Guinea pigs and drinking

[Cyberpig]

Sorry I searched around for a similar topic, but couldn't find it. As you may remember my little piglet was not very well a few weeks ago, but thanks to all the information on here 8, he is as fit as a fiddle now (very fit and young looking, regardless of being 6 years of age). We are still over the moon|).

I have a general question. When we got Shui almost 6 years ago, he never drunk any water. He was in the cage with our other older guinea pig, and he (Finn) taught Shui all the tricks he knows now (e.g. waiting on top of the stairs for his food etc.). All my other pigs always seemed to drink water. We always gave hime loads of fresh vegetables, and we also started giving him peppermint or camomille soaked loose tea. Obviously his lack of drinking has not been a problem, as he is still going strong in his old years. However, after our fright with the bloat a few weeks back, I was wondering whether we need to restrict his access to fresh vegetables a bit (I'm not giving him melons and grapes anymore, and I now realised that too much fresh grass isn't good either mallethead).

I could syringe-water him, of course (I did this when he was off his food, and when he had small poos), but it would be a lot of stress and he really doesn't like the water.

Is there anything I should do, or should I should just make sure that he gets plenty of the soaked herbal tea?

 

[Glynis]

Hi i had two boars who never drank a drop of water!
But i was able to give them veggies that i'd washed.......
Have you tried bowl and water bottle?
What about some sugar free cranberry juice watered down a bit, he'd be tugging at the syringe i'm sure
I also used to feed via syringe a fruit smoothie for piggies, i'd cut up fruit and puree it down, make sure no seeds etc.. and syringe or let them lap it up from a plate, you may have to supervise tho as they can end up wearing it LOL
I'm sure somebody else will have some more ideas for you, good luck, give Shui some loves from us all xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

 

[Wiebke]

We do not have any thread about drinking, because it varies so much, from "bottle babies" to complete abstinence.

Some piggies just do not like to drink (I have had one of them as well and know how frustrating this can be!); I ended up soaking Minx' veg as well.

In view of bloat, I would perhaps try and source some fennel tea as well, as that is given to colicky babies on the continent and not harmful to guinea pigs. Try to lay off cabbages and damp grass, as those can cause bloat.

Alternatively, if you can get Shui to drink from a syringe every day, that would be great; because then you could reduce his veg intake a bit. Ideally, a guinea pigs should have about 1 cupful/50g of mixed fresh veg a day.

 

[Laura-CCC4]

Some pigs don't seem to drink much at all, whereas others drink enough for two pigs - each pig seems to differ on how much water they are inclined to drink. Leaving the veggies wet after washing them can help a little.

Re the bloat, there's no reason to restrict his veggies unless he is eating excessive amounts; it is more the type of veggies that needs to be monitored i.e. limit all high-sugar fruit and veg, and no brassicas (cabbage, kale, broccoli, brussels sprouts). I also found reducing the dry food and increasing the hay to be very helpful.

Grass is also fine, no need to restrict this once he is used to it; the issue is not so much too much fresh grass, but too much fresh grass too soon. Limited grazing time is important when the pigs aren't used to grass, but once they've been grazing for a week or two their bodies will be used to it and there shouldn't be a problem extending the grazing time.

 

[Ruth]

My two new ones don't drink hardly anything, yet Elvis could drink 1/2-- 3/4 of a bottle a day.

 

[Cyberpig]

My two new ones don't drink hardly anything, yet Elvis could drink 1/2-- 3/4 of a bottle a day.

I had the same with one of my previous pigs (Chanter). He seemed to have a guinea pig tequila (licking his salt mineral stone and then drinking, licking the stone and then drinking - it was very funny).

Thanks for all the answers, and you put my mind at rest.

Glynis: We tried everything (bowl, a bottle), and of course he jumped into the bowl. He literally behaves with water like a child with spinach. The only time he drunk a lot of water (actually fennel tea) was when he had become dehydrated due to being off his food.

Wiebke I have given him fennel tea as well before (I drink a lot of herbal teas and he is enjoying them a lot.

Laura: We have definitely increased the hay (due to advice on here). He always had lots of fresh hay in his cage, but now I have a bag in each of the rooms he is frequenting (and he eats a lot of it). He has never eaten much dried food, and we have added a lot of Herbal Heaven from Woodlands to his dried food.

At the moment, I have him on a poo and bloat diary, where I feed him something, and then I watch what happens. Yesterday, he had bloat again, because we gave him (probably too much) fresh grass.

It's amazing, he is my oldest pig (although I have done well before, all of them lived to about 4 1/2 to 5 years), so I'm learning new things every day. Thank you.