What's wrong with hammy?

FancyWasabi · 01-17-2022, 11:21 PM

Hello all, I have a one and a half years old winter white hamster. lately, she's been down on appetite (unable to chew down hard food), and I noticed a fur loss around her right eye. is this caused by inflammation from feeding too many sunflower seeds or a sign of aging? it might not be obvious from the picture, but it really looks like the eyeball is about to pop out any second.

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Ria P · 01-18-2022, 08:19 AM

I would take her to a vet asap.

Pebbles82 · 01-19-2022, 06:35 PM

Agree - it looks like she may have an eye infection. It could be caused by a tooth infection. But it can be very painful if the eye comes out. It’s a tricky age. She’s not old but she’s not young. Treatment would probably be removing the eye - they can manage fine. But it depends what’s causing it. They may try antibiotics first but if the eye is protruding it’s probably no longer a working eye (ie she’ll have lost the sight). The fur loss is probably the eye has been weeping. If it’s painful then it’ll be hard to eat as well.

You need to see an exotic vet - ordinary vets don’t have enough knowledge about hamster ailments.

FancyWasabi · 01-20-2022, 07:27 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Serendipity7000

Agree - it looks like she may have an eye infection. It could be caused by a tooth infection. But it can be very painful if the eye comes out. It’s a tricky age. She’s not old but she’s not young. Treatment would probably be removing the eye - they can manage fine. But it depends what’s causing it. They may try antibiotics first but if the eye is protruding it’s probably no longer a working eye (ie she’ll have lost the sight). The fur loss is probably the eye has been weeping. If it’s painful then it’ll be hard to eat as well.

You need to see an exotic vet - ordinary vets don’t have enough knowledge about hamster ailments.

There isn’t a single vet near me within 25miles…. I’m going to put erythromycin on her to see how it works, if not I will switch to bacitracin+neosporin. I’m suspecting this inflammatory is caused by feeding too much sunflower seeds.

Ria P · 01-21-2022, 03:45 AM

I can't see how sunflower seeds could cause a serious health issue like that. You could email a vet and send a photo to get him the help he needs. Maybe they could prescribe and post medication in special circumstances when people are unable to travel to see a vet. Trying medication prescribed for humans would be like a human taking medication that was prescribed for their pet.
I hope that you can get him some help soon because his condition looks painful.

AmityvilleHams · 01-21-2022, 06:04 AM

Sunflower seeds really wouldn't lead to an infection. In moderation they're an incredibly healthy food that hamsters(and other pets that are capable of digesting them) should be allowed to consume.

Don't use human medication. At the very least it won't help, but at the worst it can be severely toxic or potentially lead to an overdose and ultimately put you in an even worse position than you're already in.

Consulting an actual vet via email as Ria P has suggested is a great thing to do. Worst case scenario you might still have to travel and see a vet in person if needed so do keep that in mind. I know travelling to see a vet isn't ideal especially with a hamster, but proper veterinary care is crucial for the welfare and safety of your hamster.

FancyWasabi · 01-21-2022, 11:19 PM

can you please elaborate on the Ria P part?

Quote:

Originally Posted by AmityvilleHams

Sunflower seeds really wouldn't lead to an infection. In moderation they're an incredibly healthy food that hamsters(and other pets that are capable of digesting them) should be allowed to consume.

Don't use human medication. At the very least it won't help, but at the worst it can be severely toxic or potentially lead to an overdose and ultimately put you in an even worse position than you're already in.

Consulting an actual vet via email as Ria P has suggested is a great thing to do. Worst case scenario you might still have to travel and see a vet in person if needed so do keep that in mind. I know travelling to see a vet isn't ideal especially with a hamster, but proper veterinary care is crucial for the welfare and safety of your hamster.