My hamster has a bulging eye for 3 weeks. Is it an emergency?

Thank you for contacting Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach with your question your hamster and for providing pictures, they are very helpful. This is a medical emergency, and you absolutely have to take him into a vet immediately. This is known as proptosis, and it is is extremely painful. This will be why he's not eating. You cannot leave him in pain and leaving this untreated can lead to vision loss. Please take him into an ER vet clinic; if there isn't one in your area, there will be a vet on call for emergencies. The information to reach that vet is found on a clinic's answering machine or website. Best of luck.

It looks like little Aurora has a proptosed eye. This may be entirely due to the swelling from the scratch or could have popped out from trauma. These type of injuries need treatment right away in order to save the eye. If left like this, it can cause significant damage to the outside of the eyeball and can swell or pop out even more. I recommend taking her to a veterinarian as soon as you can. For now, the best this you can do is try to keep the outside of the eye moist. If you have any antibiotic eye ointment in the house, then it would be best to put this over the eye. Otherwise, you can ask your local pharmacy for lubricating eye ointment. This will help protect the eye, while she is awaiting the vet appointment. Before applying the ointment, it would be best if you can flush the eye with saline for 30 seconds. This can also be found in the pharmacy. I hope that helps and Aurora gets better soon.

I’m sorry to hear that Amber isn’t feeling well! I’m not able to advise on what may be causing the condition without seeing a photo, but a bulging eye is likely to be painful. She may be causing further trauma by scratching the area. I recommend carefully trimming Amber’s nails to prevent her from scratching the area. This may help along with the antibiotics.

Hello. So sorry that Humphrey is having this issue. My initial thought was that your salt solution you made was too strong. I think you may be seeing salt residue that is flaking now that it is dried on his skin. Can you give him a bath and see if that is the case? If not, then he will definitely need to see the vet. If it was just the salt, then you can continue to use that to wipe/treat the eye but make sure your ratio is correct: Put one cup of water and ½ teaspoon of salt into a pot. Put the lid on. Boil for 15 minutes with the lid on (set a timer). Set the pan aside until cooled to room temperature. Carefully pour the salt and water (normal saline) from the pan into a clean jar or bottle and put the lid on to keep bacteria out. If you opt to take him to your vet for an exam I would just take him in when your vet's office is open - you don't need to rush him to an emergency clinic. Hope this helps. Best wishes.

Hello there! I'm sorry to hear about Maruko's eye. It certainly does look like it's a bit irritated. This could be a few different conditions - it could be an infection of the eyelids (called blepharitis), infection of the conjunctiva (pink eye), or an abrasion or scratch on the cornea. The treatment will depend on the condition, but only a vet will be able to prescribe medication that will help. In the meantime, keeping the eye clean with a soft cloth and some warm water will help prevent further irritation. Application of a protective eye ointment may also help with discomfort - artificial tears ointment is a good choice for this (you can find it at a drugstore or on Amazon). There are other, more serious conditions that Maruko could have (like glaucoma), but this is less likely considering her young age. I strongly suggest a vet visit if this condition doesn't clear up within the next day as continued eye irritation can cause permanent damage to her eye. Good luck, and I hope that Maruko gets well soon!

Poor Cookie! The tea has hopefully helped but you need to get him to a vet asap as most pressingly it looks like one of his teeth has overgrown so much it has come out of the cheek-what you say looks like a horn. I cant be 100% as the photos are blurry but it certainly looks likely. This could be effecting the eye also, but regardless the vet can check the eyes at the same time.

He should be examined by your veterinarian. If he has "wet tail" (proliferative ileitis), he will need treatment and supportive care. Keep his cage clean. Change bedding daily if necessary. Keep him warm and as stress free as possible. Discontinue feeding any treats, fruits or vegetables until he recovers.