Conjunctivitis still getting worse after two sets of antibiotics

[jsp]

I think we may have a winner with maple syrup. I just gave him some and he chewed it a bit before wandering off back to bed. With the other ones he just froze and then ran back to bed. The maple syrup seems good.

[Ria P]

Originally Posted by jsp

I'm in the UK, in Cambridge, so very much in Ribena territory.

I don't know what made me think you were across the pond.

[jsp]

Funny I kind of wondered where you were too. It's nice to know that you're not far away.

Roc is sold on maple syrup. I gave him the antibiotics last night and he just stayed quite relaxed and sat chewing meditatively on it.

[jsp]

Roc has gone a bit weird now. I gave him his antibiotics this morning and now he's so highly strung that he's vibrating. He's also constantly grooming his right flank in a sort of panicked way, alternating between using his hind leg to scratch it and then licking the fur. I wonder if maybe the sugar was a bit too much for him? Oh dear.

[jsp]

Hi,

I wondered if it would be okay to show you Roc's eye again? I have just sent the photos to the Vet too. He has had 6 days of antibiotics and he seems to do okay if I mix them with canteloupe melon juice, so it's a bit less frazzling giving the medicine to him now.

The eye is open, but still sunk and quite dull compared to the other one. It opens about 2/3 or 3/4 of the way when he is awake and is still stuck shut when he first wakes up in the morning. It looks exactly the same as it did after the millions of eye drops really.

His face seems to be all red down one side, but I'm not sure if that is maybe just because the fur is all messed up, so we are seeing the skin underneath. Maybe it is normally that colour?

He is his normal weight and is still pottering about normally.

The photo of the healthy eye was taken a few weeks ago but the good eye still looks normal.

Thanks so much for looking.

Jen

[jsp]

Hi,

We've decided that it's not right to put Roc through any more forced treatment, so he's going to be put to sleep this afternoon.

Thanks so much for all of your help and advice and for the kind listening, as we plodded through all this.

Jennifer x

[Ria P]

You've tried and that's all you could do. I had a hamster pts yesterday and it's not a decision we take lightly. Things weren't improving for Roc and your last act of kindness is to save him from pain and distress.

[jsp]

Thank you, that's very kind of you to say that. I'm sorry that you lost a friend too yesterday. Thanks so much for all of your help. Xx

[jsp]

The regular (non-exotic) vet refused to put Roc to sleep, and wants to take his eye out, which I thought would be a horrid thing to do to a hamster. I rang the exotic vet and they said we can take Roc there instead. So now my husband is coming home again and going to the other vet half an hour later.

[Ria P]

Probably best to have a discussion with the exotics vet. Hamsters can manage with one eye same as humans but would he survive the aneasthetic at his age. I'm sure the vet will be able to advise you. They have a chat beforehand.