Is it possible to bathe hamsters and how to do it right?

People often give birth to pets to brighten up their loneliness or to diversify everyday life. The favorites can be different, so you need to know everything about caring for them. If a hamster lives at home, then it is worth figuring out how to feed him, where to keep it and what hygiene procedures to carry out.

When buying a hamster for yourself or a child, you should get maximum information about this animal before it appears in the house. The first thing that is important to know is the breeds that are most suitable for home keeping, how they look, and what is special. Then a habitat is selected for the future pet, a place for rest, active pastime and food zone is thought out.

In order for the animal to be in comfortable conditions for itself, you need to know about its sleep and wakefulness mode. The most significant aspect is considered to be animal hygiene, since hamsters are undesirable to be bathed. In the case of contamination of fur, paws or faces, you need to know how to properly clean your pet.

Among the unfavorable factors, in view of which it is not necessary to carry out standard water procedures, it is possible to name those described below.

• Stress from being in the water. Hamsters do not like water and will in every way resist water procedures, which is why the animal will experience severe stress, which can cause a heart attack. In agony, the pet may bite the owner to escape from the water trap, and in case of falling into the water by chance, the hamster cannot do anything and choke.
• Hypothermia, which occurs due to wet hair. From this pet can catch a cold. The result - pneumonia.
• Flushing the special fatty layer from the skin of the animal, which protects it from diseases. If a hamster buy with shampoo, immunity will become significantly weaker.
• When water gets into the ear of a pet, it will be otitis because it is extremely difficult to wipe out the ears.
• If you wet the wool, then it is quite difficult to dry, and when wet, the chances of getting sick increase many times.
• Injuries while taking water treatments. A worried hamster can break out of his hands and hit the shell or hard table and be injured, which will damage his health.

Hamsters in nature live in the steppe, so they are extremely rare with water, which means that they are not used to contact with it. If there is a strong desire to independently monitor the pet's hygiene, it is necessary to gradually acquaint it with water, showing that it is harmless, and nothing bad will happen to the animal. No need to try to bathe the animal at once in a large amount of water, as it can get scared, wriggle out of hand and drown.

Hamsters are considered clean animals that take care of their fur coat up to five times a day, so there is no special need to bathe them. If it is correct to keep a pet and in time to change his litter, then the rodent will not be able to get dirty.

If an unpleasant smell emanates from the animal, and parasites begin to appear in the fur, then the intervention will be justified. Water for bath procedures should be warm, but not hot. From cool water increases the risk of disease, from hot - a heart attack can happen. The optimal framework is the temperature of 30-35 degrees Celsius.

To make the process of taking water procedures easy, you need to organize it correctly. The main attribute is the broom, which must be small in size so that the animal is not too afraid to be in it. The amount of water should be minimal. You need to wash the animal with specialized hamster shampoo, but if you wish, you can use bathing products for cats or dogs.

It is necessary to wash the animal with your hands or use a very soft washcloth so as not to damage the pet's skin.. If you use a kitchen sponge, you can injure the skin, which will lead to the development of allergies or dermatitis. For the convenience of bath procedures it is worth having a small bucket with you in which there will be bathing water.

Washing a hamster at home is not too difficult, if you have a clear idea of ​​this procedure. Due to the fact that rodents do not like water, it is not enough just to redeem them - you need to properly organize a workplace for this and skillfully treat your pet. Knowledge of the pet's breed, its character will help the hamster to properly set up and bathe him without any problems.

Depending on the degree of contamination of the animal, there are several options for its purification: bathing, using wet wipes or sponges. The first option is needed for serious cases, the second - to help in the pet's hygienic procedures. If you bathe a hamster only in case of real need and correctly approach this procedure, the animal will receive the necessary help and will not suffer in any way. The use of napkins and sponges will minimize stress and maintain the cleanliness and health of the pet.

Keep a hamster at home is not difficult, because the main thing - in time to feed him and clean up after him. In the event of any violations of sanitation, the animal may appear parasites on the fur or an unpleasant smell from the animal itself. If this happens, then you must immediately take action: bathe the hamster. The sequence of actions will look as described below.

1. Preparation of the place for swimming. This should be a smooth and non-slippery surface on which the bathing unit is installed.
2. Heating water to the desired temperature. The animal should be comfortable during the procedure.
3. You should have a hamster shampoo, a soft towel or a cloth for wiping.
4. The pet is placed on a plate and gently held with one hand, the other at this time gradually pours the harvested water on the animal.
5. During bathing it is impossible to get a rodent on the head, in the ears, since this is fraught with serious consequences with its health. The procedure is carried out only with the help of hands, without using any hard sponges or rags, in order not to harm the pet.
6. During the entire bathing procedure, it is important to create an animal-friendly environment. To minimize the stress of the procedure, you need to talk to the hamster, calm down, communicating calmly and tenderly. In no case can not allow harsh or loud sounds, which can even more frighten the animal.
7. Starting to wash a pet, it is worth checking that all windows are closed and to minimize the risk of drafts, which are very destructive for such small animals.
8. Due to the use of a special shampoo, it is necessary to wash it off well so that there is no residue on the skin and coat that will cause burning and itching in the animal.
9. Once the hamster is completely washed, you need to dry it with a towel or napkin.If necessary, you can use a hair dryer, but you need to keep it at a safe distance from the animal.

In the event that the hamster's hygiene procedures were not crowned with success, he is unable to clean himself, it is worth intervening and helping him. The most convenient means for this would be cotton pads, which are simply moistened with water and gently affect the contaminated place, eliminating it. It is important to ensure that the water was not cold or too hot - an indicator of 40 degrees is considered the most desirable. If there was no cotton pad or sponge on hand, then you can use wet wipes and clean the animal with them.

You should not take any napkins that are at home, as some of them may contain hazardous chemicals that will harm the pet. It is best to use products for children.

Despite the fact that, as such, there is no bathing procedure, after wiping it is also important to dry the pet, without leaving its fur moist. The choice of wet rubbing would be more acceptable for the hamster, since it does not cause him significant discomfort and stress, and therefore does not harm. In addition, in this case, to minimize the opportunity for the animal to get water in the ears, which is also a definite plus.

Regardless of exactly how the bath procedures were carried out, you should pay special attention to drying your pet. To make the process calm, and it was possible to wipe the wool with high quality, it is important to calm the animal, returning it to a calm state. The most effective way is simple communication with the pet. At the sound of the host's voice, the animal automatically calms down. The main thing - to speak gently and gently, soothing pet.

The safest option for drying a hamster is to wrap it in a soft towel or napkin, which quickly absorbs moisture and poses no threat to the integrity of the pet's skin. If you have time, then it is best to wrap up the hamster after swimming and keep it in this state until the hair is completely dry.

In the event of a shortage of time, you can try to use a hairdryer, after setting it to the weakest mode and carefully introducing the pet to a household appliance. If you turn on the device abruptly, and even at full power, the hamster will simply be frightened and run away, and may still get burns on the skin from contact with too hot air.

The use of sand for bathing hamsters is considered the most favorable option for getting rid of any pet pollution, without causing him physical or psychological harm in the form of stress from meeting with water. To hold such an event, you need to buy in the pet store sand, which is most often used for chinchillas, as well as a swimsuit, in which the hamster will arrange bathing procedures.

It is important to monitor the condition of the sand, its purity and the size of the grains. It is recommended to sift the contents of the broom before letting the hamster into it. The container should not be permanently in the cage, otherwise the pet will use it for other purposes, for example, in the form of a toilet or storeroom for supplies. Any hygiene procedures should be controlled and supervised. If the animal fled into the bathing room and left it, you need to immediately remove the tank with sand and, if necessary, throw it away, replacing it with a new one during the next swim.

With all its safety, even this procedure can cause some harm to the animal, especially if it is carried out too often.During active movement in the sand, a hamster can inhale small grains of sand, which in large quantities can lead to the development of diseases. The best would be a two-time bathing per week lasting no more than half an hour. In order for the hamster to enjoy the process, it is important to pour sand with a layer thickness of at least 4-5 cm so that the animal has the opportunity to dig in it.

If you have a question about choosing the best option for swimming, then you should consider a number of advantages of sand baths:

• no need for drying wool after bathing;
• There is no risk of temperature drop and hypothermia, which means that the pet will not get sick;
• the procedure of such bathing has a positive effect on hamsters, bringing them joy, while water causes stress;
• sand baths have not only a hygienic effect, but also help the pet to keep in shape due to its active activities during bathing.

The choice of one or another variant of cleansing hamsters depends on the specific situation; therefore, before making a decision, it is worth assessing the situation and trying the softest options.

Learn more about whether you can bathe a hamster and how to do it correctly, you will learn from the following video.