My hedgehog has a white eye circle. Is it cataract? What can I do?

Thanks for your question about your hedgehog. I didn't see a photo attached, but I can picture what you are describing in your post. I am suspicious that your hedgehog may have a corneal ulceration. What this means is that the front of the eye, the cornea, has been damaged. Treatment would require going to a veterinarian who can prescribe antibiotics and pain medications for the eye. Please don't give your hedgehog any human medications, as many of these can be harmful for both the eye, and for hedgehogs. If left untreated, many corneal ulcerations can worsen, become deeper, and eventually perforate. This can result in the loss of the eye. I would recommend having your hedgehog evaluated as soon as you can. I hope that this gives you a place to start, and I wish you and your hedgehog the best.

Cataracts themselves are not painful. However, there can be any changes to the eye that can look like a cataract that may actually be something else. I would encourage you to have him evaluated by your veterinarian soon. If it is just a cataract then being aware of Vision loss is important to protect from dangers down the road such as falls and such. Best of luck and thank you for using Pet Coach.

Hi and thanks for your request. Unfortunately it is not possible to provide a specific answer in this case as this would require an ophthalmoscopic examination at your local veterinarian with an direct ophthalmoscope or a slit lamp. Vitreal opacities can often be confused with cataracts.

Hi, thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! Poor Spatsie! From your pictures, the affected area is either with in the anterior chamber or the corneal surface of the eye. It is not the lens so it is likely not nuclear sclerosis or a cataract. With glaucoma the eye is very red, enlarged, and painful. From your picture the sclera (white part of the eye) doens't apear red. Glaucomoa is diagnosed based on measuring the intra-ocular pressure of the eye with a tonopen or other device. My worry is that the white substance is white blood cells (hypopyon) with in the anterior chamber (which can lead to glaucoma). Corneal ulcers, corneal abscesses, uveitis, and systemic illnesses commonly cause hypopyon. The other possibility is a severe corneal ulcer. Spatsie needs to have his eye examined by a Veterinarian. I hope this helps and I wish you and Spatsie the best!

Thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach and congratulations on your new pet! Glassy eyes may refer to cataracts, which are opacities in the lens of the eye. At a certain stage these can result in blindness. A photo of Puma's eyes would be great to help determine if this is the case. Cataracts can be treated, but it may not be necessary. I hope all is well!

June is such a cutie! Unfortunately without seeing it, I cannot say what it is. If it is cataracts then it is possible that the congenital cataracts could get worse and could eventually lead to blindness. There isn't any good treatment to help prevent it from progressing. If it becomes mature and is causing blindness, you can have an ophthalmologist do surgery to repair it. If the recheck is still seeing the white speck, you could always request to have an ophthalmology consult done as well. The breeder may or may not be willing to do that. It could also be a cholesterol deposit which is benign and won't cause any issues. I hope this helps!

Thanks for reaching out about Mini and including photos. A discoloration in the center of the eye could be a cataract or infection. A veterinary visit is recommended to assess and provide a diagnostic/treatment plan. An infection needs systemic antibiotics. Monitor appetite and try to see your veterinarian early next week. Good luck.