my hamsters eye problem

Question
hello dr. shiela,
                i m from india and i have a hamster from Syria. it is barely passed 1 year and for the past few days i have been observing tht its eyes (pupils) have become white in colour. i have stopped feeding it nutrition. do u think tht might be the cause? pleese help me.

Answer
Hi Praveen

Hamsters can get eye problems.  It could be that your hamster has developed cataracts, or some sort of eye infection.  I would advise you getting it checked out by a vet so that they can treat it if necessary.  Some eye conditions are painful and eye drops might be recommended.  If you find your hamster has cataracts - this isn't a problem for them.  Hamsters are very shortsighted anyway and tend to rely on scent rather than sight.  You might need to adjust the cage so that they don't have to climb onto platforms etc - a single storey cage would be advisable in this case.

Regards