Do hamsters drink water, do they need to drink raw or boiled water at home

When purchasing a rodent as a pet, many people wonder if hamsters drink water. After all, it depends on whether you need to buy a drinker. Opinions on the network differ on this matter – some believe that these animals get enough liquid with juicy food (fruits, vegetables, berries). Others argue that water is essential for a hamster.

In nature

Both the Syrian hamster and the jungarik come from arid regions – steppes and semi-deserts. Animals avoid open water bodies, and during rare rains they hide in burrows. Usually a person does not understand what hamsters drink – desert dwellers. The source of moisture for tiny animals is dew, which falls at night. They lick drops from blades of grass to their heart’s content.

Water requirement

At home, the habitat is far from natural. It is all the more important to provide your pet with free access to water.

A dwarf hamster weighing 50 g drinks 2,5-7 ml per day, a Syrian hamster – much more, in proportion to body weight.

The need for drinking can both increase and decrease, depending on the diet and conditions of detention.

Causes of increased thirst

Heat

In a hot and stuffy room or in the sun, water is the only mechanism of thermoregulation available to the rodent. Hamsters drink water to avoid overheating (heatstroke) and dehydration.

Pregnancy and lactemia

During periods of pregnancy, the female predictably begins to drink much more than usual. This is normal, in no case should it be limited in liquid.

disease

• Diarrhea

Regardless of the cause of diarrhea (poisoning, infection, improper diet), with indigestion, the hamster loses a lot of fluid. Drinking helps to restore the water-salt balance and is preferable to succulent feeds, which can just exacerbate problems with the gastrointestinal tract.

• Constipation

The opposite of diarrhea: dry food alone can cause stool retention, which is very dangerous for rodents. If the hamster has the ability to “wash down” food, this prevents coprostasis.

• Diabetes

Heavy drinking and urination are the main signs of diabetes, which Campbell’s hamsters are so susceptible to.

• Kidney problems

If the hamster drinks a lot and pees a lot, but the level of glucose in the blood is not higher than normal, you can suspect a disease of the urinary system.

• Pyometra

If the hamster begins to drink a lot when kept alone, thirst indicates inflammation of the uterus (pyometra). The body thus tries to get rid of purulent intoxication.

Water for a hamster

If the owner does not doubt the need to water the pet, he wonders what kind of water to drink the hamster. Ideal – filtered or bottled. It is necessary to change it in the drinker daily.

What kind of water to give hamsters – raw or boiled – depends on what is meant by “raw” water.

Water from a natural reservoir must be boiled for disinfection. Otherwise, the rodent can pick up worms or infection.

Also a controversial point is whether it is possible to give hamsters water from the tap. Many owners do exactly that, but often it contains too much bleach, which shortens the life of the pet. Chlorine and its derivatives are destroyed by boiling.

The harm of boiled water is the accumulation of salts by the body with constant use, and hamsters also suffer from urolithiasis.

Boiled water is called “dead”, it loses in taste, the hamster may refuse to drink for this reason.

People know what Djungarian hamsters drink in nature – dew drops. The closest thing to such a drink is not raw tap water, but good bottled water with low mineralization.

If the pet is sick, especially when refusing food, you need to know how to water the hamster so that he recovers faster. For digestive disorders, this is rice water and a weak chamomile tea. For colds – echinacea. Ascorbic acid and liquid vitamins for rodents are often added to the drinker.

Thinking about what hamsters can drink: the liquid should be water based. Weak decoctions of herbs and cereals are acceptable. Milk leads to severe digestive upset, alcohol tinctures are toxic. Soda and sweet drinks are deadly. It is better not to experiment and give ordinary fresh water.

Conclusion

There is no doubt about whether hamsters need water. Even if the animal drinks a little from the point of view of a person, he needs liquid. And in certain situations, access to a drinking bowl can save a pet’s life. Let the animal decide for himself whether he wants to drink or not.