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In general, hamsters are very healthy animals. However, they can develop diarrhea due to several reasons, such as eating too many vegetables. If you notice signs of diarrhea in your hamster (soft, watery, light-colored feces), start treatment for the diarrhea. Temporarily remove fresh vegetables from their diet and ensure they’re drinking adequate water to stay hydrated. Check with your vet about feeding them raspberry bush leaves or arrowroot to help treat symptoms, then reintroduce veggies as the diarrhea subsides. Changing your hamster's diet and making its cage clean and comfortable will help resolve your hamster’s diarrhea.
What causes diarrhea in hamsters?
The biggest cause of diarrhea in hamsters is stress. This can include high temperatures or humidity, an overcrowded cage, malnutrition or dietary changes, or shipping between pet stores. Sometimes, diseases like endoparasitism or a protozoal infection are to blame.
Steps
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Stop feeding your hamster fresh vegetables. In small quantities, fresh vegetables are part of a healthy, balanced hamster diet . They are very nutritious and have extra moisture that keeps hamsters well hydrated. Eating too many vegetables, though, can cause diarrhea because of too much moisture. To help stop your hamster's diarrhea, take fresh vegetables out of its diet. Feed your hamster only dry food (hamster pellets). [1] X Research source
- Hamster pellets are very nutritious, so you don’t have to worry about your hamster not getting enough nutrients when it eats only dry food.
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Give your hamster fresh water. Like people, hamsters become dehydrated if they have diarrhea. Make sure your hamster has plenty of fresh, cool water to drink so it can rehydrate itself. [2] X Research source If you notice your hamster isn’t drinking its water, give it water by hand: [3] X Research source
- Fill a small eye dropper with cool water. Holding your hamster, put the eyedropper in the corner of its mouth. Squeeze a few drops of water at a time into your hamster’s mouth.
- Talk with your vet about how often you should give your hamster water by hand.
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Consider feeding your hamster raspberry bush leaves or arrowroot. Raspberry bush leaves and arrowroot can help a hamster recover from diarrhea. Talk with your vet before feeding either of these items to your hamster. Your vet can advise you on how much of these items to give your hamster to treat the diarrhea.
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Reintroduce vegetables after the diarrhea stops. After a day or two without vegetables, your hamster’s diarrhea should stop. Don’t start refeeding vegetables right away, though. To allow your hamster to fully recover, wait one to two weeks before adding vegetables back to the diet.
- When you feed your hamster vegetables, make the portion size equal to a few raisins. Feed the vegetables once a day.
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Watch for improvement. With normal cases of hamster diarrhea, the hamster will look otherwise healthy (no hunching over or loss of appetite) and be completely healthy again after a few days of eating a dry food-only diet. [4] X Research source However, with more severe diarrhea, a hamster will not improve after a day or two. In fact, the diarrhea may get worse and the hamster may look sicker (dull and sunken eyes, ruffled coat, weight loss).
- Severe diarrhea is a symptom of Wet Tail , which causes serious illness in hamsters. If your hamster is not getting better, take it to your vet right away for further treatment.
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Keep your hamster’s cage warm. While you treat your hamster for diarrhea, make sure its cage stays warm (70‒85 degrees Fahrenheit/21‒29 degrees Celsius). [5] X Research source Normal room temperature is around 72 degrees Fahrenheit (22 degrees Celsius), so keep your hamster’s cage in a non-drafty room that’s at room temperature. You could also place a heating pad (available pet stores) under the cage using these suggestions:
- Place the heating pad under a small portion of the cage so your hamster can move away from the heat when it wants to.
- After the heating pad has been on for a while, touch the bedding to see if it is warming up.
- Do not use a human heating pad, since these pads automatically shut off and can leave your hamster feeling cold.
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Clean your hamster’s cage. This is important if your hamster has severe diarrhea from Wet Tail. A dirty cage can have a buildup of bacteria or other harmful organisms. [6] X Research source Cleaning the cage will remove disease-causing organisms. Below are cleaning suggestions: [7] X Research source
- Each day, clean the food bowl and water bottle with hot soap and water. Refill the food and water.
- Change out the bedding weekly. Leave a small section of old bedding in the cage so your hamster recognizes its scent on the bedding.
- Once a week, remove everything from the cage. Clean and disinfect the cage and plastic toys.
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Remove uneaten food. Each day, check your hamster’s cage for uneaten food. Remove and discard this food. If you leave the food in the cage, it could spoil and become an easy place for bacteria and mold to grow. [8] X Research source Bacteria and mold could make your hamster very sick.
Common Questions: Hamster Diarrhea
Should you be worried if your hamster has diarrhea?
If diarrhea is your hamster’s only symptom, then it’s probably due to its diet and your hamster will recover in just a few days after adjusting their food and cleaning their cage. If your hamster shows other symptoms of illness and you haven’t made any changes to their diet, they may be ill and need veterinary assistance. [13] X Research source
What antibiotics are used for hamster diarrhea?
If the diarrhea is caused by bacteria, common antibiotic treatments include doxycycline, enrofloxacin, and trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole. These drugs are typically administered twice a day for 5–7 days. These are often accompanied by electrolyte solutions to keep your hamster hydrated. [14] X Research source
How is hamster diarrhea different from wet tail?
Wet tail is an illness where diarrhea is the main symptom (hence the name “wet tail”). Other symptoms of wet tail include lethargy, hunched posture, and/or a lack of appetite. If you notice these symptoms, take your hamster to the vet ASAP for treatment as the condition can be fatal. [15] X Research source
Tips
- Hamsters are prey animals in the wild, so they are very good at hiding illness. [9] X Research source You may not notice right away if your hamster has diarrhea.Thanks
- Diarrhea due to Wet Tail requires additional treatment, including antibiotics and feeding by hand. [10] X Research sourceThanks
- Because a hamster’s rear end becomes wet and messy with diarrhea, hamster owners may automatically assume their hamster has Wet Tail. However, not all hamsters with diarrhea have Wet Tail.Thanks
Warnings
- The dehydration due to Wet Tail’s diarrhea can be fatal after just a few days. [11] X Research sourceThanks
- Other than dehydration, diarrhea can have bad consequences, such as sores around the rear end, re-ingestion of bacteria (hamsters eat their own poop), and anemia (not enough red blood cells). [12] X Research sourceThanks
References
- ↑ https://www.caringpets.org/how-to-take-care-of-a-hamster/illnesses/diarrhea/
- ↑ https://www.yourpethamster.com/care/health-problems#diarrhea
- ↑ https://www.caringpets.org/how-to-take-care-of-a-hamster/illnesses/diarrhea/
- ↑ https://www.caringpets.org/how-to-take-care-of-a-hamster/illnesses/diarrhea/
- ↑ https://www.caringpets.org/how-to-take-care-of-a-hamster/illnesses/diarrhea/
- ↑ https://www.caringpets.org/how-to-take-care-of-a-hamster/illnesses/diarrhea/
- ↑ https://www.pets4homes.co.uk/pet-advice/caring-for-your-pet-hamster.html
- ↑ https://www.netvet.co.uk/hamsters/diarrhoea.htm
- ↑ https://www.netvet.co.uk/hamsters/diarrhoea.htm
- ↑ https://www.merckvetmanual.com/mvm/exotic_and_laboratory_animals/rodents/hamsters.html
- ↑ https://www.caringpets.org/how-to-take-care-of-a-hamster/illnesses/wet-tail-disease/
- ↑ https://www.netvet.co.uk/hamsters/diarrhoea.htm
- ↑ https://www.pbspettravel.co.uk/blog/diarrhoea-in-hamsters-and-how-to-treat-it/
- ↑ https://www.merckvetmanual.com/exotic-and-laboratory-animals/rodents/hamsters
- ↑ https://www.pbspettravel.co.uk/blog/diarrhoea-in-hamsters-and-how-to-treat-it/
About This Article
To treat diarrhea in hamsters, try temporarily eliminating fresh vegetables from your hamster's diet since too many vegetables can cause diarrhea. Also, make sure your hamster has access to fresh, clean water so it doesn't become dehydrated. After a day or two of eating just dry food, your hamster should improve. If it doesn't, take it to see a vet since it could be suffering from something more serious. For more advice from our Veterinary co-author, like how to keep your hamster comfortable while it has diarrhea, scroll down!
Reader Success Stories
- "Thank you so much! This information really helped me because my hamster, Beanz, had this extremely mushy/liquid poop and after following these steps, he is alright now!" ..." more
