breathing trouble?

Question
These aren't my first hamsters, but I brought home three male dwarf hamsters (from the same litter I assume) that I fell in love with last Saturday.
I woke up this morning and found one of them was breathing funny, almost like deep breaths. He isn't moving around much, and at times, he seems limp. I know that they will fight to see who's most dominant, but I'm not sure if that's what caused this.

Answer
Hi Charlie

Sorry to hear your hamster isn't well.

It could be that he was ill in the pet shop and his symptoms have only just appeared.

Are there any signs of fighting?  Usually when they fight, you will notice bald patches, bite marks and one of the hamsters will sleep alone.

Breathlessness can be caused by a few things:  it could be heart related, some sort of allergy or aspergillosis.  Heart conditions - this could be congenital therefore there is little that can be done - your vet could try him on steroids, but unfortunately in my experience the prognosis isn't very good.  If it is an allergic reaction - this could be caused by the type of bedding/wood shavings/location of cage etc. Make sure there are no air fresheners or perfumes near the cage.  Check the woodshavings are designed for small animals and haven't been scented.  What type of bedding did they have in the pet shop?  Are you using the same thing?  

Aspergillosis - is a fungal condition.  Mouldy food, urine and damp conditions can cause the production of fungus.  The spores from this can go into the air and if a hamster breathes them in they can cause them to be breathless and collapse - eventually they die.  They tend to lie on one side or whichever position is easiest for them to catch their breath.  What were the conditions like in the pet shop?  Was their cage clean?  Are the other two hamsters OK?  Is there anything in their cage that is mouldy? Are you keeping them in the house, or are they in a garage or similar that could be damp and attract mould?

If it is this condition, then this is very serious - the hamster who is sick may not be able to be saved, however, the other two would need to be treated with antibiotics.

Based on the information you've given me, and assuming these are all young hamsters, therefore should be fit and healthy, I would suggest that you get to see a vet as soon as possible.

Hope this helps you.  Good luck with this - please let me know how you get on.

Regards