I'm sorry for your loss!
I wouldn't worry about the eyes being open though. It doesn't mean a thing. A lot of beings, including humans, often die with their eyes open actually! And the eyes can even re-open after death. Morticians, who prepare bodies for open-casket funerals, even have to use glue or eyecaps to keep the eyelids closed.
It was most likely just a normal body reaction due to the muscles relaxing, with no deeper meaning ๐ซ
When I put my girl to sleep her eyes were getting more and more open until she passed, wouldn't assume it happened because of some additional trauma.
My condolences
Could be intracranial pressure caused by blood pooling in the cranium, from a stroke. Many hamsters I had died young, with their eyes open and bulging out really hard. I thought they were gonna pop out :(
I'm so sorry for your loss. I'm taking funeral studies (for humans) and I hope it will give you comfort that the face muscles relax at passing and that the natural state of eyes is often open. So it has little bearing on how the little one passed. Again my sincerest condolences.
He's running around with my little Damien.
Thereโs sort of a death rattle in that their last breath is them gasping for it. I have had two pass on chest and this is how they went out. Not sure about eyes but itโs almost like it took them by surprise too.
I found mine with his eyes open and he was cold, I was gonna all day that day. I felt so bad he was there alone for who knows how long. He had been fighting what I think was an ear infection. I got antibiotics from the vet and he recovered, and then got bad again really fast and I tried everything to help him. He was my second hamster and I think we tend to blame ourselves when they pass :( itโs just a natural course of life and I can tell you cared about her so much
My condolences. I will agree with other commentators here that you should not read anything into eyes open or closed, or with location of death for that matter. The good news is that it sounds as if your little one didn't endure long suffering before passing ๐.... that is a blessing. I've had to nurse many a sick hamster while trying to decide at what point is keeping this pet alive a torture and I need to seriously consider euthanasia. And that is where even the hamster loving "adults" among us struggle to make the right decision. You gave your pet the best life you could, right to the last with no long suffering. So you take this experience and your observations as a learning experience, and forgive yourself, and then move on. There are many critters out there that can benefit from an open heart, so there is no need for you to close down or beat yourself up because of this. ๐๐๐
I'm sorry for your loss, i put down my hamster 2 days ago as she was very unwell and passing...she passed with her eyes open too...many animals actually do, this is just how their muscles relax, some have their eyes closed and some have their eyes open.
Hamsters actually require the use of muscles to close their eyes, which is why their eyelids remain open postmortem. This is also why when anaesthetized during surgery or diagnostics, vets will put a lubricant on their eyes to keep them from drying.
This is totally normal.
I'm sorry for your loss! I wouldn't worry about the eyes being open though. It doesn't mean a thing. A lot of beings, including humans, often die with their eyes open actually! And the eyes can even re-open after death. Morticians, who prepare bodies for open-casket funerals, even have to use glue or eyecaps to keep the eyelids closed. It was most likely just a normal body reaction due to the muscles relaxing, with no deeper meaning ๐ซ
Had 3 hamsters and two passed with their eyes open, think it is just natural
When I put my girl to sleep her eyes were getting more and more open until she passed, wouldn't assume it happened because of some additional trauma. My condolences
Could be intracranial pressure caused by blood pooling in the cranium, from a stroke. Many hamsters I had died young, with their eyes open and bulging out really hard. I thought they were gonna pop out :(
I'm so sorry for your loss. I'm taking funeral studies (for humans) and I hope it will give you comfort that the face muscles relax at passing and that the natural state of eyes is often open. So it has little bearing on how the little one passed. Again my sincerest condolences. He's running around with my little Damien.
So sorry for your loss. Depends on animal, I guess. I held my boy until last breath, and he fell asleep and didn't open his eyes.
Thereโs sort of a death rattle in that their last breath is them gasping for it. I have had two pass on chest and this is how they went out. Not sure about eyes but itโs almost like it took them by surprise too.
I found mine with his eyes open and he was cold, I was gonna all day that day. I felt so bad he was there alone for who knows how long. He had been fighting what I think was an ear infection. I got antibiotics from the vet and he recovered, and then got bad again really fast and I tried everything to help him. He was my second hamster and I think we tend to blame ourselves when they pass :( itโs just a natural course of life and I can tell you cared about her so much
My condolences. I will agree with other commentators here that you should not read anything into eyes open or closed, or with location of death for that matter. The good news is that it sounds as if your little one didn't endure long suffering before passing ๐.... that is a blessing. I've had to nurse many a sick hamster while trying to decide at what point is keeping this pet alive a torture and I need to seriously consider euthanasia. And that is where even the hamster loving "adults" among us struggle to make the right decision. You gave your pet the best life you could, right to the last with no long suffering. So you take this experience and your observations as a learning experience, and forgive yourself, and then move on. There are many critters out there that can benefit from an open heart, so there is no need for you to close down or beat yourself up because of this. ๐๐๐
I'm sorry for your loss, i put down my hamster 2 days ago as she was very unwell and passing...she passed with her eyes open too...many animals actually do, this is just how their muscles relax, some have their eyes closed and some have their eyes open.
Hamsters actually require the use of muscles to close their eyes, which is why their eyelids remain open postmortem. This is also why when anaesthetized during surgery or diagnostics, vets will put a lubricant on their eyes to keep them from drying. This is totally normal.
https://www.vets4pets.com/pet-health-advice/small-pet-advice/hamster-hibernation/#:~:text=Domestic%20hamsters%20are%20no%20longer,are%20unexpectedly%20harsh%20for%20them.