Black Bear Hamster Eye Problem

Question
We have had our black bear for about 5 months...we got him as a baby and he has been fine until a week ago. Blackie is friendly and is even a cuddler! He eats fine.. i give him washed romaine lettuce at least 3 times a week along with some apple besides his diet of seeds.Once in a blue moon i give him a little bit of strawberry. I make sure he has fresh water in his bottle every day and I even give him filtered water. His cage is cleaned every week also and i use Aspen bedding. However last week i noticed something wrong or different with his one eye. It wasn't sticky or puffy ( i have had hamsters before)Upon inspection, it looks as if Blackie has lost the fur around the eye about a mm (millimetre) in width. It doesn't look infected at all.The other eye is fine and he is eating and running in his wheel at night. His testicles are beginning to hang as he matures but i don't think the two are connected. I have no idea what this could be.... he seems fine otherwise! I do have his cage placed near a heating vent ( about a foot and a half away) and i have tried to shelter him from any cold drafts.. as it is winter in Canada right now and quite cold ( and our house gets quite drafty) Thanks so much .. hoping i can get some answers on what the problem is if it IS a problem to be concerned about.

Answer
Hi Jackie

Hamsters can suffer from various eye conditions.  They often get 'sticky eyes' where the eye lids stick together.  It is important the eyes are opened daily otherwise pus can build up behind them - so if you find his eye is stuck shut, gently wash the area until the eye opens.  

They can also get conjunctivitis and other eye infections - these can be extremely painful for the hamster and can cause the eye area to become sore, or wet with pus.  If this is the case, or if he is scratching a lot, then he needs to be seen by a vet so that he can be given special eye drops.  Hamsters can also suffer from mites, and these tend to affect the head area - again, this is something that is easily treatable by a vet.

I would be inclined to monitor the situation over the next week or two and see if anything changes or if he becomes bothered by this or his general behavior changes.  If there are changes, then I suggest you get him straight to a vet.

With regard to the diet you are feeding him - you must be very careful giving lettuce as this has very little nutritional value and can cause diarrhea.  Ideally, this should only be fed about once a week or fortnight.  Instead, I suggest you give him a varied diet - hamsters love broccoli, spinach, cabbage, french beans, carrots, corn on the cob, peas etc.  It would be good to try and give him something different each day if you can.  This way you'll know he's getting all the nutrients he needs.  You could also give him some raw porridge oats as these are very high in nutrients and hamsters do love these, along with his usual hamster mix and seeds/nuts etc.  Avoid chocolate as this is poisonous, but once a week or two you could give a tiny piece of cheese, or boiled/scrambled egg (avoid giving milk as this causes diarrhea).

Hope this helps you.

Regards