Do you notice that your hamster is ignoring its water bottle? Then, your hamster might get dehydration. Dehydration in hamster is simply defined as the loss of water from the hamster’s body. The hamster may lose a significant amount of water through its urine, vomiting, diarrhea, sweating and drooling. Also beware of these common diseases in hamsters.

Dehydration is a really serious and dangerous condition for hamsters. Due to dehydration, the cells of the hamster’s body will not be able to function well without water. As a result, they can shut down entirely.

Hamsters also need salts and minerals from the water so that’s why hydrating the hamster with tap water will not help. You will need to add salts, minerals and sugar to your hamster’s diet while it is recovering.

Dehydration in hamsters can happen due to several reasons, such as wet-tail or diarrhea, diabetes, digestive problems such as loose stool or vomiting and excessive drooling.

Whatever causes dehydration in hamsters, you should contact your vet immediately. Get to know more about how to treat diarrhea in hamsters as diarrhea is one of the causes of dehydration in hamsters.

Dehydration is a serious problem for hamsters, so it is very important to know the signs and symptoms of it so you will be able to decide the best ways to treat your hamsters. Be aware of these 6 symptoms of dehydration in hamsters.

Your Hamster Doesn’t Drink Water

This is the most obvious symptom of dehydration, however it is a deadly one. Some hamsters just drink very little water, but if you notice your hamster doesn’t have any water at all in at least 24 hours, then you should start getting worried.

There’s a way to check if your hamster is drinking water, which is to mark where the current water level is in its water bottle and check it again after 24 hours.

Most hamsters usually drink about 10 ml water per 100 gr of hamster daily. For instance, if you have a Dwarf, then you may barely notice it is drinking, but you can take pictures from the same angle and compare them.

The Skin of Your Hamster is Dry and Very Tight

To check this, you can simply scruff your hamster and watch how fast the skin pulls back. Try holding the hamster firmly but gently by using one hand and with your other pinch the back of the hamster’s neck.

If the skin snaps back into the place quickly, then your hamster is fine. If it takes a while to get back to its shape or even has a ridge on the spot you pinched it, then your hamster is definitely dehydrated.

The Hamster Feels Tired and Weak

The whole body will get tired due to dehydration and your hamster will only have enough energy to do basic things, such as breathing and eating a bit.

Your hamster might not be able to expend more energy on such physical activities, such as running or even playing with its cage mates. If your hamster loves playing you can also put these best toys for hamster to play in cage.

As your hamster does not have enough energy, then it will mostly huddle in the corner and sleep a lot. Its usual routine will be totally disrupted. You will also possibly find a very dry and warm nose and on its feet as well.

The Hamster Experiences Weight Loss

While being dehydrated, your hamster might have thinner fur, or even lose some of its fur. Weight loss is another symptom of dehydration and surely will have a big impact on your hamster’s healthy.

The weight loss is sudden and it is not in a small amount. It might be hard to notice the weight loss as your hamster is small. Your hamster may lose the water weight and the actual weight as well.

The Hamster Has Foul-smelling and Dark-colored Urine

Once your hamster is dehydrated, you will notice that the color of its urine is changing. The urine will be darkened a bit. Its urine will also give off unpleasant, stinky kind of smell.

Sunken Eyes and Swollen Tongue

The last symptoms of dehydration are sunken eyes and swollen tongue. If you notice these symptoms, then you can tell that your hamster is dehydrated.

If you notice some or even all the symptoms above, then you should contact your vet immediately. Before taking your hamster to the vet, you can also try to rehydrate it. However, rehydration is a slow process, so don’t ever force it to drink water.

Instead, you can feed them some fruits that are rich in water, such as cucumber or apple slices, giving rehydration solutions specially made for hamsters in the nearest store, trying to increase the water intake by putting water bottle and water bowl in your hamster’s enclosure. Take a look at these types of fruits that can be eaten by hamster.

Hamsters are also exposed to sudden death if their diseases are not treated properly. Get to know the other reasons hamsters suddenly die.