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Old 07-05-2019, 06:01 AM   #1
Murmel
Newborn Pup
 
Join Date: Apr 2018
Location: Germany
Posts: 16
Unhappy Murmel's eye

Hey everybody,

Over the last few months I've been to the vet a few times because of a sticky eye Murmel had. He was a little over a year old when that condition started, 1 year and 2 months to be exact, that was in February. I was in and out of different vet offices numerous times back then, got 2 different kind of eyedrops, one cream and even antibiotics to treat his eye at some point. The antibiotics and the second eyedrops I got worked for a while, but his condition always came back. After weeks of vet visits, there was nothing more I could do, and so I started to observe him. His condition didn't seem to bother him, and he'd always be able to open his eye again after a while following waking up. It was then that his eye would be crusted. I also changed the type of bedding numerous times, but that didn't do anything either overall.
I thought of sticky eye, but it always seemed weird to me that only one eye would be sticky, not both.

Then, a few weeks ago I started noticing something that looked a little like a scar around his eye (I posted pictures, but I don't know if you can see what I mean, he wouldn't hold still for the most part). I mentioned it to my friend, he agreed, but we both were not sure. So I kept observing.
Today though I have noticed it again when giving him baby food because of the heat, and it could be my imagination, but it seemed as though it had gotten more visible? it looks a little silvery(?) in the light, really a little like a scar. Additionally though, I saw something in his fur that looked a little like a dead skin flake?
He has never been hurt at that spot, I would've noticed because I was watching him the last few months like a hawk. The rest of his body is okay, too. He had a little hair loss, but that was because of a head injury and the cortisone he had to be given. It was a strong version and in addition to metacam and antibiotics it was a lot for the little guy to handle. But it was the only thing I could do for him then. He had a 50/50 survival chance, but he powered through. I sat with him in the vet office and at home waiting for the mobile vet unit twice thinking I had to say goodbye to him, I have never cried so much in my entire life.. but that's another story. All the fur he'd lost grew back in a few days.
He doesn't have red skin either, it's normal, he doesn't scratch himself too much. Also, his other eye isn't affected, it's just that one eye.
I honestly don't know what's up anymore. It's just that one eye. He drinks fine, eats fine, runs around fine, and when his sticky eye gets too bad I give him eyedrops (which I think has led him to be chronically a little pissed at me, but that is most likely due to the heat really and not myself). I have thought I'd let it rest because like I said, the eye doesn't bother him. But this weird line looking like a scar is really bothering ME. I don't know if I am imagining it getting worse, I don't know if I am overreacting and it is just sticky eye, but I thought I'd lose him so many times the last few months that I just want to get any opinion I can on this, even if I might be overreacting. The vets around my area, specialists, too, couldn't really help me, but maybe if I went and ask them to check for something specific it would be different.

Does anyone have any idea here or something I could ask my vet to check for? No mites, we tested that, no teeth problem, we tested that, no wound in the eye or around the eye, we tested that and I watched out for that. I read something about a condition called Entropion, but I couldn't find any pictures on it.
And does anyone have any idea how I could sooth his dry area around the eye? Because the eye is a tricky spot, I will not just put anything on it I don't know is absolutely 100% safe.

Kind Regards,
Sasha

PS: I know the bedding is low in the picture. That's because he spends most of his time after monthly cleanup pushing half of his new bedding out to the sides until it is this height again. After witnessing and having to clean that up 5 times, I am now saving the bedding he doesn't use for my other boy. He's weird, but I love him nonetheless. So if anyone has a similar experience, please share it! 💛
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Old 07-07-2019, 11:25 PM   #2
souffle
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Default Re: Murmel's eye

He is getting on towards the older age in hamsters and it does look like some dry skin around the eye which a wouldn't worry about. Just leave it and put it down to his age. The eye itself looks OK to me and even if he does have some scarring or permanent damage it doesn't look to be causing him any issues. Monitor him closely though and we would just bathe a stick eye in an older ham with some cooled boiled water and a cotton ball. They will often open the eye on their own by cleaning it a while after waking. Hope he is OK.
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Old 07-12-2019, 11:45 AM   #3
Murmel
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Join Date: Apr 2018
Location: Germany
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Default Re: Murmel's eye

Thank you for the message. I have drops from my vet to help with the crust when he can't open his eye on his own. It's eye friendly and doesn't stress him out as much as the cotton does. In about under a minute he can open his eye again with it. He is eating like a champ, constantly demanding treats and drinking well, too.
You're right as well, he IS getting older and signs of aging aren't surprising. I am over-sensitive when it comes to him, and I know this myself.
I just always get this picture in my head how he was trying to get to me, but he couldn't control his body and was falling over and rolling around in his bedding. I had to force-feed him for 4 or 5 days, and I already thought he would never start eating on his own again and it was the end of the line for him. So when he pouched a pine nut again for the first time I just started bawling my eyes out while he was looking at me like:"What is going on with you??"..
Thanks for giving the awkward noodle some peace of mind and advice ☺️
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Old 07-12-2019, 12:11 PM   #4
Ria P
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Default Re: Murmel's eye

You sound like you had a really rough time with Murmel. No wonder you are feeling a bit over protective now which is a good thing though.
What happened to Murmel? If you'd rather not share this story that's perfectly fine. I'm just being plain nosey because you mentioned that he had a head injury and pulled through. He must be a strong and well looked after hamster.
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Old 07-12-2019, 06:14 PM   #5
Murmel
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Join Date: Apr 2018
Location: Germany
Posts: 16
Default Re: Murmel's eye

@ Ria P
Oh no, that's fine. It was even more traumatizing because I could've.. or felt like I should've been able to do something. It was my fault he got injured.
I had to give Murmel eyedrops and antibiotics because his eye was pretty bad back then. He had a slight infection, probably because of hairs getting into his eye. The vet didn't know if it wasn't a bad tooth though, so I got oral antibiotics, too. They didn't really know about things such as entropion or similar causes such as scar tissue etc. and I didn't either, so I thought that's what it must be. He wouldn't take these particular antibiotics with his baby food though, so I'd give them to him via the syringe. When I put him back in on about the 3rd day, he got irritated by the taste all of a sudden, bit me and I am ashamed to say I let go because I was surprised. He landed on the roof of his cage, that was okay, but then he jumped down, hit his head on the wheel and even bounced off.
He seemed to be okay though, I was totally worried, I am normally after him with head injuries, because he has gotten himself into bad situations before. But I let myself be talked down by my family, because he seemed to be doing fine.. the next day he was not as active as the day before though. I got worried again, but let myself be convinced that it was because of the antibiotics.
The next day, he had started eating the antibiotics via baby food, I went to his cage to give it to him. I called for him and his face appeared in the entrance of his house, but he was squinting his eyes and wouldn't come out. Then I thought I saw wobbling and immediately pulled the house out. And he was sitting there shivering, and falling over while sitting even. He tried to walk over to me, but he couldn't.. His hind legs were in the air and his front paws on the ground and he could barely keep his eyes open.. I sat at the vet office convinced he wouldn't make it, and I remember telling him how sorry I was for not doing anything when he needed me, and that I shouldn't have let go and that he's gonna be so much better on the other side of the rainbow bridge, and that I am going to make sure I do what's right for him now at least. That he'd have to say Hello to my old guinea pig for me, and tell him sorry what young me did that one time. And that he'll never be alone, because I will be with him.
When we got into the examination room he was trying to sniff the vet and her assistant, he's very very social and knew them at that point, but he was just rolling around the table unable to go anywhere. I was told he had a 50/50% chance of survival and I was given some time to think about whether I was going to try cortisone and treatment or whether I was going to let him go.
So I kneeled down infront of Murmel and I asked him if he wanted to try one last time. I had lost someone very close to me maybe 2 weeks before and I didn't know how I would be able to take losing him, too. But I didn't want to let him suffer either.
When I asked him though, he suddenly opened his eyes for a moment and looked at me sniffing my nose trying to climb onto my face, and I knew he still didn't want to go. He wanted to explore the table, and he couldn't move really, but that didn't stop him from not giving up. So I tried the treatment. I didn't really sleep for days, but I felt I deserved that. After all it was my fault. If I hadn't let go, he wouldn't have had to suffer like he did.

2 days later I found him underneath his ramp in the bedding. He was really really cold, there was no warmth in his fur and his skin was almost cold, too. I thought he was dieing, so I put him on my lap and pulled my "Murmel-Hoodie" around him. My vet has a mobile unit, and I wanted to give him the possibility to go in his own home peacefully. I phoned them and they said they'd squeeze me in. We waited for an hour, and he perked up a little bit, even started wanting to explore my bed a little, before lieing down in my armpit and snuggling against me. But I thought that didn't matter. His fur was so cold, it seemed like he was dead already.
When the vets came they said 20% betterment though, I couldn't believe it. They told me to continue feeding him, he lost so much weight and that was the reason for his trouble keeping warm.
I continued force-feeding for 3 more days after that, and then he pouched and munched his first pine nut again. I had gone to my parents' house and taken my two furballs with me, because my mum is a doctor and has heat lamps there. When I put him in the cage I hopefully put a pine nut infront of his hide there, and he ate it there and then after pouching it for a second. I just started crying on the spot and wouldn't stop for an hour.

I still feel responsible for what happened. I wanted to take care of him. I don't ever want to have him hurt under my watch ever again. My family is not at faul either, I know that. I should've listened to my gut feeling, the one time I didn't something really bad happened.
And I am still so angry for letting go. He once bit my finger 3 or 4 times, and I didn't let go of him.

But yeah, that's basically what happened, that's why I am so over-protective. He is a strong hamster, he is, I am so proud of him. But it kind of doesn't feel like I deserve being called a good owner after letting that happen , I just kind of feel aweful. 😣 I should've noticed sooner, I should've not let it even get to the injury.
Actually though, I feel kind of better after telling the whole story, thanks for reading it I want to make sure that he rest of his life will be a good one 😊
He has fully recovered now though, I will always be grateful for that, I do love him very much!
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Old 07-13-2019, 01:29 AM   #6
Ria P
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Location: Wiltshire, UK
Posts: 7,103
Default Re: Murmel's eye

It was an accident and you acted on a reflex, something which is out of our control. You didn't drop him on purpose.

You are a good and caring hamster owner who wants the best for Murmel and Murmel loves you for it.

My hamster bit me once and i was so stunned because it was so totally unexpected that i pulled my hand away quickly, luckily i was sitting down with him on my lap or i may have dropped him too without meaning to.
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Old 07-13-2019, 05:59 PM   #7
Murmel
Newborn Pup
 
Join Date: Apr 2018
Location: Germany
Posts: 16
Default Re: Murmel's eye

Thanks, that's really nice to hear. I've always felt guilty the last few months, people saying they're so sorry for what happened to him kind of made me feel even worse. I guess every owner has a story like that, too. I would've said even if you hadn't been on the ground, you couldn't have known he would bite you and it wouldn't have been your fault. That kinda put things in perspective for me. I'm glad nothing happened with your hamster, although I hope your finger was okay.
I'm just glad that in the end I got to spend more time with Murmel and that he didn't have to go in that painful way.
I am so thankful for the vet and everything they did for Murmel that time. Their schedule was full both days, but they made time for him, because they care about him. They are always happy when I come in with him and they always say that he makes their day. Murmel has a lot of fans haha.
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eye, vet, times, sticky, bedding, months, condition, scar, thought, weird, antibiotics, back, started, fine, eyedrops, tested, check, pictures, looked, idea, overreacting, skin, spot, fur, noticed

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