[Hamtastic]

Hydration / Subcutaneous Fluid Injections

Water:

Fresh water should be available at all times. Mixing water with unflavored Pedialyte electrolyte solution could be helpful, but there are also cheaper bulk Oral Rehydration salt powders available on-line for convenient mixing at home at lower prices, as liquid Pedialyte spoils quickly after opening. Subcutaneous fluid injections might become necessary at advanced stages of CKD, if an owner opts to try them.

Fluids:

For hamsters who remain dehydrated or who are suspected to be more significantly uremic, these will require subcutaneous lactated ringers or saline fluids by injection. The dose is 2.0ml for every 10 grams body weight. This may have to be repeated daily, but some can be injected every other day or every 3rd day.

To check if a hamster is dehydrated, use a “pinch test”: gather the skin around the scruff of the hamster’s neck and toward shoulder blades gently into a pinch and release. A well-hydrated hamster’s skin will snap back into place quickly. A dehydrated hamster’s skin will move back into position significantly slower. Electrolytes and, in severe cases, subcutaneous fluid injections will help with dehydration.