What's wrong with my hamster?

[dbartell]

I have a short haired Syrian.

He is about 1 1/2 old.

He was going along just fine, but now he's not eating, not drinking, peeing in his food dish, very slow moving, losing weight.

He also has what we assume to be very very bad sticky eyes. We can't get them open, and he doesn't seem to be attempting to try and clean his eyes himself.

He is also making a lot more noises than he usually does.

He getting very skinny, and my girlfriend and I are very worried.


Edit: The biggest thing is to make sure he can see, and we are trying to take care of his sticky eyes. Any suggestions?

[cypher]

He does sound unwell, you can try cleaning his eyes gently with some tissue or cotton wool soaked in warm water or saline but it sounds as though he needs to see a vet as he is so unwell.
Have you checked his teeth? That's usually the first thing to check if they stop eating normally & losing weight.
If you can't see his teeth yourself the vet will be able to do it, sometimes their teeth can get overgrown & need clipping.
If he does have a problem with his teeth & can't eat any other symptoms could just be from a lack of nutrients.
For now at least until you've had your vet check him out try soaking some of his mix in water to soften it, you could also try offering some cooled porridge, just oats & water, or some baby food but if you use baby food do check all the ingredients are safe first.

[Drago]

Cypher is correct, he should be taken to a vet to ensure that his teeth aren't overgrown at all. Besides dental problems, there could be other underlying illnesses that a vet may notice from symptoms and the overall condition of your ham that you may not. Like cypher also said, soft foods are important as rodents have fast metabolisms and thus shouldn't be deprived of food very long as it can be very detrimental to their health. I hope he feels better soon and it's nothing too serious

[souffle]

Take him to a vet as he sounds very unwell.
Hamsters have poor eyesight and shut eyes will not be a problem. They are a symptom of an underlying illness so that must be investigated and treated if at all possible. He really does need some help so try and get him seen very soon. I hope he rallies round for you x

[Thin Lizzy]

Take him to the vet, the vet will be able to examine him and advise you on what's wrong. Fingers crossed he makes a speedy recovery.