hamster not opening eyes

Question
Hi Heather,
I'm hoping you can help, and that this question does not fall into one of your "don't ask me" categories. I found a full sized hamster outside my apt end of Oct. Am pretty sure she's Syrian, based on comparisons at pet store. She had babies Nov 11th, surprise! I was unprepared and inexperienced and as a result, there are only 4 babies left:(. One of the babies is all white and never opened her eyes like the others. I looked into taking her to a vet, but I just can't afford the $74 for an exam! Tonight, there is blood coming from the closed eye. I'm very worried about her. I'm wondering if you've ever had a baby hammy who hasn't opened their eyes, any info about it. Should I separate her from the others? Is this likely an injury from fighting with the sibs, or an issue with the eye itself? Any info you may have would be greatly appreciated.  
Thank you for your time, Heidi

Answer
Interesting. Looks like someone thought setting a hamster free in the wild was a good idea. Luckily you found it. Hamsters can't survive outside and their sight is terrible. It would have been hawk food.

Anyway the baby with the eye problem could be serious. We don't know if it's because of a fighting injury or some sort of bacterial infection, or even a congenital defect with the eye. If the area if puffy, red, or the baby feels warmer then the others, it's likely a bacterial problem and it should be separated from the others. It could have an allergy to the bedding or something else in the cage. If the pup is getting along fine with closed eyes, like finding food and warmth, then just keep an eye on it for another week. About 4 weeks old is when they can be separated from mom so by that time if the little one doesn't improve try moving it into a separate cage with different bedding. If that doesn't fix it then the hamster might have a congenital defect that likely won't be fixable.