It’s always a good sign when the water level in your hamster’s water bottle seems to be declining. This is often proof that your little buddy is staying hydrated and probably engaging in lots of physical activity, especially at night when they’re awake while many of us are sleeping.
But what if your hamster seems to be drinking abnormally high amounts of water? Is that a totally positive sign or is it something to look further into? Besides, how much is too much water for hamsters? Well, shall we start off with the potential underlying reasons behind the excessive water intake?
Why is my hamster drinking so much water? Hamsters may drink more water when their appetite increases or they’re put on a new diet. Excessive physical activity levels and diabetes or kidney disease in elderly hamsters can also increase the amount of water required to stay hydrated.
Identifying if your hamster’s hydration requirement increase is tied to normal activity or illness can make a huge difference. It can determine whether to relax about the situation or seek urgent veterinary care for your beloved furry friend.
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How Much Water Should My Hamster Drink?
Hamster fluid needs may depend on several factors including size, gender, and of course, age. Every attentive hamster parent has an idea of how much water these little buddies drink within a 24-hour period. A dramatic decrease in the hamster’s water bottle level should attract your attention.
If this happens for a couple of days in a row, it is time to seek answers.
Hamster Hydration Requirements Based On Size
The average hamster drinks 10ml of water per 100 grams of weight. However, each case is different and it can be more or less.
As hamsters grow physically, it is only logical that their hydration requirements will also increase. Besides, larger breeds such as Syrians typically require higher amounts of water to stay hydrated compared to Roborovskis and other Dwarf breeds.
Comparing the water needs of 2 hamsters of different breeds can be a mistake especially if there’s a huge difference in physical size. It is also a good idea to monitor how much water your hamster drinks daily so any significant uptick in levels can be deduced quickly.
Water Bottle Leakages
There have been several instances where hamster parents worry that their little buddies are drinking excessive amounts of water. However, a closer look may indicate water bottle leakages.
Daily leakage checks in the hammy’s water bottle or water dish can be vital to getting a true picture of how much fluid the rodent is drinking. You can do this by looking for signs of moisture in the little guy’s cage, especially just under where the water bottle is located and in surrounding areas.
Moist litter means the water bottle is leaking and needs to be changed as soon as possible. If you’re going on a short holiday without your hamsters, fix 3 water bottles in the cage to guarantee regular hydration even if one or two water bottles leak or malfunction.
10 Reasons Why Your Hamster is Drinking So Much Water
The first step toward treating your hamster’s excessive water intake is to figure out the underlying reasons. If you notice that it is due to a healthy reaction to environmental or dietary changes, you can rest easy.
Alternatively, illness-related excessive water drinking can be treated promptly, if possible. Here are 10 common reasons why your hamster may be drinking so much water.
Temperature
Have you noticed that many of us drink more water during the summer? Environmental temperature has a similar effect on pets including even petite rodents such as hamsters. When the atmosphere in their cage environment gets too hot, they’re forced to turn to higher water quantities to stay hydrated.
A dry and hot cage environment can increase the hammy’s body temperature to insane levels. and often, continuous water ingestion is the easiest way to keep the body cool.
Dry Diet
The type of diet your hamster consumes can determine how much drinking water he needs to stay hydrated. Fresh fruits such as apples and watermelons are known for their high water content. They do not only taste refreshing but enhance these little creatures’ ability to stay hydrated.
Hamster diets based on grains, pellets, and seeds typically require more water to digest compared to vegetable and fruit-based diets. Any significant increase in water intake is normal and should be no cause for alarm.
Increased Physical Activity
The more physically active a hamster is, the higher the amount of water required to regulate his body temperature. Hamsters often drink a lot of water every time they get off their exercise wheels or other toys that keep them physically active.
It is not uncommon to notice a significant drop in water levels in water dishes or water bottles overnight since hamsters are nocturnal. They engage in the majority of their physical activity at night when most humans are fast asleep.
Older, weaker hamsters often drink significantly less unless they’re stricken with diabetes, kidney disease, or another health problem that forces excessive water intake.
Pregnancy
Female hamsters are known to drink more water during pregnancy. Their increased nutrition requirements to keep the unborn babies healthy means these little pets consume more food and water. This often results in significant weight gain and less physical activity.
Pregnancy typically triggers gentle female hamsters to become more irritable. While physical activity levels may decline and they stay awake significantly less, they still drink more water. An increase in nesting behavior is also common among pregnant hamsters especially when they’re being allowed to mate with a male.
Digestive Problems
Sometimes, digestive problems can force hamsters to drink more water than usual. These little creatures may suffer issues such as excessive pooping which can result in significant loss of bodily fluids in the form of watery stools.
Often, digestive issues are a clue that your hamster needs a change of diet and better care. If you’re unsure of the right diet, your vet could be a great resource. These professionals may recommend commercial foods and homemade diets that can eliminate the pocket rodent’s digestion problems.
Wet Tail Disease
Wet-tail disease is a common cause of hamster polydipsia. It reduces the rodent’s ability to absorb maximum nutrients from ingested water leading to the need to consume more to stay hydrated. The condition is usually characterized by watery stools and can be fatal when left untreated.
Always err on the side of caution by booking a vet appointment immediately signs of wet-tail disease becomes apparent in your hamster. It is one of the most common causes of death in these little rodents so do not take it lightly.
Diabetes
If your hamster’s water intake has experienced a significant uptick, this could be a sign of diabetes. Hamster diabetes is a condition that occurs when the little guy’s pancreas loses its ability to produce enough insulin to absorb the glucose extracted from his diet.
High levels of glucose accumulate in the hamster’s body requiring frequent urination to flush it out. Excessive peeing obviously results in the hamster’s body losing more fluids and he’s forced to keep drinking water as a replacement.
Symptoms of Diabetes in Hamsters
Excessive water intake and urination are the most common signs that your hamster may be diabetic. Here are additional symptoms that can point to the disease in your little pet rodent.
Increased Hunger Cravings
Hamsters often eat more as a result of Type 1 or Type 2 diabetes. The absence of insulin in the affected pocket rodent’s body repels his ability to absorb nutrients and energy from ingested food.
Hunger cravings increase causing the hamster to eat more than usual.
Weight Loss
In spite of the increased hunger cravings and high food and water intake, diabetic hamsters often experience weight loss. This is because their bodies fail to absorb nutrients from the food and water consumed.
Fat stores and muscles are automatically converted into energy, leading to significant weight loss over time.
Lethargy
Diabetic hamsters are often lethargic due to their food absorption problems. A once physically active hamster suddenly becomes lazy and usually lack the motivation to move up and down his cage like previously.
Exercise wheels and other toys may be used sparingly or not at all. Any bursts of physical activity are often short-lived.
Treating Hamster Diabetes
Unfortunately, hamster diabetes is not curable. However, the situation can be successfully managed to ensure minimal effects on the life of your beloved hammy. Diabetes is one of the conditions vets run tests on once you report polydipsia signs.
A positive result will often lead to recommendations for overhauling the hamster’s diet to minimize symptoms such as excessive thirst and water drinking.
Kidney Disease
Offering diets with excessive amounts of protein can lead to kidney disease down the line. This occurs when proteins from consumed food are deposited in the hamster’s kidneys resulting in symptoms such as excessive thirst and high water consumption.
Kidney disease is more prevalent in elderly, female hamsters exposed to a lifetime of protein-laden diets.
Symptoms of Hamster Kidney Disease
Evidence of Kidney disease in these little pet rodents include excessive thirst and water drinking when the affected hamster’s body attempts to eliminate accumulated toxins.
Typically, a few or all of the following signs could be confirmation of the condition.
- Bloody Urine
- Bald Patches
- Swollen Abdomen
- Weight Loss
- Sticky Eyes
Seek a vet’s immediate attention if you suspect that your hamster may be suffering from the condition because treatment can be time-sensitive.
Depression or Stress
These little rodents may drink more water due to depression or stress. Bored hamsters typically pick up different habits to make up for the lack of mental stimulation and excessive drinking could be one of those.
Knowing that your hamster is not sick and just drinking excessive amounts of water can be a relief. However, the root cause of the boredom should be identified so the right measures can be put in place.
Sometimes, you may just have to introduce new toys into the hammy’s cage to get him physically and mentally active again.
Urinary Tract Infections
Urinary Tract Infections (UTIs) may also lead to excessive water intake in your little buddy. Affected hamsters may experience burning sensations when urine builds up in their bladders for long periods.
They may try to ease the pain by urinating as often as possible which effectively leads to frequent thirst to replenish the lost fluids.
Excessive Pain
Hamsters may turn to drinking water as a coping mechanism for excessive pain. These little creatures may lose their appetite due to excessive discomfort from one health condition or another. To make up for the lost appetite, they may drink lots of water to feel full.
Often, a conclusive diagnosis can only be obtained when the hamster is taken to a vet. However, changes in dietary behavior and water intake should give you clues that something may be wrong. This should trigger a visit to an exotics vet as soon as possible for the hamster to be examined thoroughly.
How To Treat Excessive Water Drinking in Your Hamster
The first step to treating excessive thirst in your hamster is to identify whether the condition is environmental, dietary, or health-related. Once that is determined, the right solution can be provided.
Treating Environment-Related Hamster Polydipsia
As previously stated, hamsters drink more water when exposed to excessive heat and dryness. If your pet rodent is simply drinking excessive amounts to keep cool, switching on the air conditioner or fan can be a smart move.
This should help regulate the hamster’s internal body temperature, reducing the amount of water he needs to drink to stay hydrated. Placing the hamster’s cage in a cool area of the home such as close to a major window with constant supply of fresh breeze may also do the trick.
How To Treat Diet Related Excessive Thirst In Hamsters
A change of diet is inevitable if your hamster is forced to drink more water than usual to aid digestion. Cutting down on the seeds, grains, and nuts offered to the little rodent is often the logical step. Healthy fruits and vegetables should be added to the mix due to their naturally high water content.
A more balanced diet means digestion should be a breeze while eliminating the excessive need to drink water. However, be careful not to feed the hamster too many fruits and veggies as the high fiber content can trigger diarrhea, resulting in watery stools and the need to drink even more water.
How to Treat Excessive Hamster Thirst Resulting From Sickness
Any suspicions of excessive thirst fueled by diabetes, kidney disease, wet-tail, or another condition should spook a quick vet visit. Here are additional signs that your hamster’s frequent water drinking is health-related.
- Lethargy
- Loss of appetite
- Weight loss
- Dehydration
- Diarrhea
Not all vets have experience treating pocket rodents like hamsters so it is important to seek an exotics vet.
Offer the vet information on all signs and symptoms you may have noticed in addition to the excessive thirst. The vet will provide a diagnosis after extensive tests. The right medications and diet will then be prescribed so the hamster can get back on his feet quickly.
Conclusion
Hamsters may drink excessive amounts of water due to environmental factors such as unbereable dryness and heat in their cages. The kind of diet provided can also be a leading cause of excessive thirst especially when it contains high amounts of grains, seeds, and nuts.
Kidney disease and wet tail are popular health conditions that can force hamsters to drink more water to replace what is lost through watery stools or frequent urination. Diabetes is also common in elderly hamsters and may result in excessive eating and matching thirst levels.