Water is an essential nutrient which both humans and animals need as often as possible. Like us humans, hamsters need water inadequate supply. They easily get dehydrated. Hence the need to serve them water always is what you can’t skip as a good pet keeper.
But how often do hamsters drink water? Basically, hamsters need water as often as they exercise and feed. Serve your hamsters’ water 2-3 times a day for about 10 ml/100 gr of a hamster.
Why because water is necessary for digestion and absorption of food and aids in the hydrolysis of nutrients like fats, carbohydrates, and proteins. In this post, you will learn the benefits of water to hamsters, how often hamsters need water, factors that decide when to give them the water, and lots more. Are you ready? Let’s go!
What Are The Benefits of Water to Hamsters?
Water is essential for sustaining the health and activities of hamsters. Just as our systems need water to function well, so do hamsters’.
Hamsters need water often because:
- Hamsters need water very often because they easily get dehydrated. They can’t go on for a day or two without water. Dehydration causes lethargy, tightening of the skin, weight loss, and drying of mucous membranes and eyes.
- Hamsters need water to keep their bodies at a relatively stable temperature. Water keeps their bodies cool through the production and evaporation of sweat.
- Hamsters need water for proper digestion and absorption of their feed. It also aids their system in the hydrolysis of nutrients like carbohydrates, fats, and proteins.
- Hamsters need water to maintain the proper ion balance in body tissues, as it is a neutral solvent. It readily encourages the ionization of most substances.
- Hamsters need water in their bodies to efficiently transport products like metabolites, hormones, and gases throughout the body.
- Hamsters need water as it fosters the elimination of waste products through urine and feces. Water also acts as a lubricant and support for joints and organs; that’s why you need to avoid dehydrating your hamsters by not giving them water as supposed.
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How Often Should My Hamster Drink Water?
It is now established that hamsters need water to stay healthy and fit. The most important thing now is to know how often they should be served water. Hamsters need water as often as human beings need water. As such, a responsible hamster owner would ensure that his animals are served water 2-3 times a day.
Do Hamsters Need Fresh Water Every Day?
You won’t drink water if you spot any dirt settled at the base. Talk more of when there is lots of dirt. If you can’t, why serve your hamsters dirty water instead of fresh ones?
If you want your hamsters to remain healthy, there should be a daily provision of freshwater free from contamination.
Factors That Decide How Often Hamsters Should Drink Water
Two factors decide how often hamsters can be given water:
Exercise: A dull hamster — one that does not run around often or is old — may not need up to 10 ml of water a day.
But an active hamster will need the full 10 ml per day and even more. It then means that the more exercise the hamsters do, the more water they need.
Diet: Diet is a great determiner of the frequency at which hamsters may need water. What hamsters feed on will make them drink more or less water.
If they are fed mostly with dry food, i.e., pellets, grains, seeds, they will drink more water. But if they are given mostly vegetables, they will drink less, because they will draw a lot of water.
It would be best to consider the above when giving your hamsters water to give them much more water than their bodies need.
Watch this video: How Often Do Hamsters Drink Water?
When Do Hamsters Need Water?
We have said that hamsters need water as often as humans and should be fed with water 2-3 times a day. You might now be wondering the best time in the day to give them the water.
Since hamsters are more active at night, that’s when they are likely to be needing water the most.
However, it would be best if you always got water available in their container, because they can always surprise you.
The best way to bring water to your hamster is with a water bottle or tube.
How Long Can Hamsters Go Without Water?
You might ask, how much can a hamster survive without food or water? Hamsters can survive for about 3-4 days without water.
But that would have caused dehydration, which might affect the rate of digestion as such, it’s not good to allow your hamsters to go that long day without drinking water.
Can I Put a Bowl of Water in My Hamsters’ Cage?
The best object to serve your hamster’s water is a bowl; however, it gets dirty easily. Drinking water from a bowl is good but drinking from a bottle is perfect.
Be it as it may, if you must use a bowl, you must scrub and change it out each daily. On some occasions, the hamsters will even pee in the water.
What Can Hamsters Drink Besides Water?
Hamsters can drink milk if served. So besides water trying giving your hamsters milk to drink. But you shouldn’t give your little hamsters milk as regular as you give him water.
>>> Read Also: What Do Hamsters Drink?
Conclusion – How Often Do Hamsters Drink Water?
Do not judge how and when your hamsters need water by your own thirst. Make sure they have water easily accessible to them within their living environment. Place water in a bowl within the cage to always quench their thirst, even when you are not there.
You have now got satisfactory answers to the question; how often do hamsters drink water? You are now a more knowledgeable hamster owner. So, go and care for your little hammy.
