Hello, I would appreciate some advice about my hamster. He's about 3 & 1/2 months old, and about ten days ago he stopped drinking. I've tried putting his water bottle to his mouth, dripping water into his mouth, putting water in a dish and on my finger, but he absolutely refuses to drink. I know hamsters don't drink very much, but I wondered if this is normal. He's eating normally, and is as lively as he was before. He seems fine, but his urine is very strong, although his faeces are normal. To get him to have some water I've been giving him cucumber and wet lettuce, which he's been eating. I've tried to give him some milk, but he refused that too. His water bottle is working fine, and his teeth look ok. I would appreciate some advice on whether I should take him to a vet. Thank you very much for your help.
Firstly, Helen, thank you for your kind contribution to the running costs of the site. They are always much appreciated. I’m intrigued by your question because to all intents and purposes it sounds like your little hamster is totally normal. Is there any chance that he is drinking when you are not looking? Being active late at night and also quite shy creatures many hamsters will drink when you are not actually watching them and I wondered whether this is a possibility. Having normal faeces and being outwardly normal otherwise is usually a sign of good hydration. Another way to tell whether an animal is hydrated properly is by their skin tone. If you gently tent an area of skin (most often the scruff is the easiest place to do this) in a normal animal the skin pings back into shape immediately when you let go. In a partially dehydrated animal it will be slow to return and in a severely dehydrated animal it stays raised and stiff. You can try on your own arm to see what I mean first. Dehydrated animals also tend to get sunken, dry-looking eyes and this is usually quite easy to spot in a prey animal like a hamster with such prominent eyes.
The fact that he is active, eating and normal otherwise are all good signs that all is well. As for the strength of his urine do you think this has changed and is stronger than it was or is it much the same? Hamsters originate from desert and semi-desert areas so they will naturally have a tendency to drink little and have fairly concentrated urine so this could also be normal.
Having some water in a shallow dish and a bottle is a good idea because many rodents and rabbits tend to prefer drinking from a dish rather than a bottle and it also avoids the possibility that the bottle may be blocked. Be sure the dish is shallow though to avoid drowning! A jar lid makes quite a good impromptu dish. Avoid feeding lettuce as this can cause problems in hamsters. Cucumber is ok but shouldn’t be given more than every few days because you may get some diarrhoea or other stomach upsets.
On the whole it sounds like your hamster is probably normal and healthy and is either getting sufficient water from his diet or is drinking when you are unaware of it. The thing that concerns me is that you seem so sure of the fact that this is a definite change and when the change occurred. Owners often know their animals’ every mood so listening to owners when it comes to changes in appetite or water intake is very important. Hamsters are also very small mammals and can become ill and lose vitality very quickly. Bearing these two things in mind I think it would be best for you to get a clinical exam for him from your vet. This way he can check the hydration of his skin, check his body condition and so on and truly put your mind at rest. I hope this helps, thanks again for your donation and please do let us know how you get on.
