may

Question
QUESTION: hey i bought a hamster two days ago, May she is called, she seems to be not as active anymore and seems to be sneezing im not sure ive never had a hamster before, if its a cold is it serious? theres no droughts or windows open in my bedroom..

ANSWER: Hi Robyne

Hamsters can sneeze for various reasons.  What is is her breathing like?  When she breathes, does she seem to struggle?  Does she lay on her side?

When you first get a hamster they are often very active for a few days and then as they start to get used to their surroundings they can go a bit quieter and settle down.  This isn't unusual, but she should still be active in the evenings and look bright and alert.

Hamsters can suffer from colds and they usually display similar symptoms to humans - sneezing, runny eyes, and generally look unwell.  They are also very prone to allergies and I suspect that this is probably the problem.  

Hamsters rely heavily on their sense of smell as their eye sight is so bad.  Therefore, anything sprayed near their cage - perfumes, deodorant, air fresheners etc. including the plug in fresheners and pot pourri can all upset a hamster and therefore putting a hamster cage near these should be avoided.  It is also important to check the bedding - if you do use wood chippings, make sure they are ones that are sold specifically for small animals.  Some wood chippings that you can get are from pine, cypressus or cedar and these contain a volatile oil called thujone which can cause respiratory problems in hamsters.  Also, some wood chippings have oils added to them to give a 'nice smell' but these can affect a hamster.

Another thing to be aware of is if any mould accumulates in the cage - i.e. from condensation if your hamster sleeps in a plastic house (it is better to either remove this or get a more natural environment for her to sleep in), uneaten fresh food that has gone mouldy or some hamsters pee on their food - if this attracts mould the fungal spores can be very harmful to a hamster.  They can make them sneeze and affect their breathing.  In this case the hamster struggles for breath and often has to lay on one side.  Therefore it is important to keep the cage clean, always remove uneaten or soiled fresh food/vegetables daily and make sure the cage is fully dry before putting new bedding in.

It would be worth checking the location of the cage to make sure that nothing has been sprayed near it.  If you think that your hamster's sneezing is not allergy related, and if she appears dull and not wanting to come out much, then it would be worth getting her checked by a vet, just to be on the safeside.

Regards


---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: hey i cant afford a vet, she isnt laying on her side there isnt any sounds reffering to her breathing being bad its just the sneezing, i gave her more bedding to keep her warm im not sure, if its a cold will it clear up soon, we had to walk 45 mins after it had been raining to take her home in a box somaybe she caught a cold form that..:S

ANSWER: Hi

Is she sitting hunched up at all?  Does she look dull and unwell?  If so, then it may well be a cold and this will need treating.  Is she eating/drinking normally?  If not, then you can encourage her to take in fluids - a little blackcurrant juice added to water can do the trick, if she doesn't want to eat you could try offering her baby food - I usually buy the powdered creamy porridge oats and mix a little with water.  This is a favorite with hamsters.  Only give it for a few days or so (I give mine this as treat about once a month), along with her usual feed as you need her to eat hard foods too otherwise her teeth can overgrown.  

If she looks OK - it is just that she is sneezing, then I think that you need to investigate her surroundings and bedding.  It could well be that this is purely an allergy - in which case you will need to do some detective work to try and figure out what is making her sneeze so that you can eliminate it from her environment.

Good luck with this.

Regards

---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: she does scrunch herself up a bit but nothing out of the oridnary she looks fine her eyes arent watery just the sneezing..i cleaned her cage yesterday there was nothing making her sneeze, i dont think she is eating properly just seems to be picking out the seeds and nuts but she eats them she isnt drinking a lot though, im still in the process of taming her to quite difficult she always bite so its hard to investigate her properly but she is just sneezing really, what treatment will i give for her cold? i really cant afford vets :( i also have 7 mice and they use the sam sawdust food and bedding they are perfectly fine the bedding and sawdust arent scenty or oiley..

Answer
Hi  

Hamsters often remove pieces of food from their bowl and put it in their nest - this is normal for them.  I often find my hamsters' bowls full of all the bits they don't like.  Providing you are giving a good hamster mix, then this is fine.  In addition, you should be giving a small amount of fresh vegetables daily.  Avoid giving lettuce as this can cause diarrhoea.  They do like broccoli, peas, corn on the cob, cabbage, spinach, apple etc.  If you can, give a small piece of one of these nightly.  This will help give her a well balanced diet.

Hamsters generally don't drink much water.  If you notice a hamster drinking a lot of water then this is an indication that they are ill - either a tumor or diabetes etc.  Therefore, again, the fact that you don't think she is drinking is a good sign.

How close are the mice to your hamster's cage?  What sexes are your mice?  I keep a lot of small animals, but if I go anywhere near a male mouse I can't stop sneezing and my eyes water.  I know this sounds a bit crazy but I'm just wondering if it's some sort of allergy like this!  In which case, if you have male mice in the house, can you relocate your hamster's cage to another room just for a few days to see if there is any improvement?

It is very difficult to know if this is a cold or not and therefore hard to say for sure what treatment you should give her. I think that offering her the human baby food for a few days would be good - most hamsters love this and you will be able to see if she is eating.  

Whereabouts in the UK do you live?  There might be a pet rescue near you than can have a look at her.  Alternatively, some of the pet shops are very knowledgeable and again might be able to offer some help.  

For the time being I would be inclined to move her cage to another location away from the mice (if she is near them).  Feed her baby food for a few days and see if there is any improvement.  If there still isn't or if she gets worse then someone really ought to have a look at her, but hopefully this won't be necessary.

I'm on vacation after today, so if you need to get in touch during the week, please email me at hamster.lady@virgin.net and I'll try to check my emails every couple of days.

Regards