Sneezing? Squeaking? Normal?

cmiller1017 · 12-06-2015, 11:46 PM

We just brought home our baby last night. He's seemed perfectly fine then and the little bit he ran around this morning. But tonight as he's come out of hiding he's been vocal... Kinda sounds like hiccups or whining... It's hard to explain. He's also cleaned his nose quite a bit. Wasn't doing this while sleeping.

We have no problem taking him to the vet, but I also don't want to cause him more stress if unnecessary. Is this normal first few days stress? Could the bedding he too dusty (we are currently using care fresh)?

He seems to be running around, and eating just fine.

Wanna Hamster · 12-07-2015, 03:46 PM

Does his nose look red or runny? Is he sniffling? If so, it could be something serious that only the vet could treat. What type of bedding do you use? If it is dusty, you may want to change it to something non dusty.

cmiller1017 · 12-07-2015, 06:02 PM

We moved him into our room last night so I could listen for breathing problems. I think it's only really happening when he's waking up/woken up and/or there's new stuff in the cage. No discharge from nose or eyes, seems bright eyed and running around like crazy.

Is there anyway to post a video?

Scargirl · 12-07-2015, 06:07 PM

I don't know how to post a video. I can't even post one myself.

Wanna Hamster · 12-07-2015, 07:09 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by cmiller1017

We moved him into our room last night so I could listen for breathing problems. I think it's only really happening when he's waking up/woken up and/or there's new stuff in the cage. No discharge from nose or eyes, seems bright eyed and running around like crazy.

Is there anyway to post a video?

He may just have a lightly clogged nose when he wakes up. I'd use toilet paper as nesting material because it is 100% dust free and very comfy. I used to have a ham that would do the same, but then I switched her over to toilet paper and she got better.

To upload a video, the best way is to upload it to YouTube and then post the link.

cypher · 12-07-2015, 11:39 PM

If you can upload a video to youtube & link here it would help get a better idea of what's going on, keep a check on his breathing sounds but if that's ok I wonder if some of this may just be because you only just brought him home? Some hams are quite vocal when they are a bit scared & they also wash their face when their nervous!
If he seems to be acting normally & his breathing sounds ok it may not be anything to worry about, just keep a close eye on him without disturbing him too much as he settles in.

cmiller1017 · 12-08-2015, 09:48 AM

I think we're in the clear!!! Only normal hamster vocalizations last night, very active. I think it was most definitely over stimulation/stress.

He even came to the door and checked us out! Obviously with how stressed coming to his new home made him we will go slow with hand taming (although we did hold him a little bit at the store).

how long should I wait before giving him fresh fruit/veggies?

Wanna Hamster · 12-08-2015, 03:27 PM

I'd only give fresh foods every 1-2 weeks, but as your hamster gets more used to it, you could feed fresh veggies and fruits every 3-4 days.

cypher · 12-08-2015, 11:44 PM

Glad he seems more settled now.
I begin pretty much straight away with fresh food, just giving the tiniest piece to begin with, maybe once every few days so you can see how they get on with it then as long as they seem ok gradually move on to a small piece daily.
It may take a while to find what they like best but cucumber, broccoli or fresh peas are usually a good place to start.