# Eyes popping out of sockets



## Teli

Hi there,

I have a 1.5 yr old male hedgehog named Huffster.

His left eye popped out last month and I spent a LOT of money at the vet for his surgery.
Today, I discovered that his right eye popped out as well.
Already brought him to the vet but didn't have enough money for his surgery.
He's on painkillers and antibiotic till next month so hopefully I will have enough money by then to pay for his surgery.

Is there anything that I can do to keep off possible infection other than keeping his environment clean & giving him the antibiotic everyday? 

I have no idea why his eyes are popping out. He's completely blind now, the poor thing. *sigh*


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## smhufflepuff

I would be asking my vet to answer the question of why his eyeballs came out. Look at the bigger picture: Is there an infection that caused swelling and pushed them out? Is there a tumor growing that pushed them out?


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## Teli

Actually, the vet was the one that asked me why his eye popped out. :| 
There are very few vets in my country (yes, country) that treat hedgehogs and even then, they're not so specialised.

I guess I should ask him to check if there's a tumour or an infection behind his eye when I bring him there for surgery.
All I mentioned to the vet was what I've found out thus far online, that their eyes sometimes pop out for no reason? :? 

He's on painkillers and antibiotic now. The vet mentioned that the eye should shrivel up soon. Is it possible to leave the eye like that without surgery?


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## Nancy

Hedgehogs have very shallow eye sockets so the least little trauma can cause them to pop out. Also a tumour or infection can do it. It's quite common to hear of a hedgehog who has had it happen to one eye and not long after to the other eye. 

Being on painkillers and antibiotic is great. His eye will probably shrivel up and he will dig it out on his own. It should be fine without the surgery. Many people have not had surgery done and it's been fine. My Peaches couldn't have surgery because of her age and other health issues, she probably would not have survived the surgery. I can't remember the exact time frame but within a week, she had dug the eye out and it was fine. 

Good luck.


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## Teli

Oh gosh, I never knew that the prolapse of one eye could cause the other to prolapse too.

I'll monitor his conditions for the next few weeks and see if it shrivels up or not.

*Was it okay to have the eye socket exposed since Peaches didn't go for surgery?*
Did you need to clean it or something?
I worry about infection.

Thank you for your speedy response.  
I'm definitely a little more relieved now.


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## Nancy

Having it happen to one eye doesn't cause the other to do it, but it's possible that the circumstances of it happening to one, are there for the other as well. For example, possibly the hedgehog has extra shallow eye sockets. 

Peaches was elderly and ill so wasn't running on her wheel anymore and no chance of getting anything in empty socket. I know of owners of young hedgehogs that have left the socket open with no problem so leaving it open shouldn't be an issue. If you are concerned, at a later date when finances are better, you could then have it closed.


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## Teli

Hmm, his eye sockets are rather shallow compared to Chubster's.
His son, Pinto has somewhat shallow eye sockets too, like his dad, so I guess I need to be extra careful with him.

Oh, I think I will have it stitched shut when I have the finances to do so, yes.

Thank you so much for your help. 

I will see how things go for the next few days.


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## jeffs0719

That sounds so gruesome that they just scratch there own eye out.


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## Tym4myself

Wow, that sounds so gruesome!  Poor little Huffster.  I hope he is feeling better soon.


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## Teli

I couldn't stand seeing him suffer.
My parents have agreed to pay for his surgery again (which I will repay later).

I sent him in today but he's staying over at the vet until tomorrow when the doctor can perform the surgery.
Hopefully he'll be okay.


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## FiaSpice

Teli said:


> I couldn't stand seeing him suffer.
> My parents have agreed to pay for his surgery again (which I will repay later).
> 
> I sent him in today but he's staying over at the vet until tomorrow when the doctor can perform the surgery.
> Hopefully he'll be okay.


That's really nice of your parents, I hope Huffster will recover fast.


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## Teli

He scratched his stitches off. I'm done spending money on him. Already spent more than a thousand bucks fixing both of his eyes.
His eye wound is open now and I just don't have the money or energy left to get him to the vet which is nearly 25 miles away.


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## addie7

Poor Huffster, I could'nt imagine that happening to tiny. I used to have a hedgehog named Hufflepuff, but he died a week after his 7th birthday. 😢


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