Specialist guinea pig not drinking water

[heart4animals]

iam looking for any advice for how to get my guinea pig to drink water. she was an avid water drinker, till four months ago. When she was diagnosed with ovarian cysts and underwent hysterectomy surgery. her recovery was not easy at all. i spent the next two months battling to keep her alive round the clock feedings frequent vet visits sleepless nights learning to do subcutaneus fluids at home. Then finally it all paid off and she finally recovered. She had been doing great for the last month and half, then she started having episodes is what i call it. I will find her hunched and puffed up refusing to move her eyes weeping, she wont eat or drink anything not even veggies. These episodes usually last for two to four days. I end up having do around the clock feedings and syringes of water and vet visits for shots of b12 and cerenia and subcu fluids. The vet also starts her on metacam. After 2 to 4 days she starts coming out it and goes back to normal guinea pig behaviors for about a week and half to 2 weeks then another episode hits. The vet thinks its due to drinking less water and she gets dehydrated. She wont drink water hardly at all. i have tried to help with syringes of water every six hours and extra servings of lettuce but its not enough, and iam now again going through a third episode, though this time i had to rush her to the vet because she hadnt peed in hours, the vet said it was because she was so dehydrated, they kept her overnight for fluids and shots and sent her home. Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

 

[Minnieandpebbs]

How are you feeding her water, is it in a bowl or bottle and is it easily accessible for them?

 

[Wiebke]

iam looking for any advice for how to get my guinea pig to drink water. she was an avid water drinker, till four months ago. When she was diagnosed with ovarian cysts and underwent hysterectomy surgery. her recovery was not easy at all. i spent the next two months battling to keep her alive round the clock feedings frequent vet visits sleepless nights learning to do subcutaneus fluids at home. Then finally it all paid off and she finally recovered. She had been doing great for the last month and half, then she started having episodes is what i call it. I will find her hunched and puffed up refusing to move her eyes weeping, she wont eat or drink anything not even veggies. These episodes usually last for two to four days. I end up having do around the clock feedings and syringes of water and vet visits for shots of b12 and cerenia and subcu fluids. The vet also starts her on metacam. After 2 to 4 days she starts coming out it and goes back to normal guinea pig behaviors for about a week and half to 2 weeks then another episode hits. The vet thinks its due to drinking less water and she gets dehydrated. She wont drink water hardly at all. i have tried to help with syringes of water every six hours and extra servings of lettuce but its not enough, and iam now again going through a third episode, though this time i had to rush her to the vet because she hadnt peed in hours, the vet said it was because she was so dehydrated, they kept her overnight for fluids and shots and sent her home. Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

Hi and welcome

Unfortunately I have no experience with your guinea pig's problems but personally I would rather look for an underlying issue that could the loss of appetite/dehydration rather than the other way around. The need to drink comes right behind the need to breathe and before the need to eat; it is a powerful urge and generally not something that happens on its own.
How piggy savvy is your vet? Being hunched and puffed means that your piggy is in pain/major discomfort.

Are you monitoring the weight daily to see how much her normal food intake is impacted, considering that hay is making around 80% of the daily food intake but cannot be controlled by eye? Are you syringe feeding fibre as well as water or just water when your piggy is not well - because if she is not drinking, she will have stopped eating before that.
Are you feeding more veg than before or are you keeping to the same diet?
Not Eating, Weight Loss And The Importance Of Syringe Feeding Fibre
Weight - Monitoring and Management

@Abi_nurse @furryfriends (TEAS)

 

[heart4animals]

When my piggy is not well i feed syringes of water as well as syringes of emeraid. i have her on a twice weekly weigh in. When she is feeling well she eats just fine she just wont drink any water. As for diet she is on the same diet she has always been on, the only difference is i have added extra serving of lettuce. My vet isnt a specialist but she has the training to treat exotic animals. She is the only one in my area.

 

[heart4animals]

I have her water in a bottle and yes it is easily accessible. I have tried water dish before but it doesnt work for her.

 

[Abi_nurse]

Hi there,

This may be to late to reply as its been a while so sorry. Animals dont stop drinking to cause themselves dehydration unless there is an underlying cause. I would suspect that in this case it may be something like pain? Is your vet a piggie savvy one/exotics vet at all? Is there any way they could look into this more. I understand at this current time it wont be possible but it sounds like it could do with more investigations.
For now i would make sure you water down veggies a lot, feed cucumber daily to ensure water is getting in. You can also feed watery pellet gruel should you wish to do so to help with water intake.

Hope this helps in the interim.

x

 

[heart4animals]

Thanks for your reply. My vet is able to treat guinea pigs but is not a specialist. iI have increased her vegetable intake to twice a day. As well as syringe feeding water to her as she will take it.

 

[Wiebke]

Thanks for your reply. My vet is able to treat guinea pigs but is not a specialist. iI have increased her vegetable intake to twice a day. As well as syringe feeding water to her as she will take it.

Have you spoken to them; being huffed up means that there is a pain issue. Unless that is addressed and diagnosed the problem will continue and likely get worse.

Please contact your vet.