Hamster Baths?

[bobo]

I was wondering about this and since I'm a new hamster owner, I'd like to get as much feedback as possible.

I heard that giving your hamster an actual water bath is not good for it and that they should have sand baths instead. Does that mean you absolutely NEVER give it a water bath? I'm just imagining myself never taking a bath and only using dry shampoo to stay clean blechh~~

But anyways, I've had my long haired syrian for about 2 months now and I haven't given her a single water bath. She's been using the sand bath just fine and her coat's really nice and fluffy. However, there are days where it kinda smells a bit just because of her pee or something. Afterwards it doesn't smell anymore because I assume she cleaned it herself by licking the fur? But wouldn't that make her sick? O.o;

sorry for all the random questions but in summary, I just wanted to know if we absolutely NEVER give hamsters a water bath for their entire life unless something sticky or a lot of stuff they can't clean off themselves gets on their fur. Or would it be ok to give it a water bath like.. once a month or something?

[SinNyx]

Think of them in the wild. They would be in burrows in their own wee and poo, and clean it out themselves. It won't hurt her. They eat their own poo, so a bit of wee is nothing

The only time a water bath would have to be given, is if the risks on not having them are worse. For example, if someone accidentally spilled something dangerous on the hamster, that would cause more harm that good.

It is best to only leave her to her sand bath. Female hamsters also go on heat every 3/4 days and release a musky odour, so it may be that you are smelling, not her pee. I'm afraid there is nothing you can do

For such a small animal to be wet, it can be dangerous. They lose body heat fast and can be quite stressed out from it, some even die from the stress, so it's not worth it unless absolutely necessary, and even then a hamster must be dried off appropriately following.

[kyrilliondaemon]

Yes that means you never, ever give your hamster a water bath. Giving them a water bath could be really dangerous as it'd be very, very easy for them to get too cold afterwards while they had wet fur.
Hamsters aren't people, she'll clean herself and her own fur brilliantly without becoming unwell.

[Pebbles82]

They are very good at cleaning themselves and it's good she uses her sand bath as well. Our hamster doesn't smell at all. Does she wee in her nest? Maybe you could try getting a potty tray and some litter - ours took to it straight away when I put it in his wee corner, and now he only wees in the potty tray - in fact he's so fastidious now he even covers it up with substrate after he's wee'd! No, no water baths - they can easily get pneumonia. I've heard stories of hamsters getting chest infections and dying very quickly, just after getting wet from slipping into a water bowl (which is why we use water bottles with spouts as it's safer).

What kind of sand are you using in the sand bath by the way? It needs to be Chinchilla bathing sand (not dust).

I think Hamsters must secrete special oils or something to help keep their fur clean as well. Did you ever hear of that thing where humans, if they don't wash their hair, it gets cleaner? The theory is, after 4 to 6 weeks it stops getting greasy and natural cleaning oils are released. It's why some religions wear turbans and never wash their hair - it can self clean!

[Snowz]

Never should you give a hamster a bath, if the water is to cold or to warm the hamster can have a heart attack. It also isn't good to put water on hamsters fur. In the wild they would only ever get wet maybe because they were escaping from something

[herbi7]

My hamster is a lively girl and she is v stinky when she is in heat, she rubs herself everywhere and everything else gets smelly too. But hamsters need to have their own smell on everything as it makes them feel safe. After a couple of days she doesn't really smell, just a sort of hamstery smell a bit like hay. If ur ham is smelling of stale wee it will smell just like a public loo, sorry everyone! But it does. And it will mean she is weeing in her bed. It might be better for her if she can make a big loose nest in a tissue box instead as it will stay cleaner and drier, I have been looking after a male dwarf who that worked for as he was sleeping in soggy bedding otherwise.

[Candra_Faulkner]

Definitely no water! unless a dire emergency.
What bedding / substrate do you use?
Carefresh is great at keeping my male Long Haired Syrian from smelling of pee.
He's gotten to where he only pees in the corner of the tank, and only poos in his nest.

But if your hamster is peeing in her nest and doesn't have a bedding that absorbs the pee away from her really well, she's probably going to smell a bit like her pee.
Crawling through or digging / burrowing into something soft and absorbent like Carefresh really helps them to stay smelling nice themselves, not just the tank.

I'd check where she's peeing and clean it out maybe every other day if her pee
smells that bad.

[Thin Lizzy]

Hamsters aren't meant to have baths. Sand baths yes! I would avoid any water baths. I would increase her substrate if she's peeing and it's a bit smelly the substrate will soak it up.