Usually, people assume that you don’t need to pay a lot of attention to the hamsters when you breed them at home. This is just a misconception that most hamster owners have, as hamsters are prone to so many medical conditions. It is vital that you properly care for them, as only then can they grow vigorously and healthily. So, eye bulging is a common health condition that may occur among hamsters. So, in this article, we have covered everything you should know in this regard. the reasons for that condition to appear and the solutions you could practice as well.
To give a glimpse of the reasons as to why this condition could appear, it could be mainly due to injury, infections, and even due to the tight holding of the hamsters as well. So, if you come across these with your hamsters, you should never try out any home remedies; instead, you need to ideally take them to the vet as promptly as you can. It would be a terrible experience for hamster owners to discover their hamsters’ eyes bulging. So, if you are interested in learning more in this regard, you are on the right page.
Table of Contents
What is hamster eye bulging?
Eye bulging in hamsters is a medical condition in which the hamster’s eyes protrude from their natural position. It is known as exophthalmia as well. Hamsters usually have shallow eye sockets as well as well-developed orbital sinuses right behind their eyes. This characteristic would make them more prone to eye bulging. Even though this is a common condition that may appear, you should act as swiftly as you can to overcome this condition.
Are bulging eyes natural for hamsters?
Usually, it is natural and quite common for hamsters to go through eye bulging, as they have shallow eye sockets and well-developed orbital sinuses behind their eyes. These facts would make them more prone to eye bulging. However, whenever your hamster experiences this kind of behavior, you must act swiftly to rectify it.
Symptoms of bulging in hamsters
In terms of the symptoms of bulging in hamsters, you can commonly see how the hamsters release eye discharge or tears whenever they suffer from bulging. In addition to that, they would develop crusting around the eyes as well. Furthermore, the hamsters that go through the bulge would find it difficult to navigate the enclosure too. Weight loss is one more symptom of bulging in hamsters.
In addition to that, they would also find it difficult to eat. Moreover, the hamsters who go through the bulging would paw at the face as well. Furthermore, the hamsters that go through bulging would have a change in their eye color too. Swallowing eyes is also a symptom here. The most adverse symptom of having an eye bulge would be the eye dropping out of the socket.
Why do hamsters’ eyes pop out?
There are multiple reasons why the hamster’s eyes would pop out. So you must learn about the possible causes that would result in this condition. Among all these reasons, eye infections would be one prime reason for the eye popping out. For example, an eye condition such as conjunctivitis would turn the eye red and result in inflation. Not only that, but it would crust the eye as well.
Eye infections would occur for several reasons. For example, if the hamsters are exposed to dirty bedding or contaminated food, they are more likely to develop eye infections. In addition to that, if the hamster’s eyes get a foreign object inside the eye, it would also cause eye infections. Apart from that, injuries and allergies would also cause eye infections. For a long time, eye infections were prevalent. That said, if you ever come across an eye infection in your hamsters, I suggest you go ahead and use an antibiotic so that you can overcome the condition.
In addition to eye infections, trauma and mishandling would also cause the eye to pop out of the hamsters. This is yet another prime cause of the hamsters’ eyes popping out. Hamsters don’t have proper eyesight in general, and there is a high potential for them to bump into things quite often. Furthermore, chances are that the bedding can also stick to the hamsters’ eyes and end up damaging them. Ultimately, it would make the hamsters struggle to blink as well. Finally, it would make the eye protrude.
Additionally, if the hamster’s owners restrain them too tightly, it could also dislocate the hamster’s eyes. Besides, if the hamsters step on something accidentally, chances are that they will suffer from this condition. This is frequently observed with hamsters bred by people who have small children.
The dental disease could be another reason that would cause this. If your hamsters have dental disease, this will also result in a bulging eye. So, if you determine that this is the root cause of the problem, you must take corrective action to resolve it. There is a chance that the hamsters will have to remove one eye to solve this problem and relieve pain.
In addition to the above reasons, an abscess could be another reason that would cause this condition. The pressure from these abscesses will cause the eye to protrude from its socket. This would be a painful experience for the hamsters, and some hamster owners opt to go for swift veterinary treatments to treat them.
Additionally, glaucoma could also contribute to this condition. Whenever the hamsters go through it, it makes the hamsters suffer from abnormal eye pressure. Once the hamsters suffer from glaucoma, it increases the pressure in the eyes and makes the eye protrude. It is noteworthy that glaucoma could make the hamsters suffer from irreversible blindness if you don’t attend to it in advance.
Hamsters’ eyes may protrude from their sockets due to poor hygiene as well. When the cage has less hygiene, there will be so many bacteria. If I further elaborate on this, if there is spilled water, it would make the cage moldy. Thereafter, it would pass the bacterial infections to the hamsters. On the other hand, if there is any urine in the cage, it would result in ammonia build-ups in the cage, which would eventually make the hamster’s eyes protrude.
Can a bulging eye be fixed?
The brief answer to this question is yes. You could fix the bulging of the eye. So, if you ever come across any kind of symptom like this with your hamsters, you need to take them to the vet as soon as possible. They would inquire about your hamster’s way of eating and drinking as well as their activity levels. In addition to that, they will also inquire about the number of times you clean their cage and the bed material as well.
The vet would usually observe the eyes well and see whether they could spot any corneal injuries, ulcers, etc. Further, the vet doctors would observe the eye size of the hamsters, and depending on that, they would evaluate the eye pressure too. On the other hand, if they realize the root cause of this is a dental issue, vet doctors would conduct a sedated oral dental examination so that they could determine the dental disease. Furthermore, they may perform CT scans or x-rays on the hamsters to locate the abscess or dental diseases.
Overall, bulging eyes would be painful for the hamsters. So, the vet doctors may prescribe medications, antibiotics, and other lubrication and ointments for the eyes. If they determine that dental diseases are to blame for this condition, they will take appropriate corrective action. If the dental disease is so severe, they may also conduct surgery and remove one eye. Bear in mind that hamsters can live happily with one eye as well.
Is a bulging eye an emergency?
Bulging the eye would be a medical emergency, and it would be best to go for the medical treatments as fast as you can.
How do you treat a hamster with a bulging eye at home?
I don’t recommend treating hamsters with bulging eyes at home. If you do so, there will be some complexities involved. As we covered above, there could be several reasons for the bulging eyes of the hamsters. So, the way you treat the hamsters with bulging eyes would also vary depending on the severity of the condition. So, the very first thing you should do is identify the root cause of the bulging eyes and then act appropriately. So, the vet doctors would either prescribe antibiotics or conduct eye surgeries to overcome this condition.
The vet doctor would go for the surgical removal of the eye only if it was required and depending on the trauma level. Further, they will also observe how far the eye is protruding from the socket. They may also try to push the eye back to its original position if it is not protruding too far. The eye removal procedure is called enucleation.
Can a bulging eye go away on its own?
Bulging eyes cannot go away on their own, so it is vital that you determine the root cause of them and then treat them accordingly. So, if you ever come across this kind of condition with your hamster, you need to take them to the vet as fast as you can and conduct the necessary medical treatments. The sooner you get the hamsters to the veterinarian, the better.
Does dehydration cause bulging eyes?
Dehydration could cause bulging eyes as it would have an impact on the eye pressure of the hamsters. Eye pressure would impact this condition.
There are several ailments that might cause blindness in hamsters. You need to pay close attention in order to determine whether your hamster is blind. If it creeps into things and falls off easily, it avoids really bright light.
Cataracts are one of the most typical causes of blindness in hamsters. It is an aging disorder, yet it affects hamsters rather frequently. If left untreated, several other severe eye infections can also result in blindness.
Can bulging eyes cause blindness?
If your hamsters suffer from bulging eyes for prolonged periods, chances are that it will lead to blindness.
Other than bulging eyes, there are several ailments that might cause blindness in hamsters. You need to pay close attention in order to determine whether your hamster is blind. If it creeps into things and falls off easily, it avoids really bright light.
Cataracts are one of the most typical causes of blindness in hamsters. It is an aging disorder, yet it affects hamsters rather frequently. If left untreated, several other severe eye infections can also result in blindness.
Final thoughts
Eye bulging in hamsters is a worrisome condition. So, it would sometimes be best to euthanize hamsters that end up losing an eye due to this condition. As such, it is always best to avoid this happening so that your beloved hamsters don’t have to go through this condition. Therefore, to prevent this from happening, you need to ensure that you are keeping the hamster’s cage clean and that you handle them carefully as well. To wind up, if your precious hamsters ever come across a situation like this, always try to take them to the vet as promptly as you can so that he would be able to attend to it fast and avoid any further repercussions for the hamsters.
Hello, my name is James and I’ve been caring for tiny pets for over 14 years with a passion. I enjoy passing on my expertise to other individuals in order for them to have the same amount of enjoyment as I do.
