Guinea pig water issue

taram

My guinea pig had a water bottle since he I had him, and last week it broke so I popped an old food bowl in with water for the week and he was fine with it, now I got him a new bottle and he won't drink from it at all - I've marked the bottle when I fill it and there's very very little gone from it each time. The bowl was a mess as hay kept getting into it, but I'm scared he's not drinking.

Any suggestions?

Sigma Force

Just keep leaving the water bottle in he might just be wary of the new one, in time he'll eventually drink from it. If you place the water bowl to one side well away from his hay it shoudln't get too mucky although they usually need changing twice a day because guinea pigs like to mess up everything.

Or you could take out the water bowl and hold the water bottle and see if he'll have a drink from it once he drinks from it once he should get the message.

Is it the same brand of water bottle that you're using?
Perhaps lowering the water bottle in case it's in a different position to the last one. Or perhaps get a second water bottle and attach it so he has a few to choose from and remove the water bowl. If he's thirsty he'll drink from it.

Or take all the water bottle/bowl out of the cage for a couple of hours, wait until he's had plenty of hay and no veggies and then offer him the water bottle by hand and see if he'll drink from it or clip it on the cage and see if he will. If he doesn't then he's a stubborn piggy.

Cucumber is good if they are thirsty. Bit of a balancing act.

taram

It's a different brand, the ball looks a bit different at the end too. His cage mate has no issues with it which is what's annoying me

Thanks for the advice, I'll avoid the veggies and try giving it to him by hand.

Sigma Force

He might be fussy about his brand names lol, if you can get your hands on the same brand again he might go for it. Although don't leave him off veggies for long..or he'll let you know about it lol

morganafay

Hopefully he will learn from his cagemate. He should be ok for a while without water if he has some veggies, well that's what I've found, that they don't get very thirsty if they have veggies, but I'm not a vet or anything.