New Cage after hamster death??

Question
Hi...

I had a hamster for about 8 months and then he passed away in Aug of last year.  I cleaned the cage very well, put it away...then in October I got another hamster and used the same cage.  Unfortunately he passed away 2 days ago.  He stopped using his wheel, eating and lost alot of weight before he died.  Do you think it was the cage?

I want to get another hamster and I have cleaned the cage thoroughly with vinegar and hot water and then with a non toxic cage cleaner I got at PetsMart.  I am scared to use this cage again.  Would there still be bacteria?  I am trying to decide if I should buy another cage or if I just had bad luck with 2 ill hamsters?  (By the way I use care fresh bedding, lab blocks for food and give fresh fruits/veg every 2nd day)

Any advice would be appreciated!

Answer
Hi Renee,

    I really don't think it was the cage. I would suggest cleaning the cage with diluted bleach (3 cups hot water to one cup bleach, then rinse again very well with plain hot water. This will work better at killing any bacteria, if present) instead of the vinegar.
    The bedding you used is great for hamsters and I would suggest using a hamster food mix instead of the lab blocks (from what I have read, these are more used for rats than hamsters and they do not have a well enough mix of seeds and grains that a hamster needs). As for the fresh fruits and vegetables, these should not be given no more than 2 times a weeks, as over feeding of these can cause diarrhea.
    If you are scared to use the same cage again, by all means get a different one, but I really don't think it was the cage.
    If you have anymore questions, please write again.

Thank you for writing!