Hamster not drinking?

Question
I recently bought a Syrian hamster this Sunday. I've been changing his water every day, but I'm having trouble telling if he is actually drinking any. He has a both a water bottle and water dish in his cage. I see him eating quite often, but have never noticed him stop to take a drink. The water level never seems to change when I check. His droppings look normal, he's very active, eats quite a bit, and is already used to handling, it's just this water thing that's bugging me! He seems happy and healthy overall, so am I just being paranoid? Is there anything I can do to encourage him to drink in front of me? Is there something I'm not doing correctly, or anything I should be looking for? Appreciate any advice you could give. Thanks.

-Amanda

Answer
First off, eliminate a water dish, there is no need for a water dish, and it will quickly become unsanitary, and add unneccisary moisture to the cage. Extra moisture means more bacteria, and thats bad. Hamsters can take a while to empty their bottle if you don't change it every day. You may not notice that its much lower for over a week if you did that. Since you change it every day, you will never see evidence your hamster is drinking. They know how to use a bottle since this is what all hamsters are raised on in pet stores. Some of my hamsters will take a few tiny licks and be on their way, mine now will sit at the bottle for minutes on end. Your hamster might not be a heavy drinker. The point is your hamster is most likely drinking, and your likely not going to notice it. Theres nothing you can do to make him drink while your around, as hamsters are more active at night naturaly. Meaning you will see them do things way less in the day then you would at night.

If your really, really, really, unhappy, and can't live with not seeing your hamster drink, just try not changing the water for up to a week. Mark the bottle at the start of the week at the water line, then just watch. I only change the water in my cage when it gets rather empty, and my ham is just as healthy as ever.