How to put Eye-Drops in your Hamster's Eyes

[pophammy]

How to put Eye-Drops in your Hamster’s Eyes

We came up with this technique when our hamster Bingley had problems with his tear glands and so needed eye drops each night. He wouldn’t sit still, but we found that this method makes it a lot easier.

You need:
* 2 people (preferably)
* A handkerchief
* Hamster and eye drops (obviously :P)

1. It is possible to do this on your own, but it’s a lot easier with two people. Start by placing the hamster on top of the handkerchief.



2. Gather the handkerchief up around the hamster tightly, so that only its head sticks out of it (we call it ‘swaddling’!). This way the ham can’t wriggle or bat at the drops with its feet.


(Bingley’s eyes are already wet here because the first pics we took were too blurry )

3. Whilst holding the hamster firmly, get the second person to carefully put the drops into the hamster’s eyes.



4. Once you have done the eye (or both eyes) you can release the ham from the handkerchief. Your hamster may try and wash the drops off but most of the drops will have gone into their eyes.

The same procedure can be used for eye-cream, but sometimes with cream it is better to put a drop on a cotton bud and smear it on the eye whilst the hamster is swaddled.

Hope this helps you if you need to put drops in your hamster’s eyes; we’ve found it works very well.

[denajolie]

I had to feed a hamster antibiotics once, what we did was, we gave mittens a nibble bar that he couldn't pouch, (we held one end) and while his teeth were clamped down around it, we just slipped in the syringe. It is the easiest thing to do because he refused to let go of the treat and it just kept his mouth open, that is, if your ham likes nibble bars as much as mittens did!
RIP little guy, i hope in ham-heaven they feed you lots of nibble bars!

[katjacks]

thank you for the helpful information

[Rooky101]

Can I use this when swabbing my hammy's eye with salt solution?? He is fairly new to me and is not yet fully tame (still nibbles on fingers when scared) but woke up with a small eye infection this morning! I think it is just the sand bath :3 but I don't want to stress him out when I swab his eye with a cotton bud!! And is a cotton bud okay to use??

[souffle]

Yes you could use this technique. I'd suggest a cotton ball though as you might poke him in the eye with a bud if he wiggled. Use a fairly wet cotton ball gentle squeezed out in a saline solution.

[Rooky101]

Thank you souffle!! Cashew has woken up and his eyes are fine but I might still swab them tomorrow if I notice even a tiny bit of stickiness!! I used a cotton pad in the end and he was actually surprisingly calm for a half tamed, adventurous hamster!! I will give him some time to recover in case I stressed him out but thank you for your helpful techniques Andy advice guys!!