Hamster eye popping out and dry... :( ... HELP

[Law200385]

My Hamster Charlotte is about 10 months old. She was purchased by myself and the girls I lived with up at school, after about a week when the excitement wore off and people stopped feeding or or the guys across the hall would come in and toss her in the air, I decided to take her into my own care and keep her in my room where I could make sure she was properly cared for. She is now fully mine and the sweetest thing. I hate mice and rats especially when they roam free in my basement, but for some reason shes not a rodent to me. Anyway she is in my bedroom safe from our cat, and the other day my brother picked her up and proclaimed " her eye is falling out!" I had no idea what he was talking about until he brought her over to me. Here eye was bulging out of her face ans the area was red and looked like dried blood and the fur around it was not as full as usual. I freaked out because when I had picked her up and played with her just the day before her eyes were as clear and shiny black as usual. I brought her down to my mom and asked what her opinion was. She suggested I try just normal saliene eye drops because her eye is bulged out so much she can no longer close it, which I might add is a bit freaky when she is peacefully sleeping. I used eye drops that were just saliene and the next morning I went out and bought ones that were specifically to soothe and help care for dry eyes, though they are people eye drops I figured they cannot hurt too much and it seems like the lubrication is necessary right now. Now since this happened Friday night I have not been able to phone a vet yet, and I fear that they will just ask me to bring her in and it coulod cost a lot of money for a $12 Hamster . If it is not going to be too expensive I plan on trying to take her in because I do not want her to be uncomfortable, which is another weird thing. She is continuing with normal activities and eating and drinking normally, she is also grooming her face as usual even with her eye that won't close. I am mixing some ecanacea drops in her food because I have done this before with other small animals and though I know it cannot heal her it is good for her immune system and I figure if it is an eye infection it can't hurt her, plus she loves it, when the eye dropper is empty i will let her lick it and she holds it like a bottle and is doesn't want to let it go. Until I have a better idea of what to do I am going on cleaning her eye with a q-tip and the eye drops 3-4 times daily. Everything I read online says it will go away mosst likely and thiw eye popping out thing is not too uncommon, has anyone else had experience with this or are there any suggestions? I feel good knowing that she does not seem to be in any pain but I still want her back to normal if at all possible... Thanks, sorry this message is lengthy

I hate to say this, but I have had one hamster in the past that ended up with cancer that started in the eye area. Now, I'm not saying that is what it is, but no matter, she needs some vet care. She is suffering and I don't want to lecture you, but always check with a vet first before giving any over the counter medication to an animal.

[Law200385]

Thanks Kwitty for your advice... Last night I called my best friend who lives about 800 miles away from me, but I realized her dad who is a vet could be a bit helpful. He encouraged me to keep putting just plain old saliene drops in her eye which is what I had been doing. This morning I called around to a few vet offices and tried to find the least expensive one to take her to. $67 later we found out that it was just an injury that she may have done to herself in her cage, and I was given antibiotics to give her for a week. This whole time she has been as happy and playful as she has always been which tells me she is not too irritated by it, and the vet aggreed with that which is always comforting cause they are so small and helpless. The worst that is going to happen at this point is her eye will go completely blind and she may keep it closed more often that not , but I am okay with that as long as she stays as sweet and happy as she always has been, my mom joked about looking for cute hamster eye patches, but I think she will but cute enough without one. Sorry to hear that yours ended up with cancer, I thought about that, and my friends dad suggested it over the phone but it all happened so suddenly I didn't think that could be it. I do appreciate your advice, though I could not go another day with getting her some help, even if it was a bit pricy for such a small animal I feel it would have been inhumane to just ignore it. Thanks!

That is great news. I'm so happy to hear that she is doing well.

[Law200385]

Well I had been applying the medication as directed and when I came home from work today her eye was just gone I had taken care of her this morning and it was still there all swollen, but I guess it was probably inevidable and most likely would have fallen out no matter what... She's happy and playful like always, in all honesty it was probably annoying to her the way it was before, I am just waiting to hear back from the vet... hope all you other hamster owners don't have to experience this!

[gfactor]

I woke up today to check out my two hamsters...

The one that isnt injured looked at me fine.

And I check out my other one.. and he looked at me sideways.... and when I went to look at his whole face I saw his eye was bulging out and bloody.

I am shocked.

He cannot close it.

I was very shocked... What do you think happened?? Will he lose it??

[zig zag zoey]

OOO NO!!! thats so sad i dont know a thing about hamsters or that but i feel so bad that he has the samething your other one has...maby thay were fiteing o playing and thay scratched the eye?

[mynameislola]

Are they golden hamsters? That type is not known for being very social. The golden hamsters I had as a kid had to be housed seperately or they'd practically kill each other. Even my breeding pairs were seperated after the girl was pregnant.

What kind of litter are they in? Pine and cedar are toxic.

Please don't use human products on animals unless directed to by your Vet. Many can hurt them and some can kill them.

If you suspect that someone is getting into the cage and hurting them, there are locks you can get for the cage. Being thrown and caught could easily make their eyes pop out. When I got my first Shih Tzu my Vet. gave us a lecture on how to get the eyes back in because they can pop out.

Good luck!

[gfactor]

Its really sad. The one with the eye problem is the dad and his son (the smaller one) is now sleeping ontop of him to protect him :-/ Ive been cleaning him regulary with water and cotton. It removes excess blood. I saw his eye ball area close a tiny bit so theres still hope.

[mynameislola]

You have two male hamsters in the same cage? Eeeeek!

What kind of hamsters are these? Please do some research on them ASAP. Several types will fight till all but one are dead if housed together.

[Butterbaby18]

my hamster had the same problem but he became very sick and sadly died. His eye was bulging out too and we applied the saline solution for about a week. He would let us sit there and do it but I think he became very stressed and ended up dying from wet tail. He was a good hamster and I wish that he would have gotten better too. Im glad your hamster is doing well and good luck to you!

[dyson1992]

i have a siberian dwarf hampster and i have had her for about 6 months now and 3 days ago i was playing with chipper my hampster and she was normal then the next day i was going to feed her and her eye was bulging out of her head and the fur arround the eye was gone and i do not know if i should be concerned or not she is acting normal she eats and drinks and i think she runs on her wheel the different thing is she seems to sleep more if you have any info for me please e-mail mail me at andrewdyson92@yahoo.com

[dyson1992]

i am very sad to say that i had to have my hamster put down she had some tumers and the other eye started bulging out

[skullz]

I'm actually really young i'm only 14 and I have a hamster unfortunatly I got it from a friend and have no idea what breed she it. But her name is Berry and I'm very concerned for her life... I was stupid and asleep when my little cousins came in my room and started playing with her. they're only about 2 years old and had no idea they were squeezing her.. Her eye popped out and now she has blood all around her eye... My mom told me she will probably take the eye off herself and keep living if i keep her cage clean and leave her alone... but I want someone else's word for it too... I don't want to lose "my baby" please help me

[nanamouse]

That would have to be painful and run the risk of infection, please find a small animal vet for her.