hamsters dieing

Question
Thanks for getting back to me so quickly.  The shaving and/or the cage are the only things that I can think it could be.  We went to PetSmart and got a new hamster today.  I bought a new cage - one that has wire sides.  And I got Aspen shavings to put inside.  So far, this little one is more energetic than the first two were even on the first night.  I'm keeping my fingers crossed.  What are the signs of stress that I should watch for and if any occur, what should I do?  Thank you so much for your help.
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The text above is a follow-up to ...

-----Question-----
I have bought 2 hamsters for my 9 year old daughter since January 2.  They were bought separately, not at the same time and from different shops.  The first was a black bear and the second a panda.  In both cases, they seemed fine when we brought them home.  They ran around the first night and slept the next day and never really woke up.  Still alive the next night, but they never woke enough to come out of their nest.  They were in a new habitat.  One of the plastic ones with tubes and such.  The bedding is just white pine shavings.  I didn't introduce any foods other than a standard hamster mix.  The water bottle was clean and full.  I didn't let my daughter try to handle them or anything, thinking to give them time to adjust to the new surroundings.  I'm at a loss.  I just can't figure what we have done wrong.  Yes, I cleaned the cage thoroughly after the first one died.  Do you think that the pine shavings or the habitat could be to blame?  Are those plastic habitats ventilated enough?  Sorry for the length of the question.  I would appreciate any tips you could give me.  My daughter is heart broken.


-----Answer-----
It may be the pine shavings.  Pine and cedar shavings give off phenols or aromatic oils.  In short, smells great to us, gives them respiratory infections or can trigger allergies.  Switch to aspen shavings or carefresh (paper based) bedding.  Plastic cages are normally fine but since they do have compromised ventilation, using pine shavings is not best for their respiratory health.  Try switching and, if possible, find a pet store that guarantees their animals.  Many stores will do this for up to two weeks. Keep an eye on them the first few days as that is when you are most likely to have problems due to stress.

Let me know if I can be of any more help,
Lauren

Answer
Any time you hear sneezing or see lethargy (keep in mind they are noctural) especially coupled with unwillingness to eat or drink you are likely looking at a sick hamster.  Also keep an eye out for wet tail, especially the first couple weeks as that is a common killer of young and very old hamsters.  Their rear end will appear wet and they will get dehydrated and eventually die.  It's easy to fix though as you can either purchase DriTail drops or get an antibiotic from the vet.

Good luck!
Lauren