Just using bath sand for hamsters won't lead to their death, but you need to pay attention to the proper way of using the bath sand and the hamsters' behavior habits.
Hamsters can't be bathed with water because they are naturally afraid of water. After being washed with water, their fur is not easy to dry, which can easily cause a cold. In severe cases, it may even lead to death. Therefore, the correct way to bathe them is to use bath sand specifically designed for hamsters. The main component of the bath sand is natural silica sand that has been sterilized at high temperatures. It can effectively help hamsters remove bacteria on their bodies and keep their fur dry, thus preventing the occurrence of skin diseases.
When using the bath sand, you should prepare a dedicated bathroom and spread about 2 to 3 centimeters thick of bath sand, then just let the hamsters enter it on their own. Most hamsters will naturally roll around in the bath sand to clean themselves. To make it convenient for hamsters to take a bath at any time, some owners choose to put the bath sand directly into the hamsters' cage. However, this will increase the consumption of the bath sand because hamsters may urinate or defecate in it.
In addition, if hamsters sleep on the bath sand, they may accidentally ingest it, which can cause harm to their bodies. If a hamster prefers to sleep on the bath sand instead of in its nest, you can swap the positions of the bath sand container and the nest, or place the bath sand container outside the hamster cage and let the hamster go in to clean itself at regular times every day.