big eyes

[unlucky_one_x3]

my brother and me both have a hammy and my brothers hammy (kara) has really REALLY big eyes. i mean big. they like buldge out. my hammy has big eyes too, but not that big. and in all the hammy pics i've seen, i've yet to see one hammy with as huge of eyes as hers!! its just kinda weird, but anyways...the question...because of her big eyes im always

Comments

[nomadzutroy]

Sounds like the poor little one may have cataracts ( I think i spelled that right). I don't know much about them apart from they affect the hamster's sight...depending on the severity of them, they may make it so the hamster is looking through glasses of the wrong prescription, or it may be completely blind and anywhere inbetween.

[blob]

My little Kitty is blind in one eye, and that eye bulges more than the other and looks bigger. It also looks as though it has a clear covering, like a sort of a transparent bubble covering the eye. It could definitely be cataracts, especially if it's an older hamster. Is this something you've only just noticed or has she always looked like that? How old is Kara?

[unlucky_one_x3]

well i noticed her eyes looking big for about a month now and her clear bubble since about a week ago. she only like 4 months old. i hope shes ok?! :/

[blob]

What happened with Kitty is that she injured her eye and managed to scratch the cornea, which resulted in her going blind in that eye and developing the strange-looking bubble. It seems strange that Kara would have the same injury in both eyes, though, so it may well be cataracts - though those are more common in older hamsters. It does sound like Kara is probably blind in both eyes at the moment, and if it's cataracts then there's not a lot you can do, but you might want to have a vet check her out to see if eyedrops can be prescribed. It could very well be an infection rather than cataracts and eyedrops could help save her sight. Hamsters have very poor eyesight anyway, and tend to cope well if they lose their sight, so if she's acting normally and doesn't seem to be in any discomfort, then she's probably not even noticed it herself. But a vet may be able to put your mind at rest. :)

[sugarblossom]

Does this covering go over the entire eye? It may just be a normal part of the eye (cornea I think). It's also normal to see some part of their eyelids at the very edges of their eyes, but not all over, so the cataracts guess may be a strong possibility.

If any part of their eye is cloudy or white in color though, this could be due to cataracts, which can be caused by diabetes. Other symptoms of diabetes include increased thirst and increased urination, and if these are present, it might be a good idea to take her to a vet.

Also, hamsters' eyes can bug out a bit when they are dehydrated, so make sure that she has a good supply of water and is drinking plenty. If there are any other symptoms related to this, the vet would definitely be able to help. :)