Why doesn't my hamster's eye open? What should I do? Dzungarik does not open his eyes

Why doesn't a hamster open its eyes?

So why doesn't the hamster open its eyes? Below we will look at some pathological reasons, the action of which leads to the inability of the animal to open its eyelids.

Some of them are not too dangerous, while in other cases the owner needs to immediately call a veterinarian.

Entry of a foreign object

One of the most common causes of eyelid sticking is the entry of a foreign object. As a rule, its role is played by sawdust and other “elements” of the litter. There are, however, cases when, as a result of using free sawdust from a nearby sawmill, a hamster gets metal shavings in the eye. Therefore, for the sake of your pet’s health, you shouldn’t skimp on the quality of its bedding! In all of the above situations, the hamster cannot open its eyes for two reasons:

Due to the strong pain reaction, the animal does not want to open its eyes again.
Since a foreign body is always “teeming” with pathogenic and conditionally pathogenic microflora, the damaged organ will certainly become inflamed and inflammatory exudate will begin to be released. The latter glues the edges of the eyelids so securely that the hamster can squeak in pain from fear, but will not open his eyes.

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A separate case, although not uncommon, is when a hamster has a white spot on its eye. Veterinarians call this pathology a thorn. The main reason that a hamster's eye turns white is trauma, in some cases cataracts.

It also happens that a hamster has a white spot on his eye that completely covers the entire eye. Homkin's white eyes need to be examined by a veterinarian to determine whether it is an injury or indeed a cataract. But neither one nor the other is an infectious disease, so it cannot be treated with any drops or ointments. Your pet will continue to live, but with the resulting defect.

Other causes of eye sticking in hamsters

Let's look at other causes of eye sticking in hamsters:

Ophthalmological pathologies in pets with fluffy, long hair. It happens that it either gets into the eyes, or begins to grow so that the hairs rest directly on the surface of the cornea. For this reason, such pets should regularly trim the overgrown fur around their eyes.
If grass from the nearest roadside is used to feed the animal , the “homa” may get stubble in the eye (these pets are not particularly brilliant, unfortunately).
If the animal regularly runs around the house in free-range mode, then even more troubles can happen to its eyes. A pet can injure its vision organs with small elements of children's toys and various household garbage. In addition, in this case, household chemicals may get into the animal’s eyes, which will almost certainly lead to the hamster’s blindness.

Other diseases of hamsters

Hamsters are susceptible to cardiovascular pathologies, which can be congenital or acquired. Among Syrians and Djungarians, problems are detected in the functioning of the excretory system (cystitis, pyelonephritis), nervous disorders (encephalitis), which develop against the background of severe stress, due to overheating.

It is worth noting that severe fright can provoke paralysis and cause cardiac arrest, which will lead to the death of the hamster.

In any case, if you notice that your pet’s behavior has changed, your pet has become lethargic and inactive, do not ignore the problem. Many hamster diseases can be cured in the early stages of development.

Therefore, be sure to show your pet to a doctor or call a veterinarian at home. However, remember that many diseases and pathologies that occur in hamsters are easier to prevent thanks to proper care and maintenance.

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.

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.

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Treatment for stuck eyes in hamsters

As a rule, treatment of stuck eyes in hamsters does not cause any particular problems:

If the entry of a foreign body was not immediately detected and it has reached inflammation, the animal is prescribed broad-spectrum antibiotics (or other antibacterial agents, or antifungal drugs).

In some cases, anti-inflammatory corticosteroids may be required.

To prevent eye sticking, a sick hamster needs to be washed regularly. To do this, you can use both regular saline solution and more “vigorous” means in the form of a solution of furatsilin. Before use, all these products must be warmed to room temperature, since washing the eyes with cool solutions can only aggravate the course of the disease.

If inflammation and subsequent gluing of the eyelids is caused by foreign bodies getting into the pet’s eyes, and it was not possible to remove this debris with regular washing, they resort to surgical removal of all excess. You should not try to pull them out on your own, as special tools and appropriate skills are required.

Age-related changes

If a hamster has a white spot on its eye, this indicates that the animal is beginning to undergo senile changes in its body. This disease is called cataracts and occurs in all mammals. It is caused by clouding of the lens. More often the eye becomes cloudy in the area of the pupil, less often along the periphery. At first the spot is gray, gradually turning white.

The development of cataracts in rodents is caused by stress, eye injuries, and sometimes the disease results from other ailments: diabetes mellitus in dzhungarik, food poisoning. The risk of cataracts increases if the animal's cage is regularly exposed to the sun.

Unfortunately, there is no cure for this eye disease in hamsters; it is impossible to get rid of it. But there are tips that will help significantly reduce the risk of developing the disease:

Do not leave the animal's house in the sun.
Don't give your home a lot of sweets.
Make sure your diet is rich in carotenoids; they are found in carrots, parsley, zucchini and other foods of plant origin.
Treat your animal's eye infections promptly.

In rare cases, furry cats have congenital cataracts. What to do if your pet has an eyesore? Hamsters don’t have very good eyesight anyway, but with this problem they can see completely poorly. Therefore, do not clutter the cage with furniture, as this can lead to injury.

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.

Treatment of diseases

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.).

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.

Prevention and eye care for hamsters

Thus, timely prevention and eye care for hamsters will help get rid of many problems:

As we already wrote above, in the case of long-haired pets, excess hairs near their eyes need to be trimmed.
The pet should be examined regularly and, if necessary, wipe off crusts of dried discharge from the eyes using a cotton pad and warm, sterile saline solution.
To avoid problems associated with foreign bodies from low-quality bedding getting into the eyes, we recommend using only high-quality bedding material. If you want to feed your pet fresh grass, you should only pick the juicy and soft parts of the plants.

Main causes of heavy breathing

The animal's condition can worsen due to various reasons:

Pneumonia is the development of inflammatory processes in the lungs. Characterized by wheezing, gurgling and wheezing sounds when breathing. An indicator of the disease is also discharge from the nasal cavity observed over several days. In this case, the hamster becomes inactive, inactive, does not approach the feeder, and drinks little. It becomes difficult for him to breathe, which hinders his movements. The animal simply lies and tries to move less.
Tumors or metastases in the lungs. Tumors can be benign or malignant (cancerous). Catalysts for their formation can be viruses, a previous infectious disease, decreased immunity, disturbances in the hormonal system, injuries and other reasons. If the tumor begins to spread throughout the body, metastases appear. Their localization may also be in the lungs.
Poisoning. Intoxication factors: spoiled food or low quality water; eating poisonous plants or grains; ingress of toxic substances into food or water. Signs of poisoning include difficulty breathing, thirst, lethargy, refusal to eat, vomiting, and diarrhea.
State of agony. If the hamster is breathing heavily and does not move, then this may be an indicator of the pre-mortem stage. Occurs as a result of a serious illness.