my hamsters eyes

Question
hello, i have a hamster and one of her eye is smaller than the other. when she woke up one of her eyes were closed. should i wet a towel with warm water and wipe it on her eye? please help me.

amy  

Answer
Hi Amy

This is very common in hamsters - it's called 'sticky eyes'.  Get some warm water and gently wash the area - after a few seconds you should be able to gently open her eye.  Don't force it - you might have to wash the area again to get the eye to open.  Hamsters do get eye infections which can cause the eyes to stick, but there are usually other symptoms - itchy, red, sore - in which case a vet needs to be consulted.   Most times, however, the problem can be sorted with warm water.

Regards