Bathing hamsters, appropriate or not?

[SnuggleHam]

I have heard of many people that bathe their hamsters. Sometimes I think they do this too often, and personally I think hamsters shouldn’t be bathed, unless of course they get themselves covered in something sticky or gross :P I thought it would be a good idea to start a thread about this and see people's thoughts on bathing hamsters in water.



As far as I know in the wild a hamster would not purposely bathe itself, unless of course it was running from a predator and jumping in a puddle was the only escape? Am I wrong, do hamsters bathe them selves in the wild?



In my opinion I think keeping a clean cage, making sure you take out fresh foods that are offered before they spoil, and offering a sand bath is the best way to keep them clean and “smell” free. Hamsters do a good enough job grooming themselves… or do they not?



I recently read something about a person that bought a hamster, They had no clue what kind it was and apparently neither did the store that sold them the hamster. All they knew was that it was some kind of dwarf. I looked at the pictures of this little hamster running around in a puddle of water in a plugged sink and found it was a Roborovski. They said it smelled and that a person at this pet store said it would be alright for them to bathe it. I give this person credit for at least looking into it. The reason they wated to bathe it was because it smelled. They thought it had maybe peed on itself. I did reply to this person to explain a bit about Roborovskis and that they might want to get another because they live in communities. But most of all explained that dwarves have scent glands, and Roborovskis have been know to be the smelliest of all the species.



I can't imagine that bathing a hamster is good for their fur or their skin, AND their immune system. So people what do you think… to bathe or not to bathe, that is the question?

[Coco1]

Well I picked the last one, but agree with Candace that the only time I think a hamster should be bathed is if it got into something dirty or sticky, OR if it had Wet Tail type problems, in which case bathing that area can be a good thing. Hamsters, and many other rodents, naturally bathe their fur with immaculate personal grooming, and with the soils of their original habitats - in the hamsters' wild habitat this is a silty, clay type soil which is good for making burrows in. The surface soil in Syria is probably drier / sandier. They don't need to keep their fur totally clean and in perfect order to fly like birds do (which is why they bathe), but being strongly territiorial prefer to maintain their own scents around them.

Another reason hamsters roll in sand (soil) is to scent themselves with their own scent glands and possibly that of their surrounding territory. This is the one method many animals use to help "camouflage" themselves against preditors, or from other food sources. It is the same reason dogs will roll around in dirt, so they "disguise" their own smell to that of the surrounding area to help prevent their prey from smelling them, yet they also have their own strong scents. Perfect example - although our hamsters are not wild they still continue with the same habits - last night my hamster went into his sand bath as usual, dug around a bit, peed in the sand and then - you guessed it - rolled in it! Then SLEPT in it for 10 minutes! This is just natural for them. It is us humans that try to place our own standards of cleanliness onto the hamsters. In the wild I doubt they would get Wet Tail in the first place. They do not have the need to bath in water. When it rains, what do our local native rodents do, such as rats and mice? They go for cover. They don't use the rain for a quick shower!

I think providing sand baths is the best way for the hamster to keep his fur in good shape. If you don't like the smell from hamsters then don't own one. Don't try to change what is natural for them. If bathing WAS a good thing for them then they would jump into water in the wild themselves. Some rodents do - Muscrats and Nutrias for instance. They were made to do this though and have oily coats specifically for it.

Just my thoughts... :D

[SnuggleHam]

Good points and very insightful too, I voted for "its not necessary" now I think I should have voted for the last one. I but I agree with you coco, its not natural for them to be given a bath. Unless of course they have Wet Tail or got into some mess.



I’m actually really surprised at how many people bathe their hamsters, I heard of one person who bathed their three hamsters once a week!

[jdawg1602]

Thanks for posting this thread because I honestly had no idea whether or not to give them baths. Is it alright to wipe them with a slightly wet cloth when they are a bit oily though?



The website and forum are both very helpful whereas I am a fairly new hamster owner! Thanks for everything!

[Coco1]

jdawg1602

I'm not sure a damp cloth would do much against oiliness, the sand bath would probably be more effective, kinda like putting talc onto our skins. (DONT use talc on a hamster! ) What type of hamster do you have? Do you have the satin type that can be oilier looking?

[SnuggleHam]

I agree, I think a sand bath would be most effective. But if someone really wants to bathe a hamster and "needs" to use water I would advice them to do nothing more then wipe them down with a damp cloth.

[Coco1]

But if someone really wants to bathe a hamster and "needs" to use water I would advice them to do nothing more then wipe them down with a damp cloth.



Yea I agree.

[jdawg1602]

I have 3 dwarf hamsters, and my male is looking a tiny bit oily. I'll definitely try the sand bath! Thanks

[amnerisryn]

I chose the 'only once in a while' option due to my concurring that hammies will bathe themselves perfectly well without interference (except for the production of sand etc. from their keepers), but I also agree that should said hammy get into any sticky-gooeyness that sometimes occurs (especially with a three year old running around :roll: ) a damp cloth 'bath' would be appropriate. I actually have to bathe my cat more than any other animal I own (except the fish who lives in water so technically he never leaves his bath :P ).

[babyboos]

Another alternative to a damp washcloth is unperfumed, sensitive skin baby wipes (use only a small corner of a whole sheet and don't overwet the hamster. Remove any residue with a clean cotton ball or piece of kitchen roll).

Now even special animal wipes exist, often labelled primarily for dogs - we know how they love to roll in whatever dead, decaying mess they can find :roll: :twisted: But I have also seen specific small animal wipes come onto the market - sadly at the same time as a LOT of small animal shampoos.

Any small animal that needed washed (I am not referring to just hamsters here but all small creatures - rabbits, guinea pigs, gerbils, rats, chinchillas etc.) would be just as clean if a mild baby shampoo were used such as Johnson's "No Tears" Formula, rather than one of these overpriced products.

About 6 months ago I obtained a great dry shampoo from my vet for the family ferrets who are really musky and only eat meat so can get a bit wiffy (It is at my parent's so I don't have it to hand just now sorry...). He advised this would be fine to use on a long-haired hamster as long as the same rules were applied when using it - Sprinkle on animal avoiding the head area, rub in through their coat to the skin, and then brush out thoroughly. All this must be done with the hamster under constant supervision and not put on it and left to its own devices, or added to its sand bath for example.

Even with Wet Tail the whole hamster does not get bathed, only the perianal area gently sponged down with a moistened cotton ball. Special bathing in a medicated shampoo may be advised by a vet for extreme health concerns such as an acute infestation of mites or a severe fungal infection, but in general living the only water a hamster (whatever species) should ever come near is that in their bottle :D

Any hamster which does get wet MUST be thoroughly dried, and I cannot stress strongly enough to NOT use a hairdryer - they burn very easily and a good rub with a piece of absorbent kitchen roll, and then allowing them to run around and play in a small hand towel (away from any draughts naturally :? ) is just as effective.

I don't have to bathe my cat - she jumps in the bath with you if you don't shut the door properly :twisted: I keep telling her she is supposed to be scared of water...

[Coco1]

Yea I have those bath wipes for my dog. She's a short-haired Dachshund so has very short hair and I use them on her if she's been to the park and decided to roll around in duck poop (Does she think they won't SEE her then?) . It saves me having to give her a full bath which I'm sure she appreciates! I'm sure they wouldn't cause much harm to a hamster but if going to use wipes I agree, the unscented perfume free ones, often sold for sensitive skins, would be the best. Then again, the mild shampoo you suggested with a soft paper towel would work just as well, IF the need arose. :D

[Emma]

I think everyones said pretty much what I was going to say :) there's no need to bathe hamsters unless they get themselves into a sticky mess (and even then they might be able to sort it themselves). Sick hamsters might need to be cleaned up for various reasons, but like babyboos said I think it should be kept to a minimum.

Some people also try not to use rinse/shampoo medications for skin problems on small rodents like hamsters.

[babyboos]

(Does she think they won't SEE her then?)



Oh Coco - you crack me up :lol:

[Coco1]

lol well she walks around, belly to the ground like she's sneaking up on ducks then finds a nice smelly patch, rolls in it (I'm normaly looking in the opposite direction at the time till I turn to see her with a guilty look on her face) then she walks slowly up to a group of ducks. I mean come on? DUH! LOL.

(OK, so this didn't have anything to do with hamsters.... other than the scent thing...) :twisted:

[carefresh]

*falls off chair laughing* Ha Ha Ha Ha ! That's hilarious Coco 1. :lol:

[SnuggleHam]

From this site called

http://www.petscorner.com.my/articles/article-hamsters.html



Bathtime



Hamsters can be given a bath by placing them in bowl of warm water with a little pet shampoo for a nice scent. These small animal shampoos can easily be purchased at pet stores too. Remember to keep the bath as brief as possible with as little water too and always remember to keep the water level far below the hamster's head. Children however, should always be supervised when around these small animals. There was a case where a kid of eight gave a bath to his hamster by pouring water on him like he was bathing a dog. Sad but true it was too late for the poor hamster!



Did you guys read that one line.."Hamsters can be given a bath by placing them in bowl of warm water with a little pet shampoo for a nice scent"



What.. for a nice scent!! Like they smell!! I can't believe this site is saying it alright to bathe a hamster to simply make them smell nice!!



That is it, I'm going to put an article together about this for the HC website. If anyone has some good facts about bathing please let me know.

[Coco1]

OMG! I can't believe I read that! This person seriously needs to be educated!

Good idea Candace, there obviously isn't enough information out there regarding this topic! :)

[SnuggleHam]

I actually just wrote a quite extensive article on it, longer than any other articles or titbits I've seen about it. I've got my Moderators Emma and Babyboos looking it over to tell me what they think or to add to it before I post it up. :)



I'm pretty proud of it 8)

[Coco1]

Cool, Look forward to reading it. I'm sure it will be great! :D

[carefresh]

Can't wait to read it Candace ! :D

[babyboos]

I wrote an email of complaint detailing all the inaccuracies in that article - I wonder if they will bother to change it!

[SnuggleHam]

Coolies babyboos I hope that they do, if not thats what hamster central is for, to set people stright!! let us know if they respond :)

[Smokey21]

Hi, I had a question about the sand bath. Is it safe to use play sand that has been baked in the oven, or is it only safe to use chinchilla sand?

[Coco1]

Smokey, yes it is safe to use play sand. Many people do bake it in the oven first just to get rid of any germs or whatever. Many people also use it as it is much cheaper than the Chinchilla sand. The Chin. sand is just convenient to buy. Try it and see how they like it.

[babyboos]

I find Chinchilla sand goes a very long way so is actually worth that little bit extra. I think my guys really do prefer it to children's play sand. The grains are softer and I like not having to bake it before use :?

[Coco1]

I agree with you Babyboos. Thats the only reason I like to use the Chinchilla sand. That and I like the convenience! It really does last a while. I'll use half a packet each clean out. There's 5 packets to a box. For me it's worth it :)

[elly]

Absoloutely not unless it is an emergency, or they happened to get something odd in their fur. Even then I would only wipe the effected area off with a warm wet cloth, not actually bathe. Wet hamsters are easily susceptible to pnemonia, and bathing disrupts the oils in their fur.

[Pompompoms]

Whilst I am in full agreement with you, please check the dates of the threads. This one was last active seven and a half years ago, and is therefore very much out of date.