A hamster's eye is festering

The smaller the pet, the greater the responsibility. If a tiny hamster is feeling unwell, it will not disturb its owner by crying or prevent it from sleeping at night. But the hamster's nervous system is just as complex, and it experiences suffering and pain.

An observant owner usually notices that his pet is not at ease. In order not to miss the onset of the disease, it is worth examining your pet at least once a day, even during periods of extreme busyness.

Signs of disease:

the eye does not open;
one eye is larger than the other;
eyelids sticky with yellowish discharge;
the eyeball is enlarged and protrudes from the orbit;
whitening of the surface, cloudy whitish stains in the depths of the eye;
discharge from the eyes is cloudy or grayish in color, sometimes mixed with blood;
sticky wet eyelids;
general lethargy and drowsiness;

Causes of conjunctivitis

In 99 cases out of 100, the nature of conjunctivitis is infectious, however, conjunctivitis can also be allergic. which is caused by an incorrect diet (an abundance of fruit in the hamster’s diet)…

Conjunctivitis may be caused by poor diet

Veterinarians believe that inflammatory processes in the eyes and mucous membrane of the eye in a hamster are caused by the contact of microorganisms with pathogenic microflora on this same mucous membrane, which begin to multiply on the mucous membrane and affect the cells of the eye.

However, the hamster’s body also does not sleep and tries to fight this disease, producing an entire army of leukocytes that look like... a coating of pus in front of the eyes. As a rule, it is at this stage of the disease, when pus begins to ooze from the hamster’s eyes, that its owner notices that something is wrong with the small rodent.

But, to the symptoms of purulent discharge, other symptoms are already being added - the dzhungarik begins to refuse food, leads a sedentary lifestyle and becomes apathetic. Well, as they say, purulent conjunctivitis is in full swing, and you immediately need to start treatment.

However, let's first find out where your hamster found this pathogenic pathogen?

Why do hamsters get conjunctivitis?

As a rule, a hamster can become infected with conjunctivitis after walking around the apartment, provided that you have been cleaning this apartment for a long time - dust and pathogenic microorganisms got on the mucous membrane of the rodent's eye, and the hamster got sick.

Also, your careless attitude towards cleaning the hamster’s cage and house can cause conjunctivitis in the rodent. Well, if you look at this problem as a whole, then...

Due to the special, convex structure of the Djungarian hamster's eye (exophthalmos), its visual organs are very vulnerable and susceptible to such inflammatory and purulent processes.

The reasons why a person develops conjunctivitis. explain the classification of this disease.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0sZXaBKwCTo

The most common conjunctivitis is viral and bacterial. Staphylococci or streptococci enter the eyes through the hands, and viruses spread due to diseases such as herpes and chickenpox. sore throat, measles.

How to wash your hamster's eyes

To wash your hamster's eye, you need to be extremely careful. The technique here is as follows:

Take the animal in your hand and wait until it calms down.
If the eye is stuck together due to a crust, then you need to apply a cotton swab dipped in warm water to it and wait. After a couple of times, the eye will open and you can carefully remove pus and mucus from the eyelids.
Take a cotton swab, moisten it in warm water and gently apply it to the dust or dirt that is stuck to the eye.

It is very important to use slightly warm water - cold or heat can injure the hamster.

WARNING : If the object or crust cannot be removed or is stuck, do not apply force under any circumstances, this may harm the animal.

There are several types of eye diseases in hamsters

Symptoms and signs of diseases of hamsters - regular, Djungarian, Syrian

The hamster is losing a lot of weight, he is lethargic and refuses to play. Moves slowly, sometimes staggering and with difficulty. Refuses food, sometimes drinks, or drinks a lot. Sits hunched over, eyes half closed. The coat looks disheveled, greasy, or falls out in clumps, forming tangles.

The owner may also notice:

unpleasant odor from the pet;
bowel dysfunction (constipation/diarrhea);
various elements of a rash appear on the skin (from blisters to crusts);
the hamster's eyelids stick together or the eyes lose their shine and transparency, become cloudy with a whitish veil, and protrude;
the animal is limping;
breathing heavily, coughing or sneezing;
there is discharge of mucus, pus or serous and bloody discharge from the eyes, mouth, genitals;
torticollis;
constant itching;
wet fur near the anus or around the muzzle;
cheek pouches fall out;
The animal is losing a lot of weight or gaining weight.

Swollen eyes

If the hamster's eye is swollen and clearly larger than the other, then this is a sign of injury or the formation of an abscess. Injuring a hamster's eye is no big deal; he can scratch it in a fight with another hamster, or some element of bedding, or even banal dust, has gotten into it. An abscess can be not only under the eye, everything is strictly individual.

IMPORTANT: An abscess is not a disease, but a symptom of injury - a capsule of pus that can be hidden deep in the animal’s body. The tissue around it will become inflamed and will be hotter than the rest of the body.

Symptoms

A swollen, oozing eye, possible mucus secretion and inflammation of the surrounding tissues, which the hamster will actively rub.

Treatment

Exclusively in the clinic. An abscess cannot be removed at home.

Symptoms of eye diseases

The most important symptom is the appearance of cloudy whitish or grayish discharge from the eyes (this indicates that an infection has entered the eyes) or transparent (most often happens in the case of an allergic reaction). The eyelids are wet, stuck together and half-open or completely closed.

In addition to all this, the hamster behaves unusually: it runs a little, constantly seems to be sleeping, and refuses to eat.

Encephalitis

The disease is accompanied by paresis and paralysis. The process develops at lightning speed. During the first 2 days, the hamster may die.

Rabies

An infectious disease that is fatal to a hamster, regardless of its breed. Caused by rhabdovirus.

Main signs: hydrophobia, aggression, ruffled fur, refusal to eat and drink.

False rabies

Aujeszky's disease is a viral infection that attacks the nervous system of a hamster. The disease begins with skin symptoms (itching, scratching). The animal is restless and loses its voice. In an untreated state, the hamster experiences paresis and then paralysis of the larynx.

Injuries and tumors

How can you tell if your hamster is sick? This question interests many breeders of small pets. A healthy hamster has beautiful shiny fur, leads an active lifestyle, especially at night, and shows interest in the world around it. The animal eats food with appetite, makes supplies, and arranges its home. The Djungarian, the Syrian, has clear, clean eyes and an expressive gaze.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9XrK61Do1z4

Important! You can understand that a rodent is sick not only by external signs, but also by the changed behavior of the hamster.

Main symptoms of diseases:

decreased activity, lethargy, apathy;
deterioration of fur condition (wet fur);
severe itching;
the appearance of scratches, bald patches, wounds, ulcers on the body;
discharge from the nose, eyes;
increased thirst;
allergies, skin rash;
bowel dysfunction (diarrhea, constipation);
frequent urination;
pallor, cyanosis of mucous membranes;
sticky eyelids;
the presence of blood and clots in the urine;
disturbance of breathing, heart rhythm;
accumulation of wax and dirt in the ears;
yellowness, peeling of the skin;
loss of cheek pouches;
impaired coordination of movements;
boils on the body.

In case of injuries or sprains, the hamster limps, sits constantly in the house or hides in the corner of the cage. The rodent loses a lot of weight or, on the contrary, gains weight and gains weight too quickly.

Advice! Take a good look at your pet's home. If a hamster suffers from indigestion, cystitis, or endocrine pathologies, an unpleasant specific odor appears, the feces will be liquid, and the space will be filled with excrement.

If the hamster has lost weight, refuses its favorite treats, has watery eyes, swollen eyelids, the pet has become inactive, shows aggression, is breathing frequently, or other symptoms uncharacteristic of a healthy animal are noticeable, you should not ignore the problem.

If your hamster's eye is watering, it could be either an infection or an allergic reaction.

It is very easy to distinguish between these diseases:

Clear discharge from the eyes indicates an allergic reaction, which is most likely caused by the presence of fruit in the diet or the presence of poor-quality sawdust bedding.
Milky to gray discharge from the eyes is an infection that is transmitted by airborne droplets and can be treated with medication and antibiotics.

In addition, when a hamster's eyes turn sour, this is accompanied by loss of appetite, drowsiness and inactive pastime. This is a signal to start treatment. But an attentive owner should initially make sure that the animal is really sick, and not just that a foreign object got into the hamster’s eye, causing excessive tearing.

The most common diseases that occur in small domestic rodents and cause sour eyes:

Cold. Accompanied by lethargy, difficulty breathing, sneezing, and often coughing.
Conjunctivitis. The eyes swell, stick together, the animal is anxious and itches all the time.
Mechanical damage is associated with increased aggressiveness of the animal or occurs due to careless handling by the owners.

Contagious diseases in hamsters

These include bacterial and viral infections, parasites (external and internal), and fungal diseases. Such problems occur in rodents much less often than non-communicable diseases. The infection can be transmitted by other rodents, humans, parasites, food and bedding (hay).

Some infections are very dangerous and lead to the death of the animal in 1-2 days, others can be transmitted to humans. Having little idea of what hamsters suffer from, owners usually begin to worry if the hamster bites someone in the household. Whether it is worth worrying is a controversial issue: rabies vaccinations are not given after a rodent bite, but the wound must be treated with an antiseptic and remember about other diseases.

Lymphocytic choriomeningitis

Such problems are usually caused by improper feeding and management of animals. If the temperature regime is violated, the hamster faces sun/heatstroke, or the other extreme - hypothermia.

An unsuitable cage or wheel and walking around the apartment cause injuries. Shared housing leads to wounds and abscesses if the animals fight.

Treatment of diseases

If, after reading the article, you suspect that you have symptoms characteristic of this disease, then you should consult an ophthalmologist.

A hamster's eyes are bulging, this is normal, but this also makes them susceptible to infection. It often happens that a hamster manages to escape from his fortress and run around in nature, or around the house, in dusty corners.

This is where the risk of the hamster catching an eye infection (conjunctivitis) comes into play. These reasons are not the only ones, however, there are quite a lot of such cases.

And it is not at all necessary for the hamster to run around in dusty, dirty places; sometimes it is enough just to forget to change his bedding a couple of times. Also, read about conjunctivitis in hamsters here.

No matter how trivial it may sound, it is better to contact a veterinarian; he can directly determine on the spot the exact cause of eye disease in your hamster and take all necessary measures.

For correct and effective treatment of conjunctivitis, it is necessary to first determine the cause that caused the disease. Many conjunctivitis goes away on its own, but the use of medications significantly speeds up healing.

Hello, Lilya!

It is better to show the small rodent to the veterinarian. Conjunctivitis can be a symptom of other, more serious diseases. On the other hand, it could just be “sour eyes.” This happens to all hamsters from time to time, especially older ones.

In simple cases, washing the organs of vision with a weak solution of tea leaves can sometimes help. Another treatment option using available remedies is to rinse them with lightly salted water several times a day, washing out the pus. Chamomile infusion is a universal remedy for such cases; it can also cure the disease at an early stage.

Small animals often suffer from ophthalmological diseases. Allergic, serous, purulent conjunctivitis, cataracts, glaucoma, and uveitis are noted in hamsters. In these diseases, blepharospasm, lacrimation, swelling, swelling, and sticking of the eyelids are observed.

Treatment should begin immediately as soon as you notice the first symptoms. Do not forget that eye diseases can provoke not only a deterioration in visual function, but also cause complete or partial blindness.

In medical therapy, the choice of methods depends on the stage, nature of the disease, and the root cause. Solutions for washing the eyes and ophthalmic drops may be prescribed.

After the examination and identification of the disease, the veterinarian prescribes treatment for his “little patient,” which consists of several stages:

if a hamster’s eye festers, this is a sign of a bacterial infection that needs to be destroyed;
saving the eyeball, if possible;
reduce the risk of further damage to the organ of vision;
numb the painful area;
and only at the very end the specialist begins to treat the underlying disease that caused inflammation of the visual organs (glaucoma, dental disease, injury, etc.).

Diet restrictions

Consider one more point: the immunity of a sick rodent, like that of any pet, weakens during illness. Therefore, special attention should be paid to nutrition here. You can feed the animal only approved products. You should also exclude some permitted treats from your diet so as not to aggravate the course of the disease.

Dietary treatment consists of cereals, a small portion of animal protein. The animal's water needs to be changed several times a day.

If within a few days you have not noticed an improvement in the condition of your sick pet, you have no other choice but to take him to the veterinarian.

Preventive measures

If you notice that your pet is in trouble, the first thing you need to do is:

protect the “little animal” from contact with other relatives, if any;
all objects in the cage with which the hamster and the cage itself have been in contact should be disinfected with a strong solution of potassium permanganate;
Treat the area around the animal’s eyes with sterile saline, and drip the eyes themselves with Albucid drops. You need to drip at least 4 times a day, 1-2 drops. Drops can be purchased at any pharmacy;
switch the rodent to its natural diet, feed the rodent what its relatives eat in the wild: grains and a little (just a little) chicken, because this is a natural protein.

After such procedures, you will see results within 1-2 days. If there is none, the eye does not open or is still festering, do not engage in further self-medication.

Remember! It is almost impossible to cure eye diseases in hamsters on your own. Contact a knowledgeable specialist, and he will try to help the animal.

In the most extreme cases, if you still cannot turn to specialists for qualified help in a timely manner, try, first of all, to clear your eyes of unusual discharge and drip drops containing antibiotics into them, for example Tsipromed, Tsiprpovet or others.

You will also need an antibiotic, which is often used in veterinary medicine - Baytril 2.5%. The spectrum of action of the drug is wide, it has an antibacterial effect.

The course of treatment with the drug is at least 10 days.

If, nevertheless, the hamster’s eye pops out, then most likely it will not be possible to save him. The case when one eye is larger than the other is a period when the inflammatory process is just beginning and effective treatment will help save the animal not only the organ of vision, but also the life.

Using the simple techniques given above, it is possible to preserve the health and life of your beloved hamster.

The hamster's eye popped out

(100%)

votes

What to do, how to treat?

If you find that your hamster's eye has become infected, be sure to show it to the veterinarian; do not self-medicate, because the main thing is not to do harm. But, if there is no veterinarian in your town, or even a veterinary pharmacy where you can get advice on medications and dosages, you can use Albucid eye drops. Apply 1 drop in each eye (if one eye is inflamed, you also need to put it in the second!), 3 times a day. In the first days of treatment, positive dynamics should be observed. Otherwise, you definitely need to seek individual help.

Now, you know why a hamster’s eye festers and what to do in this case. For prevention purposes, do not let the animal run freely around the room.

Please rate the article

4.3173076923077 Rating 4.32 (52 votes)

< Back
Forward >

We will be very grateful if you share it on social networks. Thank you!

Comments

+22 Victoria 04/19/2014 12:43 Hello. Good advice, but my parents are veterinarians and I know that albucid stings very strongly! And for this reason you can drip levomecithin drops. The effect is the same, but it’s not so painful for the pet.