sealed eye and wobbly

Question
Our classroom hamster has an eye that is sealed shut and he is wobbly and shaky. What is wrong with our class pet? He is about 2 - 3 years old.

Answer
Hi Mrs. Scott,


       Your little class pet is showing signs of aging, possibley even a slight stroke. The general life span of a hamster is 18 months to 2 years.
Some other signs of aging are, some weight loss, drying of skin, a general slowing down, some fur loss and sleeping more than usual. Some extra things that should be done for an aging hamsters is, the amount of exercise and handling should be reduced and extra care may be needed to ensure your hamster is kept warm. Putting some cotton balls in his/her cage will help to keep them warm and hamsters also enjoy them. I would also suggest,if possible, taking the hamster home for a couple of weeks for some R and R. If the hamster did suffer a slight stroke, the rest (and quite) will help a lot.

      For the eye, wet a Q-tip with warm water and gently rub over the eye from far corner to nose. You may have to do this a few times. Do not try to pull the eyelid open, they are very delicate and can tear easily.

      Givin' the age of the hamster and what he/she is going through, you may want to prepare the class for his/her passing if you haven't already.

      If you have anymore questions, please write again.


Thank you for writing and best of luck!