection, but I'm not sure. It looks like the area around his left eye is a little puffy and pinkish, and he has a difficult time opening it. I just came back from vacation, and had left him with a friend for about a month, and my friend said that she had dabbed his eye with warm water and that his eye had been like that for a couple of days already.

I just wanted to know what I can do to help my beloved hamster!! Is it serious? It kind of looks like his eyelids are stuck, and he's always had a lot of eye p**p, but is this different? What should I do?!

Answer 1

gently wiping it with a warm wet cloth is probably good.  My daughter's hamster had the same thing.  It took a few weeks of her watching it and cleaning it but now it's fine.  

We think he scratched it with his claw and it just took time to heal.

Answer 2

Take him to the vet.  

Answer 3

It sounds like you hamster has a draft. This can be easily fixed with saline solution.  Over the counter for humans will do. Sold at places like walmart, Walgreen, any drug store for about $8. if no improvement is seen within a week then take him to the vet.

Answer 4

You'll have to take it to the vet. Good luck! It might cost a lot. Poor thing. . . . Hopefully, it will get better.  

Answer 5

ekk maybe your friend is a hamster murder!!!!!!!Take it to the vet like seriously

Answer 6

with such a small animal it could be bad... take it to the vet and they will run some tests....it will cost alot though

Answer 7

There are a few eye problems hamsters get.  The common one is 'sticky eyes' where the eyelid is 'stuck'.  This can be sorted by gently washing the area with warm water until the hamster is able to open their eye properly.     However, the symptoms you mention tend to suggest an eye infection such as conjunctivitis in which case you would need your vet to prescribe the relevant eye drops.  Conjunctivitis causes the hamster to be 'dull' in that they are not as lively, and also they tend to rub their eyes as they are itchy - the eyes tend to look a bit red.  If this is the case I would suggest getting her to a vet as soon as possible as this condition is very uncomfortable

Answer 8

I'm no expert but i understand you must be panicy at the moment so i have found some sights for you....

http://www.petwebsite.com/hamsters/hamst...

http://en.allexperts.com/q/Gerbils-Hamst...

http://www.popularpets.net/hamsters/heal...

Answer 9

Okay, don't panic. Make a saline solution, boil some water, and add a little salt to it, not too much, you shouldn't be able to see the salt floating in the water once you added it, or if anyone in your family wears contact lenses, borrow the solution they use to clean them with because that solution is basically sterile saline solution. Let the solution cool, once its cool enough (when it isn't uncomfortably hot for you to touch) Get your hamster and gently dab the eye with a q-tip. This will not hurt him, the vet told me to use this on my hamster when she got shavings stuck in her eye and she was fine her eye opened almost instantly after that. Chances are you hamster eyes is 'glued' stuck with his eye p**p, once you remove the grossness from his eye it should open eventually, and atleast start looking a little better. Continue doing this everyday for a while until it looks better. If it gets any worse or the eye stays, pink and sore take him to the vet. If it is an eye infection the vet will probably give him some eye drops and anitbiotics.

He should be fine :) Good luck

Answer 10

My hamster eye was like that too.   You should do what you friend did dab it with warm water.  You should take your hamster to the vet.  When my hamster had it we got eye drops ( the eye drops didn't work but it might for your hamster so I don't know if you want to get them.) but like a week later she got really sick and we had to put her to rest.

   :(

P.S.  Good luck with your hamster.