Eye problems are a serious threat to the life of a hamster

Author: Olga

The hamster is a generally healthy and active rodent. Many owners of these funny animals don’t even think about what diseases their pets may have, because they have never encountered them. Hamsters are susceptible to diseases no less than other pets, but diagnosing an illness and treating a miniature pet is much more difficult than, say, a cat or dog. Especially when it comes to such an important and fragile organ as the eyes. So, if your hamster’s eyes are festered or swollen, what should a loving owner do? Let’s try to figure it out!

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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:

1. 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.
2. 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.
3. 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.
4. 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.

Symptoms of the disease and cause of development

There are several reasons that lead to the development of the disease. Pathogenic microorganisms enter the eyelid or mucous membrane of the eye, for example, from a previously ill animal. The danger is caused by the entrance gates for pathogens that are formed during injuries. Rodents are prone to fights, so eye wounds are considered common.

The development of conjunctivitis after contact with allergens is much less common. An allergic reaction to the irritant will be followed by lacrimation, itching, and then, if no action is taken, the first signs of conjunctivitis will appear.

Symptoms of the disease:

• redness of the skin around the eye and mucous membrane;
• wet groove near the tear duct;
• suppuration, sticking of eyelids;
• itching;
• increase in body temperature.

As for the behavior of the animal, it is either lethargic and sleeps a lot, or, on the contrary, aggressive. Appetite may be completely absent, but sometimes owners note a tendency to overeat.

As soon as such symptoms appear, it is necessary to isolate the individual from the rest, treat the cage, drinking bowls and feeders with disinfectants. If there is a child in the family, you need to limit direct contact. The next step is to take the rodent to the doctor. Self-treatment of conjunctivitis in a hamster is prohibited.

Common symptoms of eye diseases

How can you tell if your Homa has problems with his eyes? It is necessary to examine the animal daily so as not to accidentally miss the disease. You should be concerned if:

• Hamsters' eyes are wet;
• swollen eyelids;
• mucous discharge from the eye appeared;
• the pet does not open its eyes or at least one of them;
• fur began to come out on the eyelids;
• The hamster's eye turned white in the pupil area.

Cloudiness of the pupil is typical for old animals, but other symptoms occur in pets of all ages. Most often they are caused by diseases of bacterial origin.

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.

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:

1. Do not leave the animal's house in the sun.
2. Don't give your home a lot of sweets.
3. Make sure your diet is rich in carotenoids; they are found in carrots, parsley, zucchini and other foods of plant origin.
4. 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.

Prevention

Knowing that rodents are predisposed to eye infections, you need to take care of prevention:

• once a year examination by a ratologist;
• cleaning the cage and room with the addition of disinfectants once a month;
• creating a healthy diet;
• adding vitamin complexes;
• daily change of water and cleaning of drinkers and feeders.

It is important to limit the animal’s free movement around the house. It is necessary to prohibit children from feeding their pets with prohibited foods. After direct contact with an animal, you should wash your hands with soap. Under such conditions, the owner will be able to ensure the health of the animal for a long time.

Bacterial infections

If you notice that your hamster's eyes are festering, it means that your pet has picked up a bacterial infection. Its common pathogens are spherical and rod-shaped bacteria: staphylococcus, clostridium, E. coli, streptococcus, etc. Once under the eyelid, they begin to actively multiply. To fight them, the body sends protective cells - leukocytes, various enzymes and other substances that destroy the bacterial wall. As a result, pus is formed - a viscous substance containing living and dead bacteria.

There are several bacterial eye diseases. If your hamster's eye is festering, it could be one of the infections discussed below.

Conjunctivitis

The disease is not dangerous if left untreated. The disease in most cases is caused by pathogenic microflora and only occasionally has an allergic origin. First, the animal’s eyes begin to water; at this stage, few are able to recognize the disease. Then more reliable symptoms appear:

• The hamster's eye is rotting. Pus is a yellow or greenish mass that collects in the corners of the eye;
• the eyelids become inflamed and may swell;
• the palpebral slits narrow until the eye closes completely;
• the animal becomes apathetic and may lose appetite.

If a hamster's eyes fester, it is important to start treatment on time, since pathogenic flora can spread to the eyelids from the inside and outside, the hair will begin to come out, and the pet will be very uncomfortable. As a result of advanced conjunctivitis, the eyes may close completely, and this is a huge stress for the animal.

Few people know how to treat conjunctivitis in domestic rodents and whether it is possible to use a human first aid kit. Of course, it is better to make an appointment with your veterinarian to get professional advice. But if this is not possible, you will have to care for the fluffy yourself.

Doctors do not recommend smearing the eyes of rodents with tetracycline ointment. It is better to use Albucid drops, drip them three times a day. Treatment of hamsters, depending on the degree of neglect of conjunctivitis, will last from 3 days to 2 weeks.

Important points in treatment and prevention:

1. A sick hamster should be isolated from healthy individuals if you have several rodents.
2. Every eye of the animal is treated, even if suppuration is noticed in only one. This is done so that the animal does not transfer the infection from one eye to the other while washing.
3. During conjunctivitis, it is better to change the litter daily.
4. Eliminate sweets from the diet for a while, give only grains, nuts and unsweetened vegetables.
5. To reduce the chance of eye infection, clean the cage frequently. Also make sure that children play with the hamster after washing their hands first.

Conjunctivitis cannot be left untreated; this will lead to the eye not opening at all, or, on the contrary, it may “pop out.”

Blepharitis

Usually a complication of conjunctivitis, with inflammation spreading to the eyelids. They turn red and itch terribly, the hamster rubs its eyes, which is why the hair quickly falls out. If you bring your pet with these symptoms to the veterinarian, he will tell you in detail why the hamster's eye is swollen. The doctor will tell you how to properly treat blepharitis.

Usually, in case of purulent inflammation of the eyelids, the same eye drops are prescribed as for conjunctivitis. In addition, it is recommended to smear the animal’s eyelids with tetracycline ointment. Sanitation and diet are also similar to those for conjunctivitis.

bulging eye

It happens that one eye of a homa becomes larger than the other and seems to stick out a little. If a hamster's eye pops out, this is a consequence of injury (for example, falling from a height) or an advanced infection. Conjunctivitis can spread not only to the eyelids. Bacteria can penetrate into or under the eyeball. There they begin to divide, a lot of pus is formed, which seems to squeeze the eye out.

The situation is very serious, you will not be able to cope with it on your own. The prognosis is also disappointing: in most cases, the animal is prescribed surgery to remove the organ of vision.

“False” eye diseases

Sometimes the reason why a hamster's eyes won't open is due to other illnesses. For example, a severe inflammatory process in one of the cheek pouches. Because of this, the animal's cheek swells and props up the lower eyelid. As a result, the hamster is unable to fully open its eyes.

To help the animal, you should take it to the veterinarian for a cheek cleaning procedure. Eye drops and ointments are not needed at all.

The main condition for maintaining the health of your pet's eyes is cleanliness. Wash the cage often and do not touch the animal with dirty hands. But if your pet has an inflamed eye, treat it with special drops. Do not forget to isolate the sick rodent from a common cage if you have several hamsters, because eye diseases are very contagious.

Other diseases in hamsters that may cause eye problems

Eye infections are not always the reason why a hamster’s eyes are watery or other problems with the organs of vision have appeared. Sometimes the problems are completely different, and eye discomfort is just a side effect.

For example, inflammatory processes in the cheek pouches. In this case, the cheek may become swollen and, as a result, the hamster's eye closes. In this case, there is no need to put drops in your eyes or smear them with ointment, it will not be effective. The cheeks should be cleaned; this should only be done by a veterinarian.

Another common problem is an abscess in the hamster as a result of a strong blow, bites from other rodents and the like. For example, a bump or swelling in the head area, if the blow lands there, can cause redness of the eyes.

It’s great if you notice swelling in the initial stages, in which case you can get by with taking antibiotics, but if this moment was missed, a purulent wound may develop. This problem requires more serious treatment, often surgical intervention.

Under no circumstances should you self-prescribe medications to an animal. Sometimes rodents may not tolerate certain medications, this will lead to fatal consequences.

Only after a complete examination of the animal can the veterinarian correctly prescribe treatment. Sometimes, it may be necessary to open and wash the wound, install drainage, and apply sutures. Sometimes the abscess opens on its own, then the doctor performs a slightly different series of manipulations, which also include washing and disinfecting the diseased area of ​​the body.

Treatment of diseases

Most eye diseases in hamsters are divided into infectious and those resulting from injury.

Injuries

Injuries to the visual organs in hamsters are not uncommon, since they are quite active, mobile rodents. They can injure each other when kept together, they can run around the cage or apartment and get injured. If the eye is recently injured, it is quite difficult to understand the cause and severity of the injury. The hamster squints his watery eye and does not give him the opportunity to examine it.

Pain provokes a change in the animal’s behavior: it becomes nervous and timid, and can even hide from its beloved owner.

Damage to the cornea causes infections, inflammation and pus discharge. The eye becomes sour, from which one can unmistakably conclude that the injury has been sustained.

Before examining a sour eye, it is necessary to open it, that is, separate the stuck together eyelids. This is not easy to do, because they need to be soaked rather than torn. For these purposes, use saline solution or boiled water. You need to use at least two different (necessarily separate for each eye!) tampons or cotton pads.

Often the cause of eye inflammation in a domestic hamster can be another disease. This phenomenon is possible if the rodent’s cheek pouches become inflamed. As a result, the animal's eye hurts, waters, and the lower eyelid swells. After some time, the eye can be observed to stick together and increase in size.

In such a situation, you need to do the following - seek help from a veterinarian. There is such a procedure as cleaning the cheeks. It will not only ease your pet’s suffering, but also relieve such consequences as redness, swelling, inflammation and suppuration of the eyes.

What can cause an allergic reaction? How to fix it?

Allergies are a real scourge of hamsters; most small pets are susceptible to it. Pedigree rodents especially often suffer from it. For example, if a Syrian hamster has festering eyes, what should you do first? Remove litter from his enclosure, do not clean the house with chemicals, use simple laundry soap for cleaning. Particular attention should be paid to your pet's nutrition. If he eats a grain mixture, he should give it up for a while. You should also exclude from the diet all vitamin supplements, sticks that the hamster chews, and other similar things.

Anything can cause an allergy. Finding its source is very difficult. For example, a pet may react with eye inflammation to chemical additives contained in raw tap water. The use of air fresheners, scented candles, and incense by people can also cause such a reaction. Even a bouquet of roses standing in a vase not far from the cage can cause a negative reaction, as a result of which the hamster’s eyes fester.

How to treat such an allergy? Veterinary pharmacies offer virtually nothing for rodents. That's why most hamster owners do things the old fashioned way. That is, they try to identify the allergen and eliminate it. The eyes are washed with chamomile infusion or tea. For severe swelling, you can use drops intended for humans, but they should be diluted with boiled water at room temperature in a ratio of 1:4. The resulting solution can be used not only for instillation, but also for washing the eyes.

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.

Bulging eyes

This is more likely not a disease, but a consequence of injury to the eyeball, which has a bad effect on the general condition of the animal. A hamster can damage its eyes both in the fight against other rodents for survival and from dangerous objects contained in the cage - wood chips, sawdust, wire, etc.

Conjunctivitis

Both of these diseases are extremely dangerous and require timely treatment. Of course, you should contact a clinic to make a diagnosis and prescribe therapy. However, if this is not possible, then you can recognize diseases and cope with them yourself.

The main signs of developing conjunctivitis are:

• yellow or green pus with a specific odor that accumulates in the corners of the eyes and causes them to stick;
• inflamed eyelids, noticeable swelling or swelling;
• hair loss around the organs of vision;
• temperature, general weakness, apathy and lack of appetite.

The hamster constantly keeps his eyes slightly squinted or does not open them at all. The animal is so apathetic that it can simply lie there, not reacting to light, braking, or tasty food.

For treatment you need to use Albucid eye drops. The medicine needs to be instilled three times a day. Recovery takes from three days to a couple of weeks. The timing depends on how advanced the disease is, the general state of health, and the age of the hamster.

What eye diseases do hamsters suffer from?

Of course, there are real eye diseases that affect rodents. These are not allergic reactions, not manifestations of any internal pathologies, not the consequences of injury and not a sign of age-related changes, but ordinary ailments of the organs of vision that require diagnosis and special local therapy.

Hamsters suffer from the following eye diseases:

• conjunctivitis;
• blepharitis;
• “bulging eye” symptom.

In fact, the symptom of a “bulging eye” is not a disease; this pathology is a consequence of advanced conjunctivitis or serious injury. However, since this condition requires serious treatment, veterinarians classify it as an eye disease, although they call it a symptom.