Any pet requires special attention and care. This applies not only to cats and dogs, but also to hamsters. By acquiring such a rodent, it is worth studying the information about the animal. It is important to know not only the methods of care, but also what hamsters are ill with. This will avoid many problems in the future. Particular attention is paid to the pet's diet, methods of preventing ailments, and so on. But in some cases, however, health problems arise in the animal. What to do if a hamster sneezes? How dangerous is this?
It is worth considering that sneezing in itself is a natural process. For an animal, this is not dangerous. After all, the reason can be hidden not only in the pet’s disease, but also in the presence of an external stimulus. Also, do not forget that sneezing in such animals is different. So, what hamsters are sick with, and how it manifests itself.
Continuous or brief sneezing
Before answering the question of what to do if the hamster sneezes, it is worth paying attention to the frequency of this symptom. If this happened once or twice, then you should not think about the disease. In this case, nothing bad happens. The reason for this phenomenon may be hiding in dust or in small particles of food that have fallen into the respiratory tract of the animal.
How are hamster diseases manifested? Symptoms and treatment of diseases of these animals are interconnected. A wet nose, apathy, lethargy, oily hair, discharge from the eyes of various kinds, aggression can talk about a health problem. If such signs are absent, then there is no point in worrying, since the animal is healthy.
But just in case, you should make sure that the pet's housing is not in a draft, and the litter is dry. If the hamster sneezes constantly, then this may indicate the development of the disease in the animal. In this case, you should show it to the veterinarian.
Sneezing as a manifestation of an allergy
What to do if a hamster sneezes? First of all, pay attention to his diet. Perhaps the animal has an allergy. Most often, this disease occurs as a result of the use of a certain substance. Indeed, many products are forbidden to hamsters. This list includes exotic fruits, flour, salty, spicy and sweet. To introduce new products to the diet of the animal is with caution. After the first feeding, you need to watch the rodent. If the behavior and appearance of the animal has not changed, then you can enter the product into its diet.
It is worth considering that an allergic reaction can occur not only on natural products, but also on dry food. Therefore, it is necessary to consult with specialists when choosing such a food. Indeed, often in order to save money, poor, unrefined, practically not ground and not washed seeds and cereals are added to such formulations.
Allergy is a fairly complex disease that can manifest itself several days after exposure to an allergen. In addition, a provoking factor can gradually accumulate in the body of the pet. In this case, the disease may occur even later. It is not recommended that you give your pet allergy medications on your own. Only a veterinarian can appoint them. In addition, a specialist will help to correctly draw up a diet.
Pay attention to the cell
If the hamster sneezes constantly, then special attention should be paid to the litter. After all, an allergy can manifest itself not only on products. Do not use newspapers for bedding. Printing ink contains many chemical components that can adversely affect the health of the pet. It is also not recommended to use aromatic wipes to clean the cells.
Do not wash the hamster’s cage with detergents and cleaners designed for the kitchen or bathroom. Indeed, in such compositions there are coarse synthetic components. Once in the body of the animal, they can cause the development of serious diseases. In addition, it is not recommended to spray various hair sprays, eau de toilette and air fresheners near the cage with the animal. All this negatively affects the health of the pet.
Litter material
Often the cause of allergies is wood shavings or sawdust. The main factor that can provoke sneezing in an animal is small particles of dust, as well as aromatic oils contained in wood. There is an opinion that sand should be used as a litter. However, such a statement is far from the truth. Veterinarians do not recommend using any fine-grained structures as bedding. Sand dust often penetrates the respiratory tract of animals, causing not only sneezing, but also serious respiratory diseases. For hamsters, you should buy special mixtures that will not harm the animal. Such compounds do not cause allergies and do not penetrate the respiratory tract of pets.
Cold
What to do if a hamster sneezes very often and does not look very attractive? In this case, you should contact your veterinarian. It should be noted that colds are a common occurrence among rodents. In this case, there are plenty of reasons for the development of the ailment. In some situations, the animal may become infected from a person with SARS. To avoid this, it is worth reducing contact with the animal in the presence of such a disease. It is also recommended to wear a sterile gauze dressing while covering your mouth and nose.
The pet can easily catch a cold during the bathing process, as well as in those cases when, after water procedures, its coat was poorly dried. Despite this, the most common cause of a cold in a hamster remains a cell located in a draft.
Signs of a cold
In addition to sneezing, there may be other signs of the disease:
- loss of appetite;
- drowsiness, aggression or lethargy;
- hard breath;
- wet nose.
How to deal with ailment
If the hamster sneezes and squeaks, constantly scratches its nose, it is worth immediately removing the cage in a place protected from the wind, putting a few more napkins, but without drawings and fragrances. The latter are needed so that the pet can take refuge with them. It is recommended to monitor the room temperature. It should not fall below 25 ° C.
How to treat a hamster if it sneezes due to a cold? In this case, you can give the animal tea from chamomile. You can buy it at a veterinary pharmacy. The composition of such a product includes additional vitamins that can strengthen the animal's immunity.
If the symptoms are mild, the hamster will recover after a few days. But if the pet is constantly sleeping and begins to cough, then you should show it to the veterinarian. In most cases, such signs indicate that the disease is progressing.
Pneumonia
A running cold in a hamster can lead to pneumonia. This can happen within one day. Therefore, it is important to show the pet to the vet in a timely manner. Inflammation of the lungs is a serious disease for a rodent, which can be diagnosed only with the help of radiography. In general, the signs of such an ailment in hamsters include the following symptoms:
- disorientation of the animal in space;
- signs of suffocation;
- difficulty breathing and wheezing is heard;
- suppuration of the eyes;
- weight loss.
Hamsters with this disease begin to squeak and sneeze. This suggests that their body is weakened. In case of pneumonia, the veterinarian can prescribe the animal a course of antibiotics, warming up, as well as diuretics. If you do not start drug therapy in time, the hamster may die.