squinty eye

[Veer]

For some time now, Ukkie has occasionally had a squinty eye.

I recently started using Aspen, which is completely dust-free and very fine (Millamore), but it didn't provide enough tunnel support. He seemed to like it otherwise; he's not much of a digger.
Last week, I mixed in some paper and cotton bedding, so he could make tunnels.

The day after I changed the bedding, I suddenly heard him breathing very heavily, sounding like he was wheezing.
I lifted his house and woke him up.
He sneezed once and then the wheezing stopped.
However, the area around his nose looked a little “fuller” than normal.
His eye was also a little squinted, so I cleaned it with cooled boiled water, then put him back and removed the sandbox for an hour or two.
Now, whenever I see him, I clean his eye in the same way. Usually once a day, sometimes twice.
I don't see anything else in his eye, nor any dirt.
I did notice that the cotton bedding (esvee) produced a lot of dust.
Could that be bothering him?

I don't really want to turn his whole enclosure upside down again to put in different bedding.

He didn't have any problems with the Millamore.
I still have Hammie's Ikea Samla box.

Would it be a good idea to put him in there temporarily?

Some little houses, his wheel, and just the Millamore bedding, to see if it goes away?

It would also be easier for me to take care of his eye.
Or can I just leave him in his current enclosure and bedding?

(I know the cotton bedding isn't common in your country, bit in the netherlands it used very often en is known to be safe due to the way it is produced)

 

[Maz]

Assume you mean like cotton wool/kapok pods? I know it's quite commonly used in Germany (and it seems the Netherlands too) and yes in the Uk we don't use it in case it's eaten and causes blockages as it doesn't break down. However, it seems German owners have not had that issue so maybe hamsters just aren't silly enough to pouch it or swallow any. Even so it's not recommended here.

But yes it's possible it could be dust from that. Which paper bedding did you use? It's also possible the eye could be a bit of an ageing thing because a partly closed sticky eye is quite common in older hamsters. However the sneezing does suggest something.

It might be an idea to stick to what you were using before if he was fine with that. Can you do that without moving him to another enclosure? It would stress him to have a cage change unless it's really necessary, and if you're planning to upgrade him, it would be better to wait for that, before doing a cage change, because then you can move everything across and have it set up so it's virtually the same, and he'd adjust much quicker.

Although changing the bedding would be a bit of a stress as well but not as much as moving to a temporary enclosure.

I would leave out the cotton bedding generally, because I can't see it would help with tunnels either. Some hamsters have been found to have an allergy to carefresh (which is cellulose rather than paper) which might be to do with chemicals used during the processing/manufacture of it (at a guess).

Whereas paper bedding has less processes. Kaytee clean and cosy is usually fine and hypoallergenic, although the odd bag might be a bit dusty - it varies. There is the Oxbow paper bedding as well. Or if you have a shredder, you could shred kitchen towels (the paper rolls).