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Old 04-12-2022, 03:15 PM   #1
Snowy_Syrian
Newborn Pup
 
Join Date: Apr 2022
Location: UK
Posts: 34
Default New hamster sneezing

Hello, this is my first post. Looking for some advice on my baby Syrian hamster who I adopted on Saturday.

First, some background info - he's in a Savic Plaza cage with a 28cm wheel and lots of tunnels, hideouts, platforms etc. Bedding is hemp layered with hay (I read that it's good to do this as it holds their tunnels better) and recycled paper bedding for his hideout. He has a sand bath with Tiny Friends Farm chinchilla sand.

On the day we brought him home, he was very active, exploring the cage and seemed healthy and inquisitive, though he did climb round the bars quite a bit and fell once or twice (not big falls and landed on the bedding). The next day, he didn't come out till about 10pm. When he did emerge, he made lots of noises that sounded like sneezing and was rubbing at his nose a lot. I wondered if it could be an allergy to the bedding? (The pet shop had him on pine shavings, which I know is not good, hence why I got hemp instead.) But after a few minutes, he seemed fine and was running in his wheel lots and exploring the cage again.

Since then, it's been much of the same. He's still pretty nervous and jumpy, though he took a bit of carrot from my hand today - progress! He comes out at 10ish and is pretty active. There has been less sneezing, but each day he has had 1-2 mini sneezing fits, sneezing 4-5 times and rubbing his nose, then carrying on as normal. He's eating and drinking fine and seems otherwise healthy.

Should I change his bedding? Or take him to a vet? I don't want to disturb him if it's not necessary, as like I said he's still settling in and pretty jumpy.

Thanks in advance!
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Old 04-13-2022, 05:46 AM   #2
Ria P
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Default Re: New hamster sneezing

Hello and welcome to HC!

Could be the hay and hamsters don't need hay anyway. Also, it needs to be frozen for a week in case it has bugs.

I'd use Kaytee clean and cozy in sleeping and burrowing areas. Some hamsters react to Aspen but i don't know about hemp.
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Old 04-13-2022, 12:11 PM   #3
Snowy_Syrian
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Default Re: New hamster sneezing

Thanks for the reply! I will ditch the hay when I clean him out and try him with just the hemp. He also has a toy that is one of those edible cube things stuffed with hay, which he does like gnawing on - presumably I should remove that as well.
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Old 04-13-2022, 03:17 PM   #4
Ria P
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Default Re: New hamster sneezing

Quote:
Originally Posted by Snowy_Syrian View Post
Thanks for the reply! I will ditch the hay when I clean him out and try him with just the hemp. He also has a toy that is one of those edible cube things stuffed with hay, which he does like gnawing on - presumably I should remove that as well.
That's the same as a carrot house and made from cardboard. They like chewing on them. I'd just take the hay out of the toy. He'll still need plenty of nesting material because hemp is quite coarse. I'd use something like kaytee or carefresh in part of the cage but not that cotton wool bedding. That's dangerous. They also like heaps of torn into strips plain, white toilet paper.
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Old 04-13-2022, 05:27 PM   #5
Snowy_Syrian
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Default Re: New hamster sneezing

Update - I just changed the bedding. He was a little star - I tempted him into a mug with a treat, then put him in his playpen with a few toys while I cleared out the cage, and he was pretty much unfazed I've filled it up with just hemp on one side, and a thick layer of the recycled paper bedding on the side where his house is, because it was the only other bedding material I had to hand - I'll try to get Carefresh or Kaytee for the next change.

When I put him back in, he sniffed all around, then went to his food bowl (which I'd refilled since I chucked out his hoard with the old bedding). He was fine while exploring the cage, but sneezed a couple of times while pouching his food. Could the food be the issue? It's Harry Hamster mix (not sure what he was eating at the pet shop but I can check next time I'm there)?
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Old 04-14-2022, 12:46 AM   #6
Ria P
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Default Re: New hamster sneezing

Harry Hamster is what i feed our Syrians. Can't really see that food could cause sneezing. He would have been fed on the pet shops own brand muesli which isn't as good as Harry Hamster.
Btw, i freeze hamster food for a week since i had an outbreak of pantry moths.

Are you using air fresheners in the room the hamster is in or anything scented in his cage?
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Old 04-14-2022, 07:36 AM   #7
Snowy_Syrian
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Default Re: New hamster sneezing

No, no air fresheners or anything like that. I did have a vase of flowers (carnations) on the mantelpiece about a metre away from his cage, but I chucked them out last night as they were starting to die.

He had a long digging session in his sand bath after I posted last night and he sneezed lots while doing it - could it be a dust allergy? The sand doesn't seem massively dusty (it's Tiny Friends Farm brand and designed for hamsters and other small animals) but I guess it could be getting up his nose when he digs in it?
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Old 04-14-2022, 10:13 AM   #8
Ria P
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Default Re: New hamster sneezing

I use the same sand and our Syrian Clive digs like mad and then sneezes a few times, sometimes but not all the time. I've never worried about it though. Maybe some hamsters have more sensitive noses than others. Our Clive is a very excitable character though and his way of doing things is always so full on. I mean, most hamsters just dig but he sticks his nose in the sand and then sneezes.
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Old 04-14-2022, 12:22 PM   #9
Lilafernim
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Default Re: New hamster sneezing

I could be wrong but I want to mention this in case I am right. I swear I’ve heard somewhere that chinchilla sand is dusty. Maybe there’s a bad brand of it, not all is bad but I swear I’ve heard that somewhere.

Also agree the the kaytee clean and cosy, you can get about 50l of it for £13 at the moment on amazon. It’s good for tunnelling also and lasts ages, you mostly need to spot clean then do an occasionally bigger cage clean.

It might seem more expensive at the start but in the long run it’s probably the same cost you’d spend on other bedding and it’s much nicer for your hamster. As already been said, hay isn’t exactly needed. I used to use some as I saw it as insulating but they don’t pay much interest to it and can be quite pokey.

I don’t know about hemp but from what I do know is it depends on branding. I’ve heard some come sharp and hard and wouldn’t recommend this as they tend to be less absorbent and bad at tunnels and also uncomfortable for the hamster. But if it’s not hard and seems malleable then I think it’s okay. I think there’s very rare cases of allergies and some can smell a little. I’ve heard a lot of people who use it tend to use it as a base then put paper substrate on top but I’m not very knowledgeable on it at all, this is just what I’ve read.

I just wonder if the sneezing may be a dust problem but unsure of your substrate so don’t know for certain. Also I know you said you did a substrate change just a thought as well, if you’re moving bedding a lot it might kick up dust also.
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Old 04-14-2022, 03:45 PM   #10
Snowy_Syrian
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Default Re: New hamster sneezing

I don't know if it was the hay before, but now it definitely seems to be the sand - he's just had another big dig and another long sneezing fit. Like your hamster @Ria he seems an excitable little chap, so maybe he's just being over-enthusiastic with kicking it all over himself. Do you think I shouldn't be too worried then?

@Lilafernim the hemp brand I have is called Hemparade, I got it from Zooplus. It seems pretty malleable and he's been digging away in that too, not tunnels but just holes which he then sits in!
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