Monday, August 6, 2007

Is It OK to Bathe A Hamster?

Well...no, it's really not ok to bathe a hamster! Even though this ham got the full spa treatment, it's highly discouraged. I didn't know this at the time, but now I do and Hyacinth will never ever be bathed again...no matter how stinkin' nasty and greasy she looks!

Hamsters are really good at cleaning themselves and should only be bathed if they have something toxic on them that could be ingested. When you bathe a ham, you are removing some of the essential oils that are needed to keep the little thing's fur and skin healthy. Often, hamsters die from bathing because their body temperature has been lowered and they catch a chill. I wrapped Hyacinth in a little crocheted dishrag...just like you do a newborn...awwww how cute!

We did all the wrong things when we gave Hyacinth her spa experience! Next time I'll get some chinchilla sand for her to roll around in...I've read it's much better and far less likely to kill her!

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2 comments:

Sonya said...

I cannot even believe you! Sheesh! Am I gonna have to call stinkin' animal control?!!!!

Anonymous said...

She does look a tad drowned. Actually, I had no idea it was like that. We had gerbils. I never washed them but then they were to fast to catch most of the time and they had a huge cage. :)

Thanks.