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Our hamster is about 3 yrs old and his eyes are a little ...


Sent to Pet Experts November 27, 2007 11:31 a.m.

Our hamster is about 3 yrs old and his eyes are a little pasty and staying shut for the past 2 days. I have been taking a warm cloth and wiping his eyes and they stay open for awhile. What do you recommend? I though perhaps rubbing a tiny bit on Neosporin on the bottom of his eye since it is an antiobiotic cream?? Please help us. Thank you.

Optional Information:
Age: 3; Male; Breed: Hamster

Already Tried:
warm cloth around his eyes
Customer (name blocked for privacy)
Status: Closed   Value: $9   
Answer
November 27, 2007 2:09 p.m. (2 hours and 37 minutes later)
ACCEPTED Check Mark

Hi,

You must have taken fabulous care of your hammie for him to be well at three.That is quite old for the little guy.

You cannot use neosporen anywhere near the eyes.

Occasionally a hamster may get a sticky eye where the eyelids are fused together and older hamsters may be prone to 'sticky eyes'. This is often because a hamster may have something it its eye such as a piece of dust or it could be because the hamster's cage is placed in a draught or could be a symptom of a cold or allergy. The closed eye should be wiped with a small piece of cotton wool soaked in luke warm water. This is usually sufficient to open the eye but if not the eyelids can gently be pulled apart.

If a hamster has recurring problems with runny or sticky eyes or the eye appears cloudy the hamster could have an eye infection. This can be treated by mixing half a cup of sterile (boiled and cooled) water with a teaspoon of boric acid powder (available from a chemist or pharmacy) and using an eye dropper to bathe the eye twice or three times a day. If the hamster does not show improvement within a couple of days veterinary advice should be sought as antibiotics may help.

SOURCE:

http://www.petwebsite.com/hamsters/hamster_eye_problems.htm

I hope this helps and your little guy feels much better.

Best wishes for him,

Terri



1 Other Expert Agrees with this!

PictureTerri Riba  -- Animal Healthcare expert -- 100% Positive Feedback on 2571 Pet Accepts
20+ years in vet care experience in medicine, behavior, nutrition, holistics
6/25/2008 to 7/2/2008

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