Embarrassed!Need You Again!

[Wheekie]

I'm so sorry to bother you again!I know I ask you lots of questions, but,trust me, I am holding back! In reality, I could ask you something else everyday! Anyway, here's my question this time! A couple years ago, when I was just starting out with piggies, wanting to be a good piggie owner, I read every book I could get my hands on. Now I know a lot of that stuff is garbage, but some of it stayed stuck in my mind! The books said never feed your piggie wet lettuce-it's bad for them.(I remember wondering 'why?' It's not like they can't have water or anything!)Now, I read a post here about someone giving their piggie wet lettuce when they travel to keep them hydrated.So which is right; is wet lettuce OK or not?(I'm not talking about sopping wet-just wet a little bit! And I'm not talking about iceberg lettuce-I know that's a no-no...I mean other lettuces.)

[pigsforlife]

I tend to wash and dry with paper towels all of the girls foods. If you leave their food too wet it could cause diarrhea.

The situation is different when travelling however. When travelling many people (including myself) do not give their pigs a water bottle as it gets too messy. Of course pigs need water, and so a good way around this is by feeding them damp vegetables.

[Maisiepaisie]

I always give my pigs wet veg as I wash it all in a sieve. I thought it was better wet; now I'm confused. Why would it cause diarrhoea?

[jabberwock]

I didn't think that I'd ever read on here that leaving leafy veggies wet can cause diaorrhea (as distinct from veggies with a high water content). There are plenty of threads where people have been advised to give their piggies wet veggies if the pigs seem not to be drinking much from a water bottle.

[QuackXP]

Glad you asked that question I just shake off the excess watar from my vegies. I'll start drying it more now. I would have never though of that.

[daftscotslass]

Giving the veggies (not just lettuce) wet won't give them diarrhoea, it's only if the vegetables themselves have a high water content. If you feed your vegetables without drying them I'm sure it could make them pee more but not upset their stomachs.

[Ly&Pigs]

It's fine to give wet lettuces. If you give veggies such as iceburg (should never give iceburg in the first place, little nutritional value/high water content), too much cucumber and other high water content veggies then the pig could develop diarrhea.

Most of what is printed in books isn't correct. I'd avoid what you read in the book(s) and follow the diet guidelines on this site and on guinealynx.

[ctinaw]

I don't see how extra water would give any living thing diarrhea. Diarrhea is not caused by being over-hydrated. You/your pigs would urinate more often - but would not get diarrhea from drinking excess water - on veggies or off. In fact when mammals have diarrhea - hydration is extremely important because of the loss of water in the loose stools. The book sounds a bit confused to me! Diarrhea is caused either by something bad ingested or a virus - not by excess water.