Hamster's red, infected eye: What to do when she keeps scratching?

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!

That is likely to be due to a mild to moderate conjunctivitis, probably secondary to a trauma or infection. A check up would be needed as appropriate treatment would include antibiotics and anti-inflammatory eye drops. Corneal injuries must be ruled out as well. Hope this answer was helpful, but please do not hesitate to contact us again on the forum or by requesting a consultation if you have any more questions or to discuss it any further.

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.

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 am concerned that Donut has either an eye infection, has had some type of trauma to his eye, or has what is called a retrobulbar abscess (a pocket of infection behind the eye). At home you can try flushing the eye with some eyewash or saline solution. It is also important to make sure Donut is still eating. Unfortunately there's not much else you can do at home. Just monitor him closely to look for any changes. The best thing to do would be to have him to your vet to be checked out as soon as you can. I hope this helps. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. Best of luck.

Hi, and thanks for your question. That is likely to be due to a mild to moderate conjunctivitis, probably secondary to a trauma or infection. A check up would be needed as appropriate treatment would include antibiotics and anti-inflammatory eye drops. Corneal injuries must be ruled out as well. I understand this may be stressful for your Dwarf hamster but it would be quite important to confirm this clinical suspicion. Hope this answer was helpful, but please do not hesitate to contact us again on the forum or by requesting a consultation if you have any more questions or to discuss it any further. If this answer was helpful please let us know, this will be used to improve our service!

Hello and thank you for using Pet Coach concerning Hershey. I would recommend to flush his eye out with sterile saline. Thus will flush out any bedding or anything stuck in there. If he continues to squint the eye, then I would recommend to take him to the vet to get his eye stained to look for a scratch. Bacterial infections are also possible and treatment is antibacterial eye drops. I hope this helps!