Conditions Roy isn't drinking water!

[TKBB62]

Hi there. For the last month my pig Roy has not been drinking water. I bought him a glass bottle because the plastic one seemed to get slimy inside. I thoroughly cleaned his bottle and tube and have tried both bottled water and tap water. The only way I can get him to drink water is with a dropper. I have been giving him a big piece of cucumber to eat each day and rinsing his veggies with lots of water and give them to him as wet as possible so he gets water that way. Has anyone else had this problem? He seems fine other than this but I am scared for him. I haven't got the money for a vet and was desperately looking for answers here. Any suggestions? Thank you in advance for any help/hints you all may have for me.

 

[LucidCavies]

Many people have had this problem actually, which is why it is great to search your question before you ask it. Here are a few other people with similar threads and some great answers:
https://www.guineapigcages.com/forum/threads/99390-No-water-for-12-hours!

https://www.guineapigcages.com/forum/threads/94544-Guinea-pig-not-drinking

https://www.guineapigcages.com/forum/threads/93235-New-piggies-not-drinking

https://www.guineapigcages.com/forum/threads/88598-My-guinea-pig-isn-t-drinking

If these threads didn't help you at all, then I suggest private messaging bpatters. She's very knowledgeable about this stuff and I'm sure she would help you out.

Edited by bpatters: @cheyenneee, please don't recommend that people PM the admins/mods about questions of general interest. It means that others will miss the answers to the questions, and frankly, we don't have the time to carry on private correspondences on guinea pig care. We'll happily answer questions that may not be appropriate to the general forum, but water bottles don't fall in that category. Thanks.

 

[Princess_Piggie]

What type of spout does your bottle have?
Is Roy a single pig?
How large a portion of vegetables do you feed him per day?

 

[bpatters]

Are you sure the bottle is working correctly?

 

[TKBB62]

He's a single piggy. I give him probably a large amount of veggies a day. He gets them twice a day. 2 to 3 red, green or romaine lettuce leaves. About 1/3 cup Cilantro. A slice of bell pepper and a couple slices of cucumber. And once a day 3 to 4 baby carrots. In addition to his hay and pellets which I make sure are always kept full.
His water bottle is working right. I tap the end with my finger to make sure water is coming out. He used to drink a lot but doesn't seem to anymore. I'm worried becaus4 we live in Arizona and it is very very hot here.

 

[TKBB62]

This is his water bottle. I exchanged it 2 months ago because the plastic one he had was getting algae in it.

 

[bpatters]

He's probably getting enough water from his veggies, but you need a menu change. Carrots are too high in sugar to feed that many -- a small chunk once a day is fine. Be careful of the cucumber - it's good for getting water into them, but can cause loose stools and/or gas, both of which are something to worry about.

If he's over six months old, drop the romaine and the cilantro and stick with the red and green leaf lettuces. Some pigs have problems with urinary calcium when fed romaine and/or cilantro. Others don't, and we don't know why, but I don't think it's worth the risk when so many acceptable substitutes are available.

Make that a pretty big slice of bell pepper -- it's a excellent source of vitamin C. For a small pepper, I do 1/4 to 1/3 pepper per pig per day.

 

[TKBB62]

@bpatters Thank you so much for your advice! I didn't realize that about the carrots or the romaine and Cilantro. I do also change things up by giving him kale or endive once or twice a week. Are those ok? I also give him three sprigs of Parsley once in awhile. I will make his slice of pepper bigger. Thank you again!

 

[TKBB62]

@bpatters I am so sorry that I posted in the wrong place! I was using my phone and not computer and it was really late. If you need to delete my thread please do. Again I am sorry ��

 

[bpatters]

Endive is ok to feed more frequently, kale should only be given very sparingly -- way too high in calcium and oxalic acid. Parsley is also very high in calcium -- it's used to supplement calcium to young pups who are in cages with older pigs who can't take as much calcium.

I have a stone pig, so I don't feed ANY romaine, cilantro, parsley, kale, spinach, etc. It's just not worth it, especially since they never turn their noses up at any food I give them, so I don't feel like I'm depriving them.

 

[TKBB62]

Wow! I'm learning a lot that I never knew! I guess I didn't prepare as well as I thought I did on guinea pigs diet. When I got Roy his previous owner feed him 3 leaves of romaine 3-4 baby carrots and parsley twice a day. I just kept with that diet until I started reading more on things they could eat. I have had him 2 years... Guess I have a lot more to learn. Thanks again.

 

[bpatters]

See https://www.guineapigcages.com/foru...vy-Nutrition-Charts-amp-Poisonous-Plants-List for what you can and can't feed, and how often. It needs to be updated, but all in all, is pretty good.