Hamster Water Intake Calculator
How Much Water Does A Hamster Drink?
Hamsters drink an average of 8.5 mL of water per 100 g in body weight per day. This average does vary significantly depending on species and gender. Male golden hamsters have been recorded consuming 4.5 mL with females consuming 13.6 mL. There is a wide range.
However, because the calculations are per 100g of body weight, the formula works for large hamster breeds as well as dwarf hamsters like the Roborovski.
The point of the calculator is to educate hamster owners in order to prevent dehydration in their hamsters and emphasize the need for clean water being available all day and night.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is my hamster drinking too much water?
The Hamster water intake calculator should be used to indicate the approximate average water intake for hamsters per day. This will not be an exact number but can be used as a guideline. If you have any medical concerns about your pet, please seek professional veterinarian advice and care.
Generally speaking, hamsters should consume their average water intake. Males typically drink less than females. Therefore, males may drink a bit less than the calculated average and females may drink more. For instance, in one study males consumed 5 mL water/100 g BW/day, while females consumed 14 mL water/100 g BW/day. Those females were drinking almost three times as much water as the males.
So, this tool provides an average guideline to help you make sure they get plenty of water. Dehydration is something we don’t want happening to our little hammies. If you’re concerned they are drinking too much, check with a vet about your particular situation.
Why should I believe the calculator?
We use the average of several scientific studies that included hamster water intake data. These studies include Fitts and St. Dennis, 1981, and Thompson, 1971. The Nutrient Requirements of Laboratory Animals: Fourth Revised Edition, 1995 confirms the intake formula, also noting that male hamsters’ water intake is lower than that of female hamsters on average.
Our calculator uses an average that is not gender or species specific.
How can I calculate how much my hamster is drinking?
To calculate how much your hamster is drinking, you need a water bottle that has many measurement markings on it. Fill the bottle to a specific line and record on a sheet of paper what that measurement is. 24 hours later record the measurement of the waterline. subtract yesterday’s measurement from today’s measurement to get the difference.
Repeat this for a few days.
When you have enough data, find the average per day. That is, add all the daily differences together. Then divide that total number by the number of days during your measurement period. This will give you the average water intake per day.