Why does a hamster’s eye not open or fester, what to do?

Hamsters are small, unpretentious pets. With good care and maintenance, they rarely get sick. But it often happens that a hamster does not open one eye or both eyes. The main cause is exophthalmos, otherwise bulging eyes. By nature, hamsters have convex eyes that look like small beads. Due to the special structure of the organs of vision, they can easily injure the membrane of the eye or cause infection. If not treated in a timely manner, the rodent may lose its organ of vision and even die. Let's look at the reasons why a hamster's eye does not open or turns sour, and also what to do in this case.

In case of a disease of the hamster's visual organs, it is important to detect the problem as early as possible and contact a specialist. Self-medication is not recommended, since if the diagnosis is incorrect, the situation can only get worse.

You can recognize the onset of a disease in a hamster by external signs :

lack of appetite;
lethargy;
unkempt appearance;
the hamster sleeps a lot and often sits in the house;
swelling of the eyelids.

This behavior of the hamster indicates that he is not healthy. The animal should be examined carefully. If there are symptoms that indicate eye disease, it is important to show your hamster to a specialist as soon as possible to determine an accurate diagnosis.

Characteristic symptoms:

the hamster squints, afraid of bright light;
wet or sticky eyes;
presence of discharge from the eyes;
eyes half-closed or closed;
The hamster scratches its eyes and rubs its muzzle with its paws.

Discharge from the eyes may be white or light gray in color. In some cases there may be suppuration.

Causes of eye diseases:

Infection.
Eye injury.
Viral disease.
Allergic reaction to foods or surrounding objects.

Before prescribing treatment, a specialist must find out the cause, severity and conduct an examination. Some eye diseases can only be corrected through surgery.

Eye injury

Hamsters have protruding eyes, which is why they can easily suffer mechanical injury. The most common causes of injury:

When falling from a height;
Fight with other hamsters;
I ran into a sharp object: sawdust, hay and others.

Hamsters are small and nimble rodents. They should be held in your hands carefully. When a hamster falls from a height, it not only injures its visual organs, but also suffers hemorrhage. In this case, there is a high probability that the rodent may lose its vision.

Non-inflammatory diseases

Cataract

If your hamster's eye is cloudy, it could be a cataract - a metabolic disorder in the lens. The disease leads to

blindness. Eye drops are not effective, and surgery is not performed in either the Djungarian or the larger Syrian hamster. When the owner notices that the hamster's eye has turned white, this is a reason to consult a doctor, despite the fact that there is no treatment. Cataracts in a hamster are a sign of old age, decrepitude of the body, and in a dwarf or Campbell's hamster it is an indirect sign of diabetes. In both cases, treatment of the underlying disease is required to prolong the pet's life.

A thorn on the surface of the cornea is not a cataract, but the consequences of an injury, a scar. With cataracts, something light is visible in the depths, in the area of the pupil.

Glaucoma

An increase in intraocular pressure is accompanied not only by enlargement and bulging of the eyeballs, but also by severe pain. A doctor makes a diagnosis of glaucoma after measuring the pressure in the eye. It is not possible to normalize it with drops; the only treatment is enucleation to stop the pain. If you don't do anything, the eye will eventually burst. It is difficult to say why such a pathology occurs. Since Campbell's hamsters are most often affected, rarely Djungarians and never Syrians, a genetic (hereditary) nature is assumed.

Oncology

A small bump on a hamster's eyelid may be a tumor. Oncology can also be the reason why one eye suddenly becomes larger than the other. Ornamental rodents are susceptible to cancer and there is no effective treatment in such cases.

Temperature-related disorders

If a previously healthy animal suddenly falls into a coma, it is possible that it is hibernating. Breathing will be very rare, and the pet will be cold to the touch. In nature, dwarfs hibernate in winter, waiting out cold, hunger and short daylight hours.

Low room temperature

If the heating was turned off in the apartment, or you did not feed the hamster for several days while going on vacation, this could provoke torpor. The body will be cold, the heartbeat will be extremely rare (1 beat every 15 seconds). A sleeping hamster can barely breathe; due to its small size, it is difficult to understand whether there is breathing at all. But if the body remains soft, the rodent has not died. To awaken the animal, the cage is placed in a warm room (more than 20 C), the feeder and drinking bowl are filled. The hamster should wake up in 2-3 days.

Heat

The Djungarian hamster lives in the steppes, and the Syrian even in semi-deserts, but both species are extremely sensitive to high temperatures and direct sunlight. Tiny nocturnal rodents with dense fur have no protection from overheating - they do not sweat or breathe through their mouths like dogs. Heat stroke is deadly for them.

Signs of hyperthermia:

the hamster does not move and is breathing heavily;
weakness;
convulsions;
impaired coordination of movements.

In case of acute overheating, heart failure leads to the death of the pet. Death may not occur immediately, but within a couple of days due to the failure of all organs, if the temperature has risen so much that proteins have coagulated in the blood and organs (at 44 C).

Situations in which there is a danger of heat stroke:

transportation in a car;
a cage on a windowsill or balcony, outside (sun);
near heating devices;
in a stuffy room with high humidity.

It can be difficult to understand why a hamster is lying on its side and breathing heavily if by the time the owner returns the sun has already gone and does not illuminate the cage.

Treatment for heat or sunstroke

Transporting a pet to a clinic in case of heat or sunstroke is not the best solution; time for first aid will be missed. What can you do without the help of a veterinarian to help your pet:

Reduce temperature

First aid is to cool the body, but not too sharply: applying ice or immersing the hamster in water is prohibited! The animal is placed on a tile or ceramic dish, or on a damp towel. Gently wet ears and paws with cool water.

Fighting dehydration

Heat stroke very often occurs when there is no access to fresh drinking water. When the animal is unconscious, it can no longer use the drinking bowl. However, it is also dangerous to drink a hamster from a syringe: it will not swallow, and the liquid will enter the lungs, making breathing difficult and causing pneumonia.

The liquid (sterile Ringer's solution or sodium chloride) is injected subcutaneously into 4-8 ml of Syrian and 2 ml of Djungarian hamsters.

Antishock therapy

Although all potent medications are best used as prescribed by a doctor, in a situation with acute overheating, the hamster may not survive to take the ratologist. If you feel like you have nothing to lose, you should inject prednisolone 30 mg/ml intramuscularly (in the hind leg) with an insulin syringe. The dose for a Dzhungarik is 0.05 ml, for a Syrian - 0.1 ml.

The prognosis is unfavorable: the pet may die

Whether your pet survives may depend on how long it was exposed to the high temperature. If the hamster does not die immediately, on the first day after overheating the owner often notices that the hamster falls over on its side and can barely walk. Neurological disorders are associated with swelling of the brain, and if the pet survives, coordination of movements will gradually be restored.

Treatment of eye diseases

Hamsters may not be able to open their eyes due to an allergy to dust in the room or litter. In such cases, it is necessary to get rid of dust in the apartment and replace the bedding in the rodent’s cage with corn - hypoallergenic. If your pet has any discharge from the eyes, it must be removed with a cotton swab soaked in saline solution, chamomile infusion, or simply warm boiled water. Apply drops at least 3 times a day (0.25% solution of chloramphenicol).

To treat inflammatory processes yourself at home, it is best to drip Albucid into both eyes of the animal 3 times a day.

If your hamster does not open its eyes, you should immediately show the animal to a specialized veterinarian. At the clinic, the doctor will conduct all the necessary preliminary tests and examinations of the rodent, and find out the reasons that led to the disease itself. Having determined the nature and severity of the disease, your furry friend will be prescribed treatment. Ophthalmotherapy tactics include:

elimination of all infections;
pain relief;
saving the eye if possible;
identification and then treatment of primary diseases of fluffy animals, such as glaucoma or dental diseases (incisors);
Serious eye diseases will require immediate surgical treatment - surgery.

We tried to give the most detailed answer to the topic “why a hamster’s eyes don’t open,” giving reasons and recommended treatment. But always remember, by self-medicating you are putting your pet’s life in danger. The best option would be to contact a specialist who will quickly identify the cause of the disease and prescribe the correct treatment.

I would like to remind owners of four-legged furry rodents that competent and timely assistance will not only help your pet recover, but in some cases will save his life.

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Blepharitis

This disease may be a consequence of advanced conjunctivitis. In this case, the inflamed eyelid sticks together, and the inflammatory process spreads deeper and deeper inside. At an advanced stage, both organs of vision may be closed. This disease is accompanied by redness and swelling of the eyelids.

What to do in this case? This disease can be treated if you consult a veterinarian in time. Often the treatment regimen is identical to the treatment regimen for conjunctivitis. Often, special eye drops are used in the treatment of this disease, for example Tsiprovet or Floxal, as well as additionally tetracycline ointment.

With this disease, the hamster should be put on a diet and the cage should be disinfected.

Diagnosis of disease and inflammation

The appearance of pus is explained by leukocytes fighting pathogenic microorganisms.

The presence of the disease can be recognized by the following symptoms:

increased tearfulness;
cloudy discharge from the eyes of various shades (white, gray, green, yellow);
change in the size of the eyeballs;
sticking of the eyelids and the inability to open them;
decreased activity;
refusal of food and water;
avoiding bright light;
redness and swelling of the eyelids;
soreness of the affected organ;
itching and hair loss.

To diagnose at home, use saline solution or boiled water at room temperature to soak dried pus. After cleansing, carefully examine your eyelids for injuries, styes, cataracts and other alarming symptoms.

In addition to injury, a local abscess known as a stye may occur on the eyelids.

When cleansing your eyelids, avoid using cotton wool, which can cause injury due to lint. Cotton pads are considered completely safe.

Do not use 1 disc on 2 eyes. In this case, the infection will spread.

In what cases should you contact a veterinarian?

Sometimes trying to help a pet on your own is the worst idea, since unnecessary delay can lead to very sad consequences. Here are the cases in which you need to contact a veterinarian immediately:

The animal feels so bad that it eats poorly or refuses food altogether. If your pet refuses water, you should call a doctor immediately, regardless of the time of day.
Severe weakness and apathy. For normally active hamsters, these signs are atypical and strongly indicate serious health problems.

Preventive measures

Agree, it is better to prevent any disease in domestic hamsters than to treat it later. And for this you need to create the necessary conditions for your pet.

Considering the causes of such diseases, caring owners should:

Use cage mats specifically designed for hamsters. Such material should not contain piercing or cutting objects, as well as a lot of dust.
You should not keep a large number of rodents in one cage. They can injure each other, which will result in various diseases, including eye diseases.
Genetically predisposed individuals must be immediately excluded from the general “herd.” Such hamsters can be a carrier of an infection from birth, transmitted to them from their mother or father.
During the keeping process, the cage with rodents must be placed in a bright place, but protected from the sun. Direct exposure to sunlight and ultraviolet radiation negatively affects the health of pets.
Regular examination of animals will help you at an early stage to identify not only carriers of diseases, but also to prevent the development of an already established disease in hamsters.

Video “Caring for Hamsters”

How to properly care for hamsters so that they never get sick is described in the video below. Video taken from the Rostovlife City Portal channel.

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How to treat stuck eyes in hamsters

Treatment is carried out if the animal has an infectious inflammation of the eye. It can also begin due to untimely removal of a foreign body from the cornea.

Treatment of infectious inflammation of the cornea is carried out using broad-spectrum antibiotics, external antibacterial or antifungal drugs.

Sometimes anti-inflammatory corticosteroids may be needed. Only a veterinarian can prescribe the correct therapy using medications. It is very important to accurately calculate the dose of the medicine. This issue cannot be solved without veterinary assistance.

Owners should regularly wash their sore eyes to prevent pus from accumulating on them. You can use different solutions:

furatsilina;
slightly diluted potassium permanganate;
physiological (from table salt).

Hamsters need to wash their eyes only with warm solutions, so as not to aggravate the inflammatory process.

If the foreign body cannot be removed from the cornea by rinsing, then surgical intervention may be required in a veterinary clinic. Therefore, you should not try to remove foreign objects from the animal’s eye on your own. It is best to contact a veterinarian, who, using special tools, will quickly eliminate the mechanical problem of inflammation of the cornea.

Self-medication of an animal with such diagnoses can lead to its death. If your hamster's eyes are stuck together and do not open for two to three days, you should contact a specialist. Emergency veterinary care will be required in the following cases:

the animal refuses water and food, does not move and looks bad;
the eyeball protrudes or falls out of the socket;
the animal becomes lethargic and apathetic, which is completely uncharacteristic of always active and active hamsters.

Other diseases typical for pets

Often the reason that a hamster lies, does not move, does not eat, does not drink, but breathes, are infectious and viral diseases. In such cases, it is advisable to pay attention to additional signs, since in the absence of timely medical assistance, the hamster may die.

Pneumonia

Pneumonia, or “pneumonia,” can occur if the cage has been left in a draft or in a cool, humid room, such as a bathroom, for a long time. Additional signs of its development, in addition to frequent breathing, are:

wheezing, gurgling in the lungs, which can be heard without additional equipment;
presence of nasal discharge;
lack of physical activity, lethargy;
lack of appetite.

In such cases, it is best to call a ratologist, because the animal will need intensive injection therapy for 10-14 days. Only a specialist can prescribe medications. However, rapid breathing can cause heart failure. Upon examination, only a veterinarian will be able to indicate the real reason for this behavior.

Agony

If the hamster lies motionless, his eyes are open, and his breathing is heavy, he is most likely in his death throes. This often occurs after the animal falls ill a few days before the onset of such a condition. It’s a pity that if the hamster is breathing heavily and lying on his back, most likely there is no way to help him. An experienced veterinarian will suggest performing a euthanizing injection in such cases.

To make sure that the baby is really in agony, you need to remember whether he had diarrhea in the last 24 hours, whether his stomach suddenly increased in size and whether the pet lost weight. Hamsters cannot get sick for a long time because their metabolism is too fast. For this reason, you should immediately call a veterinarian or go to him for an appointment yourself, because hamsters “burn out” literally in a day or two.

Providing first aid to a sick hamster

Timely provision of first aid to a sick animal is extremely important:

The pet is given complete rest and is not disturbed unless unnecessary.
In some cases, it is possible to remove foreign objects and debris from the animal’s eyes. To do this, experienced breeders use a small syringe and warm saline solution.
If an allergy is suspected, your pet can be given a couple of drops of Zyrtec or a similar drug. Diphenhydramine and other medications in tablet form should not be given, as dosing problems may arise.

Oral and dental diseases

Hamsters, like any rodents, grow their incisors throughout their lives, so owners should pay special attention to oral hygiene and the animals' teeth. If the pet does not grind down its teeth, this will lead to injury, damage to the oral mucosa, the development of acute inflammation, the formation of abscesses, and abscesses.

Pathologies and dental diseases in Djungarians and Syrians are manifested by redness of the mucous membranes, hypersalivation, decreased appetite, weight loss, abnormal growth, deformation of the incisors, and inflammation of the cheek pouches.

Inflammation of the cheek pouches is one of the most commonly diagnosed pathologies. It is characterized by inflammation, prolapse (prolapse), and the appearance of pathological formations.

The disease develops due to injury to the oral mucosa. With this pathology, the animals behave restlessly, rubbing their cheeks and muzzle with their paws.

Appetite decreases. Saliva flows from the mouth.

As a rule, the pathological process affects the inner surface of the cheeks.

To relieve inflammation, you need to rinse your pet’s mouth with an antiseptic solution or chamomile decoction. To normalize digestion, give your hamster probiotics and enzymes.

For neoplasms, surgical treatment, restorative, and symptomatic medications are prescribed.

If your hamster has inflamed cheek pouches, treatment should be carried out by a veterinarian. The specialist will carefully turn out the cheeks and clean them of food debris. Inflammation will be relieved by bactericidal drugs, antiseptics, and medications for local and general treatment. After therapy, the hamster must be kept on a fasting diet for 12–14 hours.

Causes of eye diseases

Hamsters are susceptible to various infections and age-related diseases. Eye diseases are quite common among them. If you don’t know why the hamster doesn’t open its eye, look into this issue. This will help to heal the fluffy faster and avoid illnesses in the future.

Here are the main reasons:

Unsanitary conditions. The most common cause of eye infections in hamsters. In a filler that has not been changed for a long time, pathogenic microorganisms multiply at incredible speed. But homa likes to burrow into the litter, so the likelihood of picking up an infection is very high.
Allergy. If you feed your pet all sorts of exotic foods, then don’t be surprised that your hamster’s eyes are watery. This is a common allergic reaction. Allergies can also be triggered by the chemicals you used to wash the cell.
Injuries. Injuring the eyes of hamsters is not that difficult. The animal can prick its eye with hard hay or drive a piece of sawdust litter under the eyelid. But if a hamster has one eye closed, most likely the animal’s cheek is damaged: it is so swollen that the eye closes by itself.
General decrease in immunity. It has been noted that conjunctivitis in hamsters is often accompanied by pneumonia, tuberculosis and viral diseases of the respiratory tract.

There are also senile changes in the organs of vision, in which white spots appear.