Hamsters are one of the most popular pets in many homes because of their ease of care and their characteristics. They are animals that, despite being delicate, are also quite strong and do not usually require specialized care very often.
However, we have to pay attention to different aspects of your care. If we have a hamster we have to be attentive to its diet, exercise and hydration. Many owners doubt whether their hamster drinks enough water. But what happens if a hamster doesn't drink water? Why doesn't a hamster drink water? If these doubts arise or have arisen, we recommend you read this article from our site where we tell you why a hamster can stop drinking.
Why doesn't my hamster drink water? - Causes
If our hamster does not drink water, we must try to understand the reasons, as these can be quite varied:
- The water is dirty: one of the easiest problems to solve is the one related to the daily change of water in the drinking fountain, since Hamsters are usually very scrupulous and if the water is not clean and fresh they may refuse to drink it. For this reason, it is recommended to change the water daily, using filtered water or water that has been boiled and cooled.
- No water comes out of the hamster's drinker: in the same way, it is essential to make sure that the water comes out of the bottle normally, as the tube may be clogged.
- Oral problems: it can also be due to oral problems, such as malocclusions or dental abscesses, which cause pain in the animal's mouth, causing that drinking is uncomfortable and painful, so they avoid it. In these cases there are also usually changes in food. In this other article we talk about the care of a hamster's teeth.
- Does not know how to drink from the drinker: Although the drinker is the most recommended and hygienic thing to do, since it is closed and cannot spill, some hamsters they take a while to learn to drink from the mouthpiece. If your hamster has not previously drunk from this type of bottle, it may be that what is happening is that he has to learn to do so.
If, in addition to not drinking, you have noticed that your hamster is not eating, we encourage you to read this other article on our site on Why is my hamster not eating?
What if my hamster doesn't drink water?
If a hamster is not properly hydrated, different organic alterations begin to appear that can lead to really severe conditions, even being fatal. One of the first signs of lack of hydration in the hamster is an obvious restlessness and nervousness, which in severe cases leads to stress, of which we can read the symptoms in this interesting article: 10 symptoms of stress in hamsters. Another consequence of the lack of water is that its digestive rhythm is altered, causing constipation, which in serious cases causes intestinal obstructions
Dehydration favors the onset of problems, as it leaves the animal more exposed to heatstroke, which can be truly fatal if are not detected in time.
How much water does a hamster need to drink?
If we want to know if our hamster is meeting its daily water needs, the first thing to do is to find out precisely what those needs are. Experts point out that hamsters are not a species that drink too much, since their body is prepared to obtain water from the liquid-rich foods they consume (such as vegetables or fruit). Specifically, it is estimated that they need to consume about 10 milliliters of water for every 100 grams of body weight, so that a common hamster, whose weight ranges between 80 and the 120 grams on average, you need about 8-12 milliliters daily. This implies that in smaller animals, such as the dwarf hamster, the amount is even less, and sometimes the change in volume in the drinker is imperceptible.
How to teach a hamster to drink water?
If you have detected that the problem is that your hamster does not know how to drink water from the drinking fountain, there are some ways to teach him to drink water:
Option 1
Usually, to teach them to drink from the hamster waterer, it is best to show them that they can find water there. To do so, we can do the following:
- Bring your hamster closer to the water bowl.
- Gently tap the drinker spout to make water come out.
- Bring the water droplets from your finger to the hamster's mouth.
- Gently bring your hamster's mouth closer to the water bowl, if he hasn't already done so when he feels the water from your finger.
Option 2
If the first option has not had an effect, we will try this time with the food aid:
- Cover the nozzle of the hamster drinker with something he likes.
- Move the hamster closer to the water bowl.
- Wait for the food to be licked and the water to come out.
What to do if my hamster won't drink water?
If you have made sure that your hamster is not really drinking any water or his consumption has decreased noticeably, you can try the following:
- Give him fruit and vegetables: if your hamster doesn't drink water, you can give him a higher proportion of foods that provide him with that hydration. To do this, it is best to resort to vegetables rich in water, which will achieve a good hydration of the animal. Some examples are zucchini or peach. We can't overdo it either, because an excess of liquid affects your digestive process, triggering diarrhea, which ironically will cause serious dehydration.
- Change the container: we can resort to changing the container for another that is more accessible, perhaps it is that it cannot reach the Water. Although we must bear in mind that the most recommended drinkers are bottle-type ones, since hamsters tend to overturn bowl-type ones. This must be avoided, because the sawdust gets wet and a wet litter makes the animal sick in a short time, as they are very sensitive to humidity.
- Go to the vet: finally, if the animal does not want to eat food either and other symptoms such as aggressiveness, apathy, decay, if he is immobile or goes to a corner of the cage, it is best that we go to the vet as soon as possible, because he may be developing some disease.
For more information, in this other article we will talk about hamster care and feeding.
