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Old 07-09-2020, 06:39 PM   #1
mikatelyn
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Default Eye is crusted shut

Smokey just woke up from a nap looking like this! He's never had any health problems before.
Right eye looks crusted almost shut. Doesn't actually seem to bother him that much. He's just going about his normal business. I tried to use the corner of a moist cloth to remove the crusting. As it turns out, really hard to do on a hamster. I got maybe 2 wipes in. Helped a tiny bit, eye went from glued shut to opening a slit.
Any tips? Should I put some eye drops in? I have some ofloxacin drops (approved for humans). Or maybe just saline drops?
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Old 07-09-2020, 09:13 PM   #2
mikatelyn
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Default Re: Eye is crusted shut

Update: looks like it was a false alarm. Sorry for jumping the gun. I've had him for over 1.5 years and he's never had his eye glued shut like that before. Smokey went back to bed for a few hours and just woke up again looking his normal bright eyed self sans eye crusting. Don't know what that was about.
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Old 07-10-2020, 12:37 AM   #3
Ria P
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Default Re: Eye is crusted shut

Glad Smokey is ok again. For future reference, i wouldn't use eye drops meant for humans or saline. I think they get the odd sticky eye as they get older. I was in the same situation once with Henry who must be about the same age as Smokey (doesn't time fly!). He woke with a sticky eye and by the time he had finished his breakfast his eye looked fine.
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Old 07-10-2020, 01:52 AM   #4
beautifulhammy
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Default Re: Eye is crusted shut

If it happens again within a 24/48 hour period, I would suggest taking him to a vet as he may have an infection in his eyelid. My hamster had this and all throughout treatment with antibiotics I had to keep removing the build up coming out of his tear duct that was sticking the eyelid shut.
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Old 07-10-2020, 07:19 AM   #5
Pebbles82
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Default Re: Eye is crusted shut

Hi there. This is quite common when they get a bit older. Sometimes it rights itself but if not within a day or so then just gently bathe it with saline and a cotton bud - not too wet so you don’t soak him! Or the corner of a soft cloth dipped in saline. I think it is just an age related thing in my experience.
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Old 07-10-2020, 07:58 AM   #6
Ria P
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Default Re: Eye is crusted shut

Quote:
Originally Posted by Serendipity7000 View Post
Hi there. This is quite common when they get a bit older. Sometimes it rights itself but if not within a day or so then just gently bathe it with saline and a cotton bud - not too wet so you don’t soak him! Or the corner of a soft cloth dipped in saline. I think it is just an age related thing in my experience.
I must have gotten saline mixed up with salt. What exactly is saline?
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Old 07-10-2020, 08:26 AM   #7
Pebbles82
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Default Re: Eye is crusted shut

Saline is salt water basically . If you have those saline eye wash packs they will do. Or you just make it by adding a teaspoon of salt to a pint of boiled water, stir till it’s dissolved and let it go cold.
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Old 07-10-2020, 03:55 PM   #8
mikatelyn
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Default Re: Eye is crusted shut

Thank you all for the replies!! I won't freak out (much) if it happens again. He just came out again for an afternoon treat. Eye crusting has not made a re-appearance. I think I'm starting to get extra paranoid about his health as he approaches the 2 year mark. Well, that and I am in apparently one of the world's worst covid hotspots so my first thought was actually that I was an asymptomatic carrier and my hammie caught covid!
Well I guess Smokey is just heading into elderly hammie territory. Ria, seems like not that long ago that Henry and Smokey were young skittish hamsters and Serendipity and Cypher were coaching us through their early days!
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Old 07-10-2020, 07:54 PM   #9
Pebbles82
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Default Re: Eye is crusted shut

Haha. These are paranoid times. Can’t be nice being in a Covid hotspot. Take care. My paranoia is to have cancelled free roaming on the floor - just in case Covid got walked in - after we walked on the same path as delivery drivers- which really is taking things a bit over cautious! Yes we change shoes but not always when nipping in and out to the garden or bins. Anyway just wanting to keep the jammies safe so they get sofa time only at the moment.

They are generally quite healthy even in old age - you need to keep an eye on teeth and nails when they get nearer two. Moo, who is about 18 months I think, is getting overgrown nails which need clipping. His teeth are fine as in not too long but he has problems with harder food now so I supplement with softened hamster mix as well and a bit of baby food which he loves. They are just like humans approaching the age of 80 - they can get arthritis and toothache.

So my priorities when lockdown started and supplies were hard to get was to get a bulk supply of tea bags, hamster food and baby food Seriously. Then OH pointed out we needed to eat something.
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Old 07-10-2020, 08:23 PM   #10
mikatelyn
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Default Re: Eye is crusted shut

Serendipity, what signs should I watch for to indicate that I should start smokey on a supplement of soft foods? He weighs a few grams less than a year ago, but weight otherwise is fairly stable.
How do you cut hamster nails? Is there a video somewhere you'd suggest watching? It was hard enough trying to just wipe his face I can't imagine a toenail clipping!!

Haha, yes, Smokey also got another 6 month supply of food before we had food for ourselves for lockdown.

We're both in the medical field so we've been stripping at the door, shoes off, sanitizing our hands, phones, keys and door handles as soon as we walk in since March, as well as N95s all day at work. It's crazy times for sure. I can only imagine what the rest of the world is thinking about Americans at the moment! Thank goodness for Smokey. Watching /cuddling him is like meditation.. good stress relief! Except of course when I'm freaked out he might have covid but other than that, great stress break!
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