I've had a Syrian hamster for almost a year now, and for about a week he's been sneezing a lot, especially when he's in his cage. The bedding is the same one I've been using for months. I'm wondering if it could be an allergy to the sawdust or if I need to take him to the vet.
Change the bedding right away, don't wait.
But sneezing in hamsters is often not just allergies - it could be humidity that's too high in the cage, ammonia from dirty bedding, or actually a respiratory infection.
Try different bedding (like wood shavings or paper) for a week and make sure the cage is well ventilated and clean; if the sneezing keeps going, a vet who specializes in exotic animals is the only move that matters, because respiratory infections in hamsters spread fast.
Don't wait for it to go away on its own: frequent sneezing in hamsters can indicate bedding allergies or a respiratory infection, and the latter gets worse fast if left untreated. Try switching to a different type of bedding (like paper or aspen instead of sawdust) and see if it improves within a few days, but if it keeps going on, take him to the vet as soon as possible because unfortunately this isn't something that resolves by itself.
I had a hamster that sneezed like crazy and it turned out to be a mix of things: the recycled paper bedding I was using was too dusty, and the cage was in a room with high humidity 😅 The thing that you others don't mention is that if you change bedding, do it gradually by mixing the old with the new for a week, otherwise the stress from the sudden change can make things worse.
That said, persistent coughing or sneezing could also be a respiratory infection (which progresses quickly in hamsters), so if it doesn't improve within ten days after changing the bedding and lowering the humidity, the vet is still your best bet 🐹
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