I know you love your hamster. But unfortunately, they have very poor health. Hence chances are that your hamsters can be caught coughing on and off due to several reasons. As such it is quite crucial that you take good care of them. Besides, hamsters are prone to several diseases as well. For example, they may constantly have runny muzzles, respiratory issues, constipation etc.
Whatever the disease the hamsters may go through you should ensure that you determine the root cause of it and then treat it as soon as possible. So, in this article, we have covered all the reasons why your precious hamsters may suffer from cough, the remedies you could practice to overcome them, etc. be it a golden hamster, Russian hamster, Roborovski hamster, or a Chinese hamster you have. So, let’s get into it.
Table of Contents
What does a hamster cough sound like?
The hamster’s coughing noise would be more like a cooing sound. Hamsters may tend to sneeze and cough as a way of responding to changes in the environment.
It is more or less the same way that humans respond to those changes. l. If they happen to contact any dust material or any other unpleasant smell it would make them react to them by sneezing or by coughing. If they happen to cough occasionally you can ignore it. However, if they keep coughing and sneezing I suggest taking them to a vet doctor. So that he will do a checkup on them. After checking up thoroughly they will either prescribe medication or give you set-up instructions on how to take care of a coughing hamster.
Read also : Hamster Throw Up
Is it normal for hamsters to cough?
Usually, it is not normal for hamsters to cough. For example, if they are coughing continuously, wheezing and sneezing it is very likely that they are suffering from a respiratory infection. So, if you ever come across any situation like this with your beloved hamsters you need to take them to the vet doctor as swiftly as you could. If the hamsters are suffering from respiratory infections chances are that it would make the hamsters struggle to breathe too.
Hamsters can contract colds and chances are that they can even contact humans as well. So, if you are suffering from cod, It would be best if you could avoid interacting with them. Besides if there is one pet who has a cold, I suggest isolating them so that it would not spread among the others. Isolate them until they don’t show any symptoms.
Why is my hamster making coughing noises?
Hamsters would tend to cough once they get in contact with any dust or any other irritant in the environment. So, to react to it they would cough and sneeze. They would do that lightly and temporarily though. If the hamsters keep coughing persistently it could be a symptom of either cold or any other allergy.
If the hamsters keep coughing persistently it means the hamsters are suffering either from colds or allergies also. Allergies would be such as food allergies, airborne allergies etc. Airborne allergies would arise from furniture polish, hair sprays and even perfumes also. It is noteworthy that cigarette smoke could also result in allergies and make them cough.
In addition to that, if the hamsters happen to cough and sneeze constantly I suggest you pay a visit to the vet doctor. Keep in mind that it would be a near indication of an adverse health problem such as a respirator issue also.
What to do if your hamster is coughing?
If the hamsters tend to cough there are some initial steps that you could do at home. Firstly you need to clean the cage. For example, if you have used bedding such as cedar or pine bedding you need to switch it to safer bedding. Bedding such as cedar and pine bedding could result in allergies. Not only that it would also result in upper respiratory infections.
If you cannot visit the pet doctor soon you could consider giving the hamsters a lukewarm water milk and honey mixed solution. That will soothe the symptoms of the hamsters. If you suspect the hamsters are coughing due to a cold, you need to ensure that you’re keeping the hamsters warm. Do not ever keep the hamster cage closer to drafts as it would not be healthy for the hamsters. Besides, I suggest you disinfect the cage and change their litter as well.
Veterinary Care
If it is possible, you need to immediately visit the pet doctor if the hamsters keep coughing persistently. They will prescribe antibiotics for the hamsters accordingly which would help to overcome the infection. However, you have to keep observing the treatment phase of the hamsters. Bear in mind that there could be some antibiotics that would cause diarrhea and you will need to remedy it as promptly as you could. Unless it would even kill the hamsters by dehydrating them.
For that, you need to observe your hamster very closely after taking it home from the pet doctor. If you observe any changes in the hamster taking medicine, You need to immediately contact the doctor again and explain symptoms very clearly and if needed take the hamster again to the clinic.
Do hamsters have a cough reflex?
No, according to several research publications hamsters, mice and rats do not show cough reflexes. But on the other hand, Ferrets show cough reflexes.
The cough reflex happens when dust or other foreign particles stimulate cough receptors in the respiratory system, causing a cough, which then forces rapidly moving air to expel the foreign material before it gets to the lungs. This often removes debris from the nose and mouth tubes that supply air to lung tissue.
Final words
So, I hope you found this article informative and useful and that you were able to clear all your doubts you had with regards to hamsters coughing. Further, I hope now you are confident about how to act wisely if your beloved hamsters start to cough.
Hello, my name is James and I’ve been caring for tiny pets for over 14 years with a passion. I enjoy passing on my expertise to other individuals in order for them to have the same amount of enjoyment as I do.
