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Exessive drinking?

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Laure

Laure

Teenage Guinea Pig
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Morning everyone,

Fluffy has started drinking a lot since last night and I am getting a bit worried (probably excessively worried).
She is 5 1/2 and very healthy - appart from 2 large ovarian cysts which the vet and I have given up trying to treat as spaying in the only other option (I posted about this a little way back).
I have checked and she is not wet underneath, she is also peeing fine (no straining, squeaking, blood or lifting). She is still behaving in her normal way and eating etc...

Does anyone know what could be the cause of this?

I will keep an eye on her and go to the vets if she persists but just wanted to get your opinion.

Thanks

Laure
 
Might be a good idea to have her urine tested.Sudden onset of excessive drinking could be a renal problem.

I take eit that you do not use salt licks or anything which may contain salt?.
 
My Peggy has ovarian cysts too, and also drinks a lot. She is old and happy, so I wont let the vet spay her. She has had a urine tested though, and they found nothing. I guess she's just a thirsty pig.
 
maryh said:
Might be a good idea to have her urine tested.Sudden onset of excessive drinking could be a renal problem.

I take eit that you do not use salt licks or anything which may contain salt?.
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No I don't use anything with salt at all. How Can the urine be tested Maryh? My vet is not very good with GPs (but willing to learn) and so I do need to tell him what to do most of the time.

Thanks

Laure
 
If your vet is willing to learn and is open minded,encourage and teac h all you can, good gp vets are very much needed.


Excess drinking could be caused by diabetis,but this normally causes weight loss as well,and the pigs will often seem to eat more as well.Diabetis can be treated.

Another possibility is chronic renal failure(which used to be called wasting disease).The pigs remain active and will eat and drink a lot.Sadly there is no treatment at the moment for this,but the pigs can last a long time with this ailment which is not painful.I have had 3 pigs over the years with this condition and they have all lived for at least 5 months.This occurs mainly in older piggies but can sometimes affect younger ones.

As Damons slave has said,some sows with ovarian cyst will drink more,as will pregnant sows.

If you want to rule out diabetis,take a urine sample to the vet who will do a strip test.If the glucose level is high,it would be worth doing a blood test which is more reliable.Overclipping a nail will give enough blood for this.


n
 
Panicking!
my girls have salt licks in their cages! is this really bad? should i remove them?
 
Yep, remove them.They do not need them and salt is potentially toxic to gps.
 
I cant believe the packaging says for guinea pigs. i feel really bad now for putting them in. thought i was doing the right thing too. :(
just been and removed them. what about the mineral stones?
 
Remove the mineral stones as well..Gps should get all the vitimins and minerals they need from a varied diet.

These commercial pet food firms make me cross,they are only interested in profit.,not the welfare of the animals.None of the so called treats and chews etc,for sale in pet stores and supmarkets are any good for the gp health.They are an expensive waste of money.
 
grommit said:
I cant believe the packaging says for guinea pigs. i feel really bad now for putting them in. thought i was doing the right thing too. :(
just been and removed them. what about the mineral stones?
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Have you ever wondered who exactly designs all these products? It's like the recent posts about guinea exercise balls. Do the people who make all this stuff actually keep animals and have any idea of what the animal needs etc. Suppose it all boils down to money. People buy things with good intentions and it's not until you speak to other people who have years of experience, like on the forum, that you find stuff out.
 
Its so annoying your totally right Jillybean. Surely if it was baby products they would be pulled off the market and relabelled immediately. Makes me mad. Does anyone know if they are bad for hamsters too? So glad i found this forum, learn something new and helpful everyday for me and my honeys. :)
 
It does make me wonder. Do they know these products are dangerous and still think 'never mind, if a few animals suffer or die, it will be worth it for a profit'. It's disgusting. And that is exactly what I just said to the manufacturers of those stupid exercise balls. I'll let you know if I get a reply.
 
grommit said:
Its so annoying your totally right Jillybean. Surely if it was baby products they would be pulled off the market and relabelled immediately. Makes me mad. Does anyone know if they are bad for hamsters too? So glad i found this forum, learn something new and helpful everyday for me and my honeys. :)
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I don't like the idea of them for hamsters either but that's personal opinion, although if your hamster is keen to get in it, then maybe they do like it. I suppose it's like a lot of things, it's fine if they're used properly but you're always going to get people who misuse the product and leave them in it for too long. But then some hamsters probably wouldn't come out of the cage if they didn't go in one of them. Swings and roundabouts I suppose ...
 
I guess so. My ham dives straight in hers when i show it her and doesnt ever seem ready to get out of it but i only leave her in it 10 mins maximum and only once a day at the most. i prefer to let her climb the stairs for her daily exercise but she's so quick now i struggle to keep up with her, you cant take your eyes off her for a second! :)
 
Well she obviously enjoys it, 10 minutes is fine, I wouldn't mind a go for 10 minutes! I used to love watching my hamster go up the stairs. Used to put a tiny treat on each stair for her to find. So sweet.
 
Piglet doesnt have time for food stops she's way too busy trying to outwit me and reach the distant shore known only as 'the landing'....
 
maryh said:
If your vet is willing to learn and is open minded,encourage and teac h all you can, good gp vets are very much needed.
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Hi Karen, yes my vet is very good. Mine are the first GPs he is treating but I used to live in Twyford and used to go to Jenny (recommended by Chrissie and who I think is your vet too. Since moving to London Jenny has very kindly advised him a couple of times. He is very much willing to learn and I have also mentioned about the CCT courses. I am hoping with time he will become a great GP vet. :)
 
grommit said:
Piglet doesnt have time for food stops she's way too busy trying to outwit me and reach the distant shore known only as 'the landing'....
Click to expand...
Aaah yes, the landing - the land of plenty. She probably has an image of being paw-fed grapes and cheese by a glossy coated boy hammie. And of course, you can't disappoint .... ;D
 
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