No Water

Question
I have a hamster that is a little over a year old. She isn't drinking water out of her bottle. I marked the level on the bottle and it hasn't changed at all.  I check the bottle every day to make sure that it is working properly.  There is no problem.

She is still very active, runs in her ball all the time. She is still eating well, playing with her toys. She has no problem with her bowels. But the lack of water is concerning me. I don't know if the lack of water will make her sick, or if it is a symptom of something wrong with her already.  Should I take her to the vet?

Answer
Hi Kalika

Thanks for your question.

Hamsters don't drink much water.  In fact, if a hamster is eating and playing as usual, but there is no sign of drinking - then this is actually good. The time to concern yourself is if they are dull, lethargic etc. and not drinking as they could be dehydrating, or if they drink a lot.  The first sign of illness is usually a noticable increase in water consumption - this often happens around 18 months/2 years, as hamsters are prone to getting tumors and these cause them to drink a lot more than usual. Other illnesses, such as kidney problems or diabetes will cause a dramatic water in take.

If you are giving a small amount of fresh vegetables daily, then she is probably getting enough moisture from that. It sounds to me as though she is doing fine.  

Regards
Sheila