Just making sure guinea pig is fine

[sx300]

So in the previous thread, long story short, guinea pig is fine with a very small fracture or just sprained her leg and is still limping. Now, the vet gave us Meloxicam (Meloxicam 1.5mg/ml ) per ml, specficially 3 syringes for 3 days, (which she happily accepted surprsingly)which is fine but he said she is a little dehydrated which concerns me.

Recently, we switched her water bottle for a cleaner one but isnt drinking that much from it. We are, though, giving her lots of fruits and veggies (Celery, cucumber, tomatoes, etc) along with hay, green grass and pellets-enough for a queen. I also recently changed her cage and there were plenty of places where it was damp

I'd like to think she isnt drinking from her bottle because she had a lot of water from her fruits and veggies (which, reading online seems to be the case) but would like to get a second opinion on this.


Thanks!

 

[DM030819]

@sx300 That sounds very likely. If you need to increase her water intake you can give her water by syringe or make her veggies wet when you feed them. I usually give mine a good rinse before feeding them,,and just pop them in the cage when they're still wet.

You could also try her with a bowl of water or change the bottle.

 

[Wiebke]

So in the previous thread, long story short, guinea pig is fine with a very small fracture or just sprained her leg and is still limping. Now, the vet gave us Meloxicam (Meloxicam 1.5mg/ml ) per ml, specficially 3 syringes for 3 days, (which she happily accepted surprsingly)which is fine but he said she is a little dehydrated which concerns me.

Recently, we switched her water bottle for a cleaner one but isnt drinking that much from it. We are, though, giving her lots of fruits and veggies (Celery, cucumber, tomatoes, etc) along with hay, green grass and pellets-enough for a queen. I also recently changed her cage and there were plenty of places where it was damp

I'd like to think she isnt drinking from her bottle because she had a lot of water from her fruits and veggies (which, reading online seems to be the case) but would like to get a second opinion on this.


Thanks!

Hi! The water intake in guinea pigs can differ enormously from not drinking at all to drinking nearly a bottle in a day.

Please do NOT overfeed watery veg because that can cause fermentation on the gut and digestive problems (diarrhoea, bloat, shortened life span). Your piggies will drink when they are thirsty and as much as they need. Piggies with less water intake make more concentrated urine, but they are not any more prone to kidney problems than big drinkers. You need to see a vet for kidney problems or diabetes if there is a sudden increased and sustained water intake that is not connected to a change in weather.

It is also important to remember that guinea pigs do not regulate their body temperature by sweating like humans but by increasing the blood flow in their ears. That means that their need to of extra water is not as large as that of humans. What they appreciate is having access to cool to fresh water at all times.
Dry air from air conditioning or a radiator is more likely to cause an increase in drinking than heat.
all-about-drinking-and-bottles.143847/
The danger of overfeeding watery veg in hot weather!
Long Term Balanced General And Special Needs Guinea Pig Diets
Guinea Pig Facts - A Short Overview