New Guinea pig

R

Reggie25

Junior Guinea Pig
Joined
Jan 8, 2026
Messages
5
Reaction score
5
Points
85
Location
Hampshire
Hello Everyone,
I recently rescued a guinea pig called Reggie we have only had him for around two weeks and we don’t know much about his background
Apart from him living in a guinea pig farm, the only information we know is he was fed unlimited amount of muesli mix which I know is terrible to
Give to guinea pigs as it’s high in both sugar and calcium some of the behaviours we notice is constant high pitched squeaking which we know is due to
Unlimited food he was receiving since he’s been with us we have changed his nuggets to the grain free selective, one cup of vegetables and unlimited amount
Of Timothy hay and filtered water. But we have some concerns over his drinking habits as sometimes he can drink up to 300ml a day and sometimes near enough a whole bottle, any advice or should we be concerned, thank you.
 
Reggie25 said:
Hello Everyone,
I recently rescued a guinea pig called Reggie we have only had him for around two weeks and we don’t know much about his background
Apart from him living in a guinea pig farm, the only information we know is he was fed unlimited amount of muesli mix which I know is terrible to
Give to guinea pigs as it’s high in both sugar and calcium some of the behaviours we notice is constant high pitched squeaking which we know is due to
Unlimited food he was receiving since he’s been with us we have changed his nuggets to the grain free selective, one cup of vegetables and unlimited amount
Of Timothy hay and filtered water. But we have some concerns over his drinking habits as sometimes he can drink up to 300ml a day and sometimes near enough a whole bottle, any advice or should we be concerned, thank you.
Click to expand...

Hi

Water intake in piggies can vary enormously from those that do not or hardly ever drink to those that empty a whole large bottle in a day - it's actually all within the healthy limit. Just give Reggie time to settle and to establish his own normal and then take it from there. The good news is that a piggy that is drinking lots is less at risk of develpong stones because his bladder will be flushed well all the time. :)

Once you know which is regular volume then it is sudden changes that are not climate/weather related that indicate a potential problem. Right now with a the cold spell and potentially increased heating/drier indoors air, some piggies will drink more. It also depends on how much fluid you serve in vegetable form.
You may find our drinking guide helpful: All About Drinking, Bottles and Dehydration

PS: You can gradually reduce his pellets to 1 tablespoon a day over the coming month. Pellets are the disposable part of the diet. It may be useful to think of fresh and dried veg, fresh and dried forage, pellets and any treats as a single food group, which replaces the supplementary wild forage in the grass based die wild guinea pigs developed on. Within this group you are actually free to shift. You can for instance feed a small amount of greens and kale once weekly if you reduce your pellet intake.
Just work through it try things out and never hesitate to ask any questions, little or large. There are always quite a number of people who wouldn't dare asking but would like to know the answer, so see it as a public favour. We will answer any questions in a friendly and constructive way. :D

New Owners' Essential Information and Practical Tips Starter Collection
 
Thank you so much for your response and advice I really appreciate it ☺️
I have had two guinea pigs before and they never drank that much water and plus I lost my other baby recently due to stones so I am very worried about things like this. But your message has put me at ease. As I had so many people say to watch it as it could be stones or early kidney issue or diabetes my head is spinning and people saying but when my guniea pig did this he developed stones😩
 
Welcome to the forum and good for you taking Reggie in from a horrible situation.
He’s certainly landed on his paws.
 
Hello and another welcome from me 😊
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top