The guinea pig is a cute little pet and that is why the guinea pig is a famous pet now and also you need to take care of the guinea pig so that they can live a happy and satisfied life with their owners. The guinea pig also suffers from various problems and in order to overcome that you need to make sure about everything regarding the guinea pig. The guinea pig sometimes does not drink water and there can be many reasons behind this fact.
When you get a guinea pig, you noticed for several days, months, or even a year that your guinea pig never seems to drink water. Water bottles remain full but the guinea pig seems healthy and fit. Guinea pigs do not need much water to drink nor do they feel thirsty the whole day.
One of the reasons why guinea pig is not drinking water is that a guinea pig is provided with a fluid-rich diet of vegetables like celery and especially cucumber which is rich in water and doesn’t make them feel thirsty. They get enough fluid from veggies and fruits and make them hydrated all the time and do not require water to drink. If the intake of water-rich veggies and fruits goes up, ultimately the necessity of drinking water goes down.
So in this guide, we will discuss the topic of why isn’t guinea pigs drinking water and what are the various reasons behind this so that the owners can understand the guinea pigs better and also so that owners can give them a better lifestyle.
The guinea pig faces lots of issues and it is very important for the owners of guinea pigs to understand the guinea pig better and the guinea pig needs lots of care.
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Why isn’t my guinea pig drinking water?
The guinea pig is not drinking water and behind this, there can be various reasons and the owners should know the reasons behind this fact so that the owners can look after this problem if needed and give the guinea pig a better lifestyle and some of the reasons behind the fact that the guinea pig is not drinking water are listed as below:-
1. Dental Problems
The guinea pig can suffer from dental problems that is one of the major reasons behind the fact that guinea pig. Due to dental issues, the guinea pig is not able to eat, and also they are not able to drink water too. The dental issues even make the guinea pig lethargic and the guinea pig is in pain so that is the reason they have problems in galloping the water.
Dental problem is one of the major reasons why guinea pig is not drinking water. When guinea pig drinks water from the bottle they need to do the chewing motion so that water can reach their stomach. Major reasons that guinea pigs are suffering from dental problems are whether they are not eating the right diet or their teeth grow too much which can cause problems in their gums.
The guinea pig is not able to drink the water due to dental issues as there can be the formation of ulcers in the mouth or some sort of teeth issue. There can be blood streaks in the saliva of the guinea pig also these things make the guinea pig refuse the drinking of water.
2. Diarrhea
The guinea pig suffers from diarrhea and due to this the guinea pig does not drink water and when there is diarrhea the guinea pig does not have any sort of energy in them and also because of this reason they are not able to drink water.
The guinea pig at this time does not feel like drinking water as they are lethargic, suffering pain and even they are not feeling comfortable in this condition.
The guinea pig is not drinking water in the condition of diarrhea and because of this the guinea pig loses lots of water and they get dehydrated and further this leads to weakness in them because of which the guinea pig may also die, if not treated properly. So in such conditions, the guinea pig should be taken to the vet for their well-being.
3. Too watery vegetables
Some of the vegetables are too watery and because of that reason, the guinea pig has already filled its water needs.
The guinea pig is why they do not drink water when they are eating water that is too watery. So no need to worry in such situations as it is fine and because of this reason the guinea pig does not drink water as their water need is fulfilled due to the high in water content vegetables.
So in such situations do not worry about the guinea pig when they are feeding on vegetables that are high in water content. Learn more about the eating habits here.
Guinea pigs are less likely to drink water whenever they are overfeeding. They drink less amount of water when they are fed watery vegetables like cucumbers, watermelons, and celery. Due to the high content of water in their diet, guinea pigs drink very less water. If you want your guinea pig to drink more water then you have to reduce the number of watery veggies offered to your lovely pet every day and balance their nutritional values with some other healthy diet.
4. No proper access to water
When the water is not easy to access to the guinea pig then also the guinea pig does not drink water because they become habitual of drinking less water as the water is not in direct access to them.
So in such situations make sure that you provide the guinea pig with proper access to water so that they can drink water whenever they feel like it and do not have to become habitual to less or no water drinking for a long time as this is not a healthy practice. To provide the guinea pig with lots of water and also the water should be in such a place where the water can be easily accessed.
A guinea pig’s water intake changes throughout its life span. As a guinea pig grows older, it stops drinking water completely. Yet, it remains fit and healthy. This means their water consumption is not the same all over their life period. When you feed more water then you have to reduce the number of veggies and fruits offered to the pig because lots of water consumption can create many serious health issues.
5. Discomfort in their Environment
The guinea pig whenever enters into the new environment it is a common scenario where you will notice that the guinea pig will stop eating or drinking water. The reason is that the guinea pig whenever is introduced to the new environment they feel nervous and because of this nervousness, the guinea pig is not able to drink water as they are uncomfortable in their new environment.
Pain is something that will make anyone stop eating or drinking water. There might be a possibility for a guinea pig not drinking water is that they are suffering from pain or maybe not being comfortable in their cage due to many reasons. Some of the reasons are mentioned below.
- If your guinea pig is recovering from any kind of surgery, maybe it is suffering from pain that makes them anxious and not drinking water.
- If the guinea pig got injuries while playing then it may be one of the reasons behind their pain which makes them uncomfortable.
- Maybe it is suffering from any kind of skin infection due to scratching and itching again and again.
Due to this uneasiness and uncomfortable new environment, the guinea pig does not drink water which is a common situation and you do not worry about this thing. The guinea pig will naturally react in such a way when they are introduced to a new environment so do not worry if they do not eat food or drink water as they will be back to their normal routine when they will get used to their new environment.
6. Sickness or illness
When the guinea pig or any living being is suffering from some kind of illness or sickness then the guinea pig will refuse to eat or drink and this is something very common that you will notice in any living being.
This is fine as the guinea pig will start drinking water after they will be healthy again after giving them medical help but if the problem still persists so you need the help of the vet so that the guinea pig starts to drink water. The guinea pig will not drink water when they are ill or sick and the owners should be able to understand this so that they can give them proper treatment and also this will help them to understand them better and also we can provide them with a better lifestyle.
There are various reasons for the illness of the guinea pig and one should understand the guinea pig properly so that they can live a healthy life and start drinking water back.
A guinea pig may not drink water because he is sick or may be suffering from some kind of illness. When a guinea pig is sick he will not behave well, half closed-eyes or its coat will become very rough and less responsive towards usual things than on usual days.
A guinea pig may also be suffering from diarrhea. It may be caused due to low-quality feed. The low-quality feed may include rotten fruits, chemically treated herbs or vegetables, etc. Other problems may be heatstroke, respiration infection, or maybe sometimes urinary infection may be the reasons.
Due to heatstroke, guinea pig suffers from dehydration, and due to this; they cannot even drink a small quantity of water. The same is the case with urinary tract infections when their urine is not passing properly they will not be able to intake water or any watery food items. In case of illness, the guinea pig completely refuses to eat or drink water. It becomes lethargic. In case of illness, you need to urgently call a specialist.
7. Pain
The pain is another major reason that the guinea pig is not drinking water because whenever they will try to drink water they will sense pain and because of that the guinea pig will avoid drinking water.
The guinea pig does not enjoy drinking water when they are in pain because they are not at all comfortable in such a situation so as a responsible owner you need to take care of the guinea pig and make sure that you provide them with the best of everything so that they do not suffer from pain and also they are not having any issue while drinking water because pain is the major reason when it comes to the fact that the guinea pig is not drinking water.
8. Temperature and climate
When the temperature is low and the winter climate is there then the guinea pig will not drink much water in this climate and because of this reason the guinea pig prefers drinking less water. But if the temperature is high and the climate is hot then you will notice that the guinea pig will drink more water as compared to cold climate.
This clearly indicates the fact that the climate and temperature affect the water drinking capacity of the guinea pig and according to that factor they will drink water. So if the guinea pig will not prefer drinking much water during cold climate then it is fine because they do not need much water at that time. So do not worry in such situations.
It is common when you take a guinea pig to a colder environment it will not drink much water or sometimes even can avoid drinking and when you take a guinea pig to a hotter place, it will drink a lot of water than the usual one. They need to keep cool and hydrated during summer or high-temperature environments. They can be hydrated by eating lots of fruits, vegetables, and herbs and not necessarily by drinking only water. For a guinea pig, the best temperature range would be 17-24˚C.
9. Stress
Stress is also a common reason that will make your guinea pig stop drinking water and the owners should be aware of this fact that what is stressing the guinea pig is that they are not drinking water.
The guinea pig is stressed due to various reasons and one should know the reason for the stress of the guinea pig. The guinea pig will stop drinking water when they are not feeling comfortable or they are too stressed.
These are the various reasons due to which the guinea pig does not drink water and one should know these reasons so that they can live a happy and healthy life.
10. Gastrointestinal Problem:
Some of the common problems that guinea pig suffers from their digestion-related are bloating or constipation. Sometimes your guinea pig consumes a high amount of watery substances or water due to this excess water consumption it may suffer from watery stools and an excess amount of gas or any blockage in their digestive system. Sometimes constipation may be the reason. In such types of cases, guinea pigs are not interesting in drinking water properly.
Final thoughts:
It can happen many times that a piggy might not drink because he doesn’t feel it, or is not thirsty. Some of the guinea pigs only drink water when they are eating especially dry food. So you need to keep an eye on your guinea pig whether they are sipping water in small quantities or not. If they will not drink water for a long time, then it is a matter of concern and you need to visit the doctor.
The guinea pig is a sensitive pet and that is why it is so important that the guinea pig gets the perfect environment for better living. The guinea pig is a lovable pet but they need the best of everything so that they can live a happy and healthy lifestyle.
The guinea pigs need an understanding owner so that they can bond with the guinea pig properly and also both of them can live comfortably with each other without causing any problem to the guinea pig. So make sure the guinea pig does not face any problem inside the captivity.
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