Many people today would like to own hamsters, but they are concerned about the odor that these hamsters produce, which causes their rooms to smell and become less enjoyable. The good news is that you can deal with the smell when it occurs and also prevent it from occurring. Here are some tips to keep your hamster from making the house smell.
Hamster Hygiene
Although hamsters are quite clean animals, there are some things that you might want to do in order to keep your hamster in tip-top condition. Unlike lots of other pets, hamsters don’t require a lot of hygienic maintenance, but at the very least you’ll want to clean their cages on a weekly basis and provide regular brushing to a long-haired variety. Read on to learn more on sand baths, emergency washing and fur cleaning.
If your hamster seems to need a lot of help with keeping itself clean, then you may want to give your pet a health check. Injuries and illnesses can seriously impact your pet’s ability to keep themselves in good condition, and may actually be causing their untidy appearance. Keep following for more information on what could be causing an untidy appearance.
Do Hamsters Need Baths?
No – at least, not a water bath. Another option is to enable your hamster to completely clean itself with a sand bath. This is because most hamster species have evolved ways of cleaning themselves without water, and so by washing your hamster you’ll remove lots of important molecules from your hamster’s coat. This could cause problems with her or his skin.
If you want to clean your hamster because the odor from its cage is troubling you, then instead of bathing them you can experiment with cleaning out your hamster’s cage more often. Unlike many other pets, hamsters don’t need a regular or even an occasional water bath.
Most experts advise that you should only give your hamster a liquid bath if there’s something stuck in its hair, or if there’s something on its coat that could be harmful. If you’re concerned that what is on your hamster’s coat could cause problems when they try to groom themselves, then you should bathe or partially bathe your hamster to eliminate thwill be hazard. We advise that only adults bathe hamsters, as these animals are very small and will try to wriggle out of your hands. Try to use as little water as possible, and be sure to never submerge your hamster’s head in case they drown.
If you have noticed that a certain part of your hamster is dirty, then instead of cleaning it yourself you might want to question whether or not there’s a health problem that’s causing the hygiene issue. For example, if your hamster has blood on its hair or on its behind, then it could be suffering from overgrown teeth, or a problem with its bowels or genitals. It’s good to be aware of particular health conditions, and to keep an eye out for them. Symptoms of one particularly nasty condition are moisture or faecal matter on the bottom. This could mean that your hamster is suffering from Wet Tail, a potentially fatal condition that requires veterinary attention as soon as possible.
How Do I Clean My Hamster’s Teeth?
If you are worried about your hamster’s dental hygiene, then there are lots of things you can do to keep your hamster’s teeth clean – particular foods, diets and chews will help your pet’s teeth remain strong and healthy. A healthy tooth should be quite straight, free of blood, and about the same length as the one next to it. There’s no need to be concerned if your hamster’s teeth are a bit yellow – this is natural. Older hamsters having white teeth can actually be symptomatic of a disease, so don’t worry if your pet’s teeth are not as white as your own.
Some tips on helping your pet maintain healthy teeth are as follows:
- Provide fresh as well as dry food
Hamsters will really enjoy being given a number of different fruits and vegetables, alongside their usual dry food. Not only does it introduce some variety to their diet, but it can be great for their teeth.
- Consider different dry food options
There are lots of different dry foods to select from, from pellets to seeds. It’s best to steer clear of any that have been mashed or ground, as these may cause tooth problems.You might want to try a few different formulae throughout your pet’s life, and see which they enjoy most. Just be sure to introduce these changes gradually, as hamsters are prone to developing stomach complications if their diet is changed drastically in a short space of time.
- Limit shop-bought treats
Whilst your hamster may really enjoy numerous shop-bought treats, it’s important to offer them in moderation, and to pick those which are free from sugar.
- Invest in a chew toy
Hamster’s teeth grow throughout their lives, and they are sometimes in danger of becoming overgrown. If this happens, too-long tooth can actually prevent your pet from eating properly, which is obviously a serious problem. You’ll want to take them to the vet to get them treated as quickly as possible.
Since it’s difficult to tell when your hamster’s teeth need a little bit of wearing down, it’s a good idea to let your hamster deal with them by itself. A good tip is that offering a pet some way of regulating their tooth length by themselves (in the form of a chew toy) can prevent the owner needing to intervene.
There are many different chews that your hamster can enjoy, but if you choose to pick your personal piece of wood to offer then steer clear of those which are harmful to small mammals, those that break too easily, or those that have been treated with a varnish or a pesticide.
- Avoid human foods
Hamsters have very different digestive systems to humans, which is why so many human foods can cause problems. It’s a good idea to avoid giving your pet most human foods, but if you’re unsure what they can and can’t eat then check out our list of hamster foods that are suitable for them.
One thing that many owners don’t know is that the bacteria from a human’s mouth can cause problems for your hamster – it is for this reason that several owners advise that you don’t share any food you’re eating with your hamster, or kiss any part of its body.
How Do I Clean My Hamster’s Fur?
Healthy hamsters, whether they have short or long hair, will probably groom themselves every day. This means that owners of short-haired hamsters will need to do very little grooming, and even long-haired hamsters won’t require much. However, there are several items that you can do to give your hamster a helping hand, and it’s good to start doing these things while your hamster is young and amenable to new factors.
Sand bathing is a natural way for your pet to clean itself. They may need a little bit of help as they get older, but hamsters are really clean animals who will take on the vast majority of their own grooming.
If your hamster is really dirty, then you may want to allow themselves to get rid of a lot of dirt with a sand bath. Some hamsters will love having sand baths – they will wriggle around in the sand and remove lots of dirt from their coat in the process (be aware that some might not enjoy it, and will not move around in the sand at all).
If the sand bath doesn’t reproceed the dirt, and you’re worried that the substance will not come out or could cause problems if your hamster eats or licks it, then a liquid bath may be necessary. If you need to give your pet a liquid bath, become sure to keep its head above water at all times and ensure that the water is warm, not hot. It’s best for an adult to bathe the hamster, to use a shampoo safe for hamsters, also to use the cool setting on your hairdryer to dry them off.
Long-haired
Whilst long-haired hamsters are very clean like their short-haired counterparts, they will require a little extra help cleaning themselves.
Long-haired hamsters may enjoy a sand bath, but they may also benefit from a brushing and trimming session.
To brush your hamster, place it on your lap and wait until it has calmed down before beginning to brush. We suggest using a wide-toothed comb at first, as using a very thin-toothed implement may be quite a painful experience for your hamster. We suggest brushing gently and holding the hair between the hamster’s skin and the knot, so that you can keep the hair between your fingers and the hamster’s pores and skin slack. this will mean that untangling the knot doesn’t pull on the hamster’s hair root.
If you’ve brushed your hamster and it’s still very knotted and untidy, then you may need to trim the hair to get all of the knots out of it. Since hamsters hate being put on their back, we suggest you gently trim their hair as they stand on a surface. Try to only take a little bit off at a time.
Short-haired hamsters
For the majority of your hamster’s life, you’ll find that it’s not actually necessary to clean them as they’ll groom themselves on a very regular basis. You can purchase special sand for this, but if you can’t find hamster bathing sand, then chinchilla sand will do just as well. It’s a good idea to be sure that you’re not buying dust, as dust particles are finer than sand and may get stuck in your pet’s nose and mouth, potentially causing problems.
Once you’ve got the material home, simply spoon a bit of the sand into a small bowl, one that is big enough for your pet to fit in comfortably. Place your hamster gently into the bowl of sand, and it will take a sand bath by squirming about. Like humans, hamsters have their own individual tastes, and some hamsters may love these baths, but some may not.
If your hamster is looking a little grubby, then keep an eye on them to make sure they are able to groom themselves properly. If your hamster has a leg injury or overgrown teeth, then they may be less able to groom themselves than usual. If they are suffering from a medical condition, then this could also end up being why they are looking a bit worse for wear.
For example, hamsters that are suffering from mange often have matted or thinning hair, and very flaky, irritated skin. You may want to have a look in our Common Hamster Illnesses And Symptoms article, but if you can’t diagnose it from that or any hamster encyclopaedia you have handy, then you may need to take your hamster to the vet to obtain them properly diagnosed, and possibly get treatment.
READ MORE: Cleaning Cages To Keep Your Hamster Clean
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