Yes , you can bathe your hamsters. But there are a few dangers associated with it.
Dangers of bathing a hamster
In this article we are not going to teach you how to bathe a hamster, quite the contrary. In the following lines we are going to show you the reasons why we completely discourage hamster bathing, since it can be fatal to their health, especially if we are careless.
There are many reasons to say that bathing is bad for hamsters. What we will try to explain are the main reasons that should lead you not to carry out this action with your pets. And finally we will explain how to do it correctly only for very exceptional circumstances. Knowing how to do it, we will avoid any type of risk that may arise.
Danger of drowning
Hamsters are not swimmers, which in itself is already a danger when these animals are in the water. There are some species of hamsters that you can swim in the water a bit, but we should never stop observing them, even though they can swim.
However, whatever the species, a hamster should never be totally submerged in water since an apparently simple action such as diving can be deadly for these animals. Be very careful that the hamster enters the water completely.
Bathroom dangers
These rodents do not like water at all, since they are animals that like to be in dry environments. If we try to give them a bath they will try to escape as soon as they see the water, that is more than proven. And in these escape attempts they can hurt themselves or we can hurt them ourselves.
Trying to flee, they can bite us and inadvertently drop them, they can escape and hide in a dangerous place, they can fall into the water and sink completely, … It is not a good idea to bring a hamster to the water.
Stress for the hamster
The hygiene of hamsters is something that, as a general rule, is the responsibility of the hamster himself, who takes care of his coat on a daily basis. Giving a hamster a bath will be breaking its routine, which in turn will cause stress on the animal. In addition, with the bath we also eliminate the natural oils that the hamster’s skin has, something very difficult for him to repair.
The loss of these oils can even cause hair loss on the part of the animal, among other problems. This small animal suffers more when under stress than large animals. Its effects can make you sick
Risk of pneumonia and similar problems
Hamsters on their own are susceptible to respiratory problems. But if we also expose them to situations such as a bathroom, they will be even more vulnerable, with which the risk is even greater. A little bit of water in the nose is enough for the animal to start sneezing, have breathing difficulties or have nasal problems.
Not drying the animal’s fur well (something more than likely) can be very dangerous for its health.
Cleaning a hamster if necessary
If our little one has gotten very dirty and requires our help to be clean, we can do it using a damp cloth with warm water and hypoallergenic soap for babies. With the cloth we will rub the stained areas very gently.
Once the area is cleaned, use a cloth only dampened with water to remove the traces of soap. And once done, we will dry it very well with the help of a dry cloth. Remember that you must dry it perfectly. However, keep in mind that this is only for extreme cases. As a general rule, let the hamster clean itself.
