Recently my mother was diagnosed with pulmonary fibrosis in her left (i think) lung. She also has asthma, suffers from recurring bronchitis (sometimes chronic) and has lupus. She was told to avoid strong smells, chemicals, pet fur, dust and ammonia. We have a dog and 10 hens in our backyard. She has never presented any problems related to animals. We were planning on getting a russian hamster for my daughter, but i don t know how it might affect her. Would a hamster affect her health negatively? Can the ammonia in it s urine affect her lungs? Are there any precautions we can take with the hamster so it won t affect her lungs? And finally, what can we do to help her improve her lungs?