my boys wont drink water

[kaarhinoarlo]

hi! I'm new to this forum but i love reading this every now and then.

so, i got my boys a few days ago, they are 8 weeks old and still very very shy. they are on timothy hay, oxbow young guinea pig pellets and lots of fresh veggies. they have 2 water bottles in their cage for 3 boys. i’ve noticed that they have not drank any water since bringing them home. this is day 4 now. they get a bowl full of veggies at night and sometimes a small amount in the morning.

could they be getting their water intake from the veggies or is something wrong?

thanks guys!

 

[weepweeps]

My two boys are the same. It is a worry but they wee lots so must be getting their fluid from their veg. Hope this puts your mind at rest. If they appear unwell or are not weeing then take them to the vets.

 

[*kate*]

None of mine have ever drunk water!

 

[Piggies&buns]

They will drink what they need and will get water from their veg. Dont worry. Ensure their cage is covered so they feel secure and safe to come out of hiding.

Have I read it correctly that you have got three boars together? If so, that is going to be your bigger concern. Boars need to be kept in pairs only as boar trios almost always fail resulting in fights and fall outs. They simply find it very hard to function as a trio. If you are going to continue to keep them together, then do be aware that they will need three of every item and a cage measuring at least three square metres in space. Space alone is unlikely to be enough though - character compatibility is the key factor which is not something you can control. .You will also need a plan b as once they hit their teens at 16 weeks is when the problems are likely to start showing. You might be one of the rare lucky ones who can have a functioning trio but sadly most of the vast majority of the trios we come across on here fail.

Adding More Guinea Pigs Or Merging Pairs – What Works And What Not?
A Comprehensive Guide to Guinea Pig Boars
Boars: Teenage, Bullying, Fighting, Fall-outs And What Next?

 

[kaarhinoarlo]

They will drink what they need and will get water from their veg. Dont worry. Ensure their cage is covered so they feel secure and safe to come out of hiding.

Have I read it correctly that you have got three boars together? If so, that is going to be your bigger concern. Boars need to be kept in pairs only as boar trios almost always fail resulting in fights and fall outs. They simply find it very hard to function as a trio. If you are going to continue to keep them together, then do be aware that they will need three of every item and a cage measuring at least three square metres in space. Space alone is unlikely to be enough though - character compatibility is the key factor which is not something you can control. .You will also need a plan b as once they hit their teens at 16 weeks is when the problems are likely to start showing. You might be one of the rare lucky ones who can have a functioning trio but sadly most of the vast majority of the trios we come across on here fail.

Adding More Guinea Pigs Or Merging Pairs – What Works And What Not?
A Comprehensive Guide to Guinea Pig Boars
Boars: Teenage, Bullying, Fighting, Fall-outs And What Next?

thank you so much for your input. i recently had two males together since they were young and grew up together. they never fought only humped each other over dominance. these 3 little guys seem to be going great so far but if i have any issues i will do my absolute best to make everything okay

 

[Piggies&buns]

Yes two together is fine (provided they have compatibility), your pair had compatibility and that is why there weren’t any fights. The problem comes with three boars - it almost never works - they are usually fine when they are little but hormones hit and it all falls apart. Unfortunately there is nothing you can do to increase their chances of making it together and once problems occur, immediate separation will be required, therell be nothing you can do to make it ok. Just something to be aware of and prepare for.

 

[Eddie & Elvis]

It would be a good idea to keep track of who gets along best out of the three so when the time comes to separate you will have a better idea of which one to split (if all the don't fall out, which, unfortunately, is a possibility)

 

[kaarhinoarlo]

It would be a good idea to keep track of who gets along best out of the three so when the time comes to separate you will have a better idea of which one to split (if all the don't fall out, which, unfortunately, is a possibility)

the two biggest boys get along great. my other piggie is unfortunately a runt so i’m preparing for him to be the one having to be separated, it sucks as they are all brothers but if they fight it needs to happen.

 

[Siikibam]

You shouldn’t wait for them to fight. As mentioned previously, separate before they reach their teens at 4 months. Being a runt won’t necessarily mean he’ll be the one to separate.