As a responsible hamster owner you know you should provide your hamster fresh water every single day. Hamsters need water to keep them hydrated and healthy. Your hamsters water should be cleaned out daily to keep the water fresh.
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Hamster Water Supply!
Your hamster has to have water easily accessible to them within they're living environment. Most owners supply their hamster with a vacuum-action inverted water bottle that releases water only when your hamster actively drinks from it. You can place water in a bowl within the cage also. Personally I give my new hamsters both a bowl and a water bottle to see what they prefer to use more. Water bottles and bowls both need to be checked and refilled every day. Using a bowl will force you to have to do this daily. If your hamster is not drinking you will need to take him to the veterinarian. Hamsters should drink around about 10 milliliters of water for every 100 grams of body weight.
Hydration!
Your hamster is quite vulnerable to dehydration and will not survive for more than a day or two without water. Hamsters can become significantly dehydrated after just a few hours of moderate to heavy activity if you do not supply easily accessible water in their living enclosure.
Symptoms of Dehydration!
Dehydration can turn fatal quickly for your hamster. Often when a hamster becomes ill they don’t get enough fluids its usually the dehydration not the illness that will kill them. Symptoms of dehydration in hamsters include Sunken eyes, dry mucous membranes, lethargy, weakness, loose skin and difficulty breathing. If your hamster suffers from diarrhea he is likely to become dehydrated due to the loss of fluids. A quick way to get an idea whether your hamster is dehydrated is to lightly pinch the loose skin at the scruff of their neck. When you release the skin it should immediately go back to the way it was before you pinched it. If it takes the skin a moment to recover, staying in a tented position, your hamster is dehydrated.
Dehydrating Your Hamster!
If your hamster is mildly dehydrated because he ran out of water for a couple of hours, you should be able to take care of the problem by refilling his water and allowing him to drink as much as he pleases. If you believe your hamster is seriously dehydrated or you do not know how long he has been without water take your hamster to the vets.
Do Not Wash Your Hamster!
Hamsters do not bathe in water you should not attempt to wash your hamster with water. A wet hamster is at risk for catching a cold. Let them do their own cleaning. I have a video that delves into this topic in more detail I’ll put it right here.
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