Expert: Sheila Adby - 10/28/2009

Question
hi sheila, my hamster is just over 2 years old and has started to drink an excessive amount of water. we clean his cage once a week normally, but in the last few weeks half his cage is saturated with urine after only 2 or 3 days. is there something wrong with him. thanks chris

Answer
Hi Chris

I'm afraid around this age there can be health issues with a hamster.  Often they develop tumors which cause an increase in water consumption, so I'm afraid it could be this.  With internal tumors there is little that can be done other than to make sure the hamster isn't in any pain.  Sometimes tumors are quite slow to grow and you don't notice any real change in the hamster.  However, if they start to get large and put pressure on internal organs or the spine the hamster will struggle to walk, not want to leave the nest and tends to become a bit 'pear' shaped.  You do sometimes notice blood/pus coming from their rear end and this is always a sign to take them to the vet.

Alternatively he could have some sort of kidney/bladder problem which is causing this change in behaviour.  In which case a vet may need to intervene in case antibiotics are needed.  Is there any sign of blood in the urine?  I know it is hard to tell sometimes with a hamster as their urine can be quite orange anyway.

Another thing that it could be is diabetes.  Excessive drinking and urinating is common in these cases.  It might be a good idea to check for this assuming there are no other symptoms.  Your vet might allow you to pick up a 'diastix' from them without the need for a consultation, or you might be able to get these in the chemist/pet shop.  You put your hamster in a clean plastic container and wait for him to pee, then test the urine.  If the diastix shows a high level of glucose then you are pretty safe to assume it is diabetes.  In this case, the best thing is to try and change the diet.  Some hamsters can adjust and are OK.  Make sure there are no sugary treats - this includes anything that honey has been added to.  Also only feed a dry mix that does not have dried fruit in it and don't feed any fresh fruits.  You can make up a good mix of seeds:  linseed, pumpkin seed, sesame seed and sunflower seed.  These provide essential fatty acids and help regulate the sugar level.  If you put a teaspoonful of this in the cage daily.

I hope this helps you identify what is wrong.  If there are any real changes in his behaviour as well as excessive drinking and urinating it would be a good idea to get a vet to check him out in case he needs any medication.

Good luck with this.

Regards