What is this smell?

[Clare UK]

I've had my new hammy for 11 days and the smell he is creating is a real problem. IDK how to describe the smell it's not exactly uriney but it's strong and not at all pleasant.

He's a dwarf hybrid and purchased from the pet store as a baby so he's still really little.

I changed his whole cage 24hrs ago because I couldn't bear sleeping in the same room as the smell for any longer and someone else in the house complained they could smell him in the hallway and already such a short time later when I walk past his cage today it smells!

He's my 3rd ham and the 8th my family has owned and none of them have stunk the house out so much before.

He's not using his potty yet due to his newness and I can't find where he is peeing I think he may be doing it on the run.

Could he be scenting? and if so how long do they normally do that for? or do you think he needs checking out?

[Cinnamon Bear]

I have a smelly female Russian but I suspect excessive urination due to diabetes, but I'm not positive, most likely tho. I have to change her cage more frequently than the other hamsters.

Your hammy could be scent marking or he could have an infection? A urinary tract infection could cause a strong odor as well.

[CMB]

I would check his house/nest for pee. My dwarf pees in the wheel sometimes and it smells stronger as there isn't substrate to soak it up. You can wipe the wheel, but don't over clean it as they are likely to pee on it more.

Try a bowl of chinchilla sand. They like to sand bath and often pee in the sand to.

He could have diabetes and they pee more when they have it. So a test trip (you can buy them at the chemist/pharmacy) could detect it. A vet could also confirm.

[Fluffagrams]

It could be a combination between scent marking as well as the locations that he chooses to pee in. One of my boys spends a lot of time in his wheel and consequently pees in it as he runs. It can get a little whiffy but I've found that if I cleaned his wheel every day then it only encourages him to pee and scnet mark over it more as he tries to make it smell as he believes it should. I'll usually clean the wheels every 2-3 days and I'll never do it on the same day as I clean the cages as that also seems to make them worse.

How often are you cleaning the cage? Sometimes cleaning the cage too often will also make the problem worse so partial substrate changes often go down well as there's still things in their cages that smell familiar.

Some hamsters can be litter trained although my experience has taught me that works better with Syrians as they have a more definite toilet corner and I have yet to get any of my Chinese to be litter trained but it's worth a try putting a sand bath in to se if he'll use that.

It might be worth testing him for diabetes as unfortunately Hybrids are prone to it. You can buy urine testing strips from pharmacies (they're called Keto-Diastix) and you'll need to put your hamster in a clean container with no bedding until he urinates to get a sample for testing. You will need to use a fresh sample rather than a puddle that you might find in his cage as that could give an inaccurate result. If the test proves positive then you will need to see a vet for further advice on how to manage the condition.

[Clare UK]

So far on the 4th day I had to take some bedding out of the two corners he'd spent most time in because they were already smelling badly. At 10 days I had to do a whole cage change I really don't know how many days it'll be before I do it again.
I normally change my others roughly once a fortnight with spot cleaning in between.

[Drago]

Most people don't share my opinion on this, but I do find that hamsters smell! Of course, hamsters themselves don't actually smell (which I'd actually like to debate considering the fact that all my hams smell like pee even when I spot clean daily), but their cages can smell quite unpleasant. Some hamsters smell more than others, just like humans Could you possibly move him into a different area where his scent wouldn't bother you so much? I'd also try not to clean so much. I once used to clean once a week, but have since changed that as its stressful, and because I was working for hours on clenaouts and it smelled pretty much the same! You can also keep a box of baking soda next to the cage, or an activated charcoal packet. These two thinks absorb scent molecules, and though are small changes, can make a huuuge difference in my experience. If it becomes extremely unbearable, there are HEPA filters that can help to neatly eliminate smells. I assume you're in the UK, because, well I'll let you why I think so. However, I'll link some American product that is used by some ratteries near to me to give you ideas Good luck, and if you ever have any other questions, please ask!


https://www.pureairsupply.com/best-a...removal-guide/

[cypher]

I've never really had a hybrid smell much at all tbh, my main concern would be diabetes if the smell is that strong, is he drinking much & are you finding much wet substrate when you clean?

[Princess Pixie]

Neither of my hamsters smell bad, my dwarfs cage smells a little more than my Syrian because he's got a habit of peeing in his tubes and on his shelf.
I don't find hamsters bodies smell, at all, my Syrian often sits on my shoulder and rubs on my neck and she doesn't smell.
What bedding do you use?

[souffle]

A young or baby hamster really shouldn't smell so bad that quickly. I think you need to have your hammy vet checked for anything wrong especially if he is drinking and weeing a lot. He needs checked for diabetes in particular. Make sure you don't have wooden toys and replace cardboard ones frequently. Spot clean daily, Babies often wee in bed and it builds up so use open nests. Each species does seem to have a unique smell but if the whole family are noticing it build up that quick then a check up is in order I'd suggest.

[Clare UK]

Thanks for the replies.
I tried a Keto-Diastix test on him earlier and that reading is normal/negative but idk how reliable they are. His water bottle is certainly going down faster than the other hamster in the household now and he's smellier today than yesterday for sure so i'm thinking a vet trip for a once over may be on the cards.