Syrian Hamster Sneezing!

Question
Hi

I recently got a Syrian hamster named Snickers and I cleaned out his cage the other day and I have noticed he has been sneezing quite a bit.

Is he sick? I cleaned the cage with non-scented dishwashing liquid...could he be allergic to it?

Thanks a lot................oh and I use Care Fresh Ultra bedding!


Thanks again,
     Anonymous

Answer
Hi

Thanks for your question.

Hamsters can be prone to allergies and it could well be that there is something that he is allergic to.  Apart from the sneezing, how is he behaving?  Is he active and looking bright?  Hamsters can develop colds but they tend to show other signs - watery eyes, discharge from the nose, shivering, sitting hunched etc.  In cases like these it is important to keep them warm and get them to drink fluids, sometimes sweetened with a little honey.

However, if this is allergy related then it is a case of doing some detective work.  Perhaps next time you clean him out just rinse the cage without any washing up liquid.  I tend to only use water and a small pet cage disinfectant.  You could also try just giving him pieces of kitchen paper/paper towel instead of the bedding for a week and see if there is any improvement.

Where abouts is his cage situated.  Hamsters have very sensitive noses and any perfume, such as air freshners, aromatherapy oils, pot pourri etc. can cause them to sneeze.  It would be worth just having a look near his cage to make sure there is nothing in the area that could be causing him a problem.

If he starts to display any other signs of being unwell then you might want to get him checked out by a vet, but hopefully his sneezing is related to his new home and can be rectified.

Good luck with this.

Regards
Sheila