Hamsters suffer significant declines in appetite during sickness or old age. It can get so bad that they refuse to eat anything left in their bowls. Since a lack of food equals declining energy which weakens their organs and speeds up death, coming up with creative ways of feeding can be critical.

This article unveils how to feed hamsters with a syringe when they’re unable to or have no interest in eating. We look at the step-by-step process to ensure success as well as the pitfalls to watch out for to prevent injury or fatalities.

Keep reading to discover one of the best ways to feed hamsters during old age. Let’s get started.

How to Feed Hamsters With A Syringe

You can syringe feed hamsters by wrapping them firmly in a washcloth burrito style so only the head sticks out. Allow the little guy to sit with his butt on your lap for stability and put the syringe in his mouth with one hand while the other hand grips his head steady. Target the space behind his rear teeth and push the syringe gently making sure not to shove it deep into his mouth.

Syringe feeding hamsters could be a tricky move, especially as a first-timer and mishaps can be costly as they may lead to food inhalation causing choking and related discomfort. Sometimes, the pet rodent could resist opening the mouth and you may have to tempt him by rubbing a sweet treat like a banana at the tip of the syringe.

In our opinion, the best way to syringe feed a dying or sick hamster successfully is to get help from an additional pair of hands. One party wraps the hamster in a washcloth and holds him firmly while the other person focuses on putting the syringe in the mouth to feed.

Why Should I Feed My Hamster With A Syringe?

There are several benefits of feeding hamsters with syringes and a few are discussed below.

Syring Feeding Hamsters With Dental Problems

Are your hamsters struggling to eat due to dental problems? Syringe feeding is one of the best ways to keep them nourished and healthy until full recovery.

Hamsters have sharp incisors that can easily overgrow in the absence of regular chew toys for natural teeth filing. The overgrown teeth may accidentally rapture their cheeks and other areas of the mouth during eating which can be a source of pain.

This could make eating impossible, causing weight loss and a corresponding decline in energy levels. Syringe feeding at that point ensures regular access to balanced diets until the dental problems are fixed. (Source)

Feeding Aged Hamsters

Hamsters have an average lifespan of 2-3 years and during the latter parts of their years, eating can become very difficult. They may suffer different sicknesses which leads to a lack of interest in food.

Starving will only escalate their health problems and speed up natural death which explains why syringe feeding could be critical. It can help aging hamsters maintain some energy during their final weeks or days. Other hamsters that may be struggling to eat due to sickness can also benefit from syringe feeding.

Administering Medicines

Syringe feeding can also be a smart way to administer medicines to hamsters of all ages. Vets are often the first point of call when hamsters suffer illness and they may prescribe different medicines to be administered via syringe feeding.

The prescribed medicines may have undesirable tastes which can pose significant problems during administration. Feeding the meds with a syringe can be a smoother option especially if you trick them into accepting it by rubbing peanut butter at the tip of the syringe.

Before the hamster comes to its senses, the meds are already traveling down its throats.

How Often Should I Syringe Feed My Hamster?

Syringe feeding can be stressful for hamsters and the last thing you want is to continuously do it for long periods. Unfortunately, you could only feed limited amounts of food via syringe at once so repeat sessions may become necessary.

We recommend offering them a syringe filled with food every 2-3 hours until the quantities ingested come close to their normal daily intake. This should help prop up their energy levels which can ease the process of nursing them back to health.

Risks Associated With Syringe Feeding

Syringe feeding is not entirely a bed of roses and a few problems may arise during the process. Shall we discuss a couple of resultant potential issues?

Stress

Syringe feeding can be a stressful process for hamsters during their weakest moments. They do not cope too well with stress and this may escalate existing health issues leading to death. If you must force-feed hamsters, make sure it is done as cautiously as possible to minimize the psychological effects.

Breathing In the Food

The risk of hamsters aspirating the food during force-feeding can be high, especially the first time. Breathing in food may result in choking which could pose respiratory difficulties. Most hamsters experience labored breathing during sickness or old age and choking can exacerbate their symptoms.

Addiction

Hamsters love to eat from food bowls on their own whenever hunger kicks in. But, force-feeding them a couple of times could encourage addiction to the process. They can become so used to the act of being fed via syringes that they neglect their food until you load it into a syringe and trick them into swallowing.

This could lead to declines in appetite levels and even anorexia which is why the habit should be quickly nipped in the bud.

What to Feed a Dying Hamster

Hydrating foods such as peeled apples, seedless melons, cucumbers, and hydrating lettuce are a few of the best options for dying hamsters. It is natural that their food and water intake levels suffer a steep decline during their final moments but string feeding may prolong their lives.

Hydrating foods help you kill two birds with one stone by serving as a source of nutrients and fluids to enhance energy levels and eliminate dehydration in your hamster. You can also tempt them to drink water by putting a bit of peanut butter at the tip of their water bottles.

Consuming watery vegetables allows water to trickle down into their mouths and throat to maintain hydration.

Conclusion: How to Feed Hamsters with A Syringe

Hamsters can be syringe fed by putting syringes in their mouths after wrapping a washcloth around their bodies with their heads sticking out. It can be a great way to offer them food and water during their weakest moments.

Make the process as stress-free as possible by syringe feeding them only when necessary. It can also be a great way to administer medicines that could help nurse sick hamsters back to health.