Help me please

Question
Hey my hamster has pine and she is sneezing do i change it i have a teddybear hamster and the lady at the pet store said it was fine is it a cold or not?

Answer
Dear Rae,
thank you for your question.
Pine bedding is not okay for hamsters (actually, it's not okay for any animal at all and I have no idea why pet stores keep selling it). They react allergic to the wood sap and may develope a chronic respiratory infection. Change the bedding to non-resinous wood shavings, like aspen for example, or to hemp or flax bedding (which is usually sold for horses).
I recommend seeing a vet with the hamster if the sneezing doesn't stop a day or so after you changed the bedding. www.rmca.org/Vets has a list of vets that will treat rodents.
I hope I was of some help to you
Jennifer