Blind Hamster

Question
Hi Heather, I have recently rescued an albino Black Bear hamster...bad breeding, as she was born with a congenital defect which has left her with an eye defect. The lids are very swollen and her eyes are crusty, the eyesballs may not have fully formed. The vet has seen her twice and we have to wipe her eyes clean and put an atibiotic eye gel on her eyes once or twice a day to keep infection from starting. This may be ongoing for her life. The vet has reassured us that she is not in any discomfort and she really is a lovely little ham, with a soft fluffy coat and a tonne of energy. When you see her in the cage, moving, playing, and running on her wheel, you would never know she is blind. I guess what I'm getting at is that it's quite an ordeal to putting the eye gel on every day, which I don't have a problem with...I just hope the hamster isn't going to hate us.  We always give her treats after we're done and she takes and eats them. Do you have any suggestions that might make this easier for the hamster? Her name is Angel and we love her to pieces. Thanks for your time. :-) KJ

Answer
As much as it may seem cruel, doing this procedure during the day when the hamster is drowsy and will want to go back to sleep after everything is done is what I would do. You can also try distracting her with a little dollup of yogurt or any food that she will have to lick up and not pick up, and hopefully she will stay distracted enough to not react when you wipe her eye. Talk to her softly, as soon as she gets used to your scent and voice, the process with become much easier. If your not already using a Q tip, they are the best item for the task. When my male's eye crusted once in his life, he had no problems with me having to wipe it with a Q tip. If it becomes difficult, a quick hold on the neck scruff is the easiest way to safely restrain the hamster. She will not hate you for it, and she has a much better chance of living a happy life with someone like you who is willing to put the time into helping her. I simply love albino hamsters, good luck with her in the future.