is my hamster sick?

Question

my hamster's left eye is closed up, and has what looks like some gunk on it. I washed it with warm water and it opened up again but a few hours later it went again? is he sick, what should i do? please answer? also he is getting quite thin

he is quite old too, in early december he is going to be two. please help i'm so worried about him

Answer 1

Hamsters may wake up sometimes unable to open one or both of their eyes. This is somewhat normal, and nothing to really worry about unless it is persistent, in which case it might be conjunctivitis. You can help by using a damp cloth with warm water. Then, just keep a close eye on him, if one or both of his eyes keep getting stuck together or there is some kind of discharge constantly coming out of them, it would be best that he sees a vet as soon as possible.

Answer 2

Sounds like it has an infection, a trip to the vets and some antibiotic ointment should help, but you are doing the right thing bathing it in warm water, (the eye, not the hamster!). Try not to let it carry on too long as they can go downhill very quickly being as small as they are. Hope this helps, good luck.

Answer 3

occasionally an eye can get scratched during a squabble with another hamster. Or it can become irritated from something in it like dust, dirt, a wood chipe, etc. If the eye is "matted" shut, soak it with a wet washcloth, warm (not hot) water please! This may have to be repeated several times before the eye opens. Once the eye is open cleanse with saline solution (the saline solution made for contact lenses is sterilized and works well). Boric acid can also be used. Normally eyes heal very rapidly. A veterinarian should be consulted in the event of a serious eye injury or if the redness persists. The saline can be used straight from the bottle. However a solution needs to be prepared if you use Boric Acid (mix one teaspoon of Boric Acid with one-half cup of cooled boiled water.)


You should rinse your hamster's water bottles with diluted household bleach periodically.
This simple duty kills any algae that may be starting to grow inside the water bottle.
Algae is especially prevalent in bottles receiving direct sunlight.

Answer 4

Sounds like he is being abused by his spouse. Does he often give the excuse he fell of the wheel or does he say he got his paw caught in the cage door. If these or any other answer resembles what I've just described I suggest you remove him from the home imediately and get him to a battered hamsters shelter.

Answer 5

He may have an eye infection which is pobably making him feel a bit under the weather and that may be why he's not eating and getting thin. Take him to a vet and he'll give you some drops or cream to put on his eye. Hope he's o.k.

Answer 6

I have worked personally with hamsters for a very long time, and I think that your hamster might have an infection in the teeth. give it something hard to chew on and get it to a vet right away!

Answer 7

1)bedding allergy (especially if you use pine, cedar or other "aromatic" bedding)

2)infection from scratching eye while grooming

3)slept on that side of his face and irritated it

4)infrequently due to an impacted cheek pouch (but of course you'd also see the huge cheek pouch along with the closed eye)

5)misaligned incisors which need to be trimmed ... the overgrown teeth start to push against the inside of the cheek and irritates the eye a bit on that side of hamster's face.


losing weight would maybe indicate pain eating

Answer 8

I'm sorry to say i don't think he is going to make it that is what happened to my Guinna pig and he died also my friend had a hamster that was like that she took it to the vets and he told her the same thing, it might not be but if i was you I'd be taking it up to the vets asap

Answer 9

Wow hun ; Im really sorry but I dont think he will be around much longer . That is the exact same thing that happened to my hamster ; he lost a lot of weight when he was 3 & he died shortly after .

Answer 10

i also have a few hamsters recent years and i've been keeping hamsters for 3 years. i got a few old hamsters all suffer from the same symptom before they die. usually they started to look weak, less movement and just about a week before they die, one of the eyes started to closed. it is funny that they all started with one eye and not both. i think it might due to implication of infection of their internal organ. when they couldn't eat solid food, i usually feed them with white bread soaked with milk.
hope your hamster will all right, but prepare for worst. God Bless....