Piggies dont seem to drink water

[AbiS]

I have to admit that I'm not overly concerned about this at the moment but just wanted to ask your opinion in case it is something that should worry me.

I never see Toby and Barney drink and the water levels don't drop in the bottle or the bowl. I know that they do know how to use the bottle as I have seen them do it when they were very young but I haven't any evidence of this over the last few weeks.

Following a thread someone started (sorry cant remember who it was) debating bottles and bowls and which would be more natural, I added a weeny little bowl to their hutch (I think its probably a food bowl for a tiny hamster) but totally adequate for water as they still have the bottle as well. When I first put it in the run they ran up to it and both had a drink - I now think this must have been due to curiosity.

The get a bowl of fresh veg/fruit in the morning that they keep going back through during the day - contains cucumber and celery amongst other stuff, and they get salad leaves at bedtime so they are getting water in that way. On my days off (3-4 a week as I work 12 hour shifts) they will have a good 8-10 hours of grass munching. Will this be enough (of water, not grass)? Is there anything else I can do to encourage them? I have bladder stones at the back of my mind as I think it has been mentioned that these can be caused by low fluid intake.

 

[Stewybus]

My piggies don't drink as much in summer as they do in winter. They get veggies twice a day all year round but in the summer they also get fresh grass 2 or 3 times a day plus most days have 45 to 60 minutes on the lawn. They also get fresh parsley & dandelion leaves. I think they must be getting water in the food they eat.

 

[AbiS]

So really I should see a difference in the winter when they aren't able to go on the lawn any more. I will definitely be able to see then as they wont be able to use the bowl as I obviously can't protect that from the cold so shall be able to monitor the bottle level.

 

[doglovinpiggylover]

My two never drink, never have x

 

[Wiebke]

As both your boys know how to drink, I would not worry; a lot depends on how much veg and and fresh grass you feed. Some piggies also drink more than others. A few don't drink at all.

Please still keep the water in your bottles refreshed.

 

[MerryPip]

It's easy to get paranoid about water intake isn't it? Some of my piggies drink heaps (not so much it's worrying) but others hardly anything. They all like their watery veggies like cucumber though! As long as everyone's happy and healthy, knows how to work the water bottle and getting their veg, I don't think you have anything to worry about!

 

[hayleyface]

I'm sure it's absolutely nothing to worry about - by the sounds of it they are getting more than enough water from what you're feeding. My girls used to go through about a quarter to a half bottle when they were young each day, but now they will go days without the water level going down at all, it's only on occasion where I've been a mad slave and forgotten their morning veggies in the rush to work that they will touch the water bottle, but even then it won't go down by much.