Hamster sneezing!!!!

Karamelloh · 11-23-2014, 02:17 AM

Hello! A week ago I got 2 male Syrian Hamsters. They are both brothers and 5 weeks old. After about 3 and a half days I slowly began short taming sessions with them. One of my my new hamsters, Hugo, keeps sneezing. In the beginning it was just one sneeze it but now its almost excessive. He is eating, active, and does not have runny nose or feces as of right now. I am always extremely worried when it comes to having a new hamster and I try not to stress them out. I am concerned he could be getting wet tail or be getting sick or something. It is a little chilly in my room at night but I have been keeping a space heater on. I lt is also his first time on his own in a new house and his previous owner did not do much handling with the pups because she had multiple litters to handle at once.

He is on Kaytee clean and cozy bedding (his previous owner had them on a wood base bedding). His brother, Hiro, is not sneezing at all. I am trying to take it really easy with Hugo and kind of leave him alone as much as possible incase he is sneezing because of me. However, this does not seem to be the case because his sneezing is getting worse even with me leaving him alone. I have no idea what is wrong with him and I am very concerned. Please help!

**kyrilliondaemon** · 11-23-2014, 10:27 AM

Could you change him back to the substrate he was on before? Theres always a chance its an allergy

Skeever · 11-23-2014, 11:15 AM

Is it actually a sneeze? Which usually makes them kind of spazz out like people do when they sneeze? Or could it be a huff, or snort? More of a loud HMMPH! sound?

BrainGirl · 11-23-2014, 11:15 AM

Just in case it is something contagious, make sure to wash your hands between handling them. I guess they can't be too far apart if they live in the same room but making sure they don't share anything until you get to the bottom of this would be a good idea just to be safe.

On the other hand, there have been a couple of threads here recently about sneeze-like noises of what we're taking to be excitement rather than illness. Has he got new toys?

Dax · 11-25-2014, 02:28 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Skeever

Is it actually a sneeze? Which usually makes them kind of spazz out like people do when they sneeze? Or could it be a huff, or snort? More of a loud HMMPH! sound?

What is the hmmph sound? Hammy does that. I think its him showing irritation to something..usually if i have had to clean out his next and ive removed his stored food or messed up his nest.

x

Skeever · 11-25-2014, 02:32 PM

It sounds like a sneeze but they don't freeze and spazz out like a real sneeze....just a loud expulsion of air from the nose...sudden and loud, but it doesn't stop them or make them pause in whatever they are doing. Like if we make a loud HMPH!!! sound with our mouths closed? Sometimes they're kind of peeved, other times I think they're just carried away with whatever they're doing though. I don't think its always a complaint. Or at least not a complaint against me. Maybe a bit puzzled or frustrated in their exploring.

Then theres the possibility that, given how much they use the sense of smell, that they are just very nasally active, lol.....

Karamelloh · 11-26-2014, 02:49 AM

Thank you all for replying! I would have responded sooner but I am facing finals right now and I am still very new to the website. I appologise. However, I have been monitoring my hamster. He seems to make the noise more when his face is in the bedding so it may be an allergy? Hes still behaving normally still and it seems like his "sneezing" has calmed down quite a bit in the last two days. It is possible that it sounds kind of like hes blowing air out maybe? I'm not sure. He doesn't hesitate or stop or do anything out of the ordinary when he makes this noise. He will just continue doing what he is doing before he made the noise. I have been making sure my room is warmer than before incase it was too cold and making him ill.