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Where Do I Get Soft Water?

A Guinea Pig

A Guinea Pig

Teenage Guinea Pig
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One of my guinea pigs have have very chalky pee, on any given day and any diet. The other one has pasty pee and is being taken to the vet next week. I assume the extra calcium is from out water since I researched my area and the water is sort of hard. Where do I get soft water from, like is a gallon or something I can get in the US (like Target or Amazon) (I can’t afford a 1000 buck whole filter)? Is that they reason their pee is like that? On a previous inspection of the vet said that chalky pee could be something genetic if they have it all the time, but none of my guinea pigs are related, so I have rules that out. It’s just Timothy hay, Orchard hay, bell pepper, and Romaine lettuce. They were getting celery, but I don’t want them getting balder stones due to the high oxalate. I want to do the best I can until her check up, I appreciate any and all advice.
 
Not sure if you are into reading scientific papers, but the National Library of Medicine has a study about calcium amounts measured in tap water around the US. They also include the amounts in bottled water by brands and how filtration devices work.

How Much Calcium Is in Your Drinking Water? A Survey of Calcium Concentrations in Bottled and Tap Water and Their Significance for Medical Treatment and Drug Administration

Hope this is helpful. I would advise reading it when you aren't sleepy; then again, if you do want to fall asleep, this may do it!
 
Most calcium comes via water and pellets. So filtering water and making sure pellets are not overfed are the main factors to helping.
You don’t mention pellets in your post.
I have a filtering tap and only feed pellets three times a week.

The calcium absorption process is complicated though and there is a genetic element but just because your piggies are not related does not mean they don’t have a genetic predisposition to it.

A certain amount is chalky pee is normal though, but thick, gritty pee isn’t.
 
A Guinea Pig said:
One of my guinea pigs have have very chalky pee, on any given day and any diet. The other one has pasty pee and is being taken to the vet next week. I assume the extra calcium is from out water since I researched my area and the water is sort of hard. Where do I get soft water from, like is a gallon or something I can get in the US (like Target or Amazon) (I can’t afford a 1000 buck whole filter)? Is that they reason their pee is like that? On a previous inspection of the vet said that chalky pee could be something genetic if they have it all the time, but none of my guinea pigs are related, so I have rules that out. It’s just Timothy hay, Orchard hay, bell pepper, and Romaine lettuce. They were getting celery, but I don’t want them getting balder stones due to the high oxalate. I want to do the best I can until her check up, I appreciate any and all advice.
Click to expand...

Hi

The UK is mainly a hard water country. We recommend Brita filter jugs, which are adequate for preventing the formation of bladder stones in most cases. Low calcium bottled water is the alternative option.

Please also reduce the quantity of pellets to 1 tablespoon per piggy per day. What most owners are not aware of is the fact that even no added calcium pellets still contain more calcium weight for weight compared to the veg highest in it, kale. More calcium comes into the diet via hard water and pellets than via veg, unless you grossly overfeed on calcium.

Please also be aware that you will also get calcium pees if the calcium level is too low. There is a sweet spot in the diet between too high and too low calcium that varies from location to location, depending on your water hardness and what pellets, hay and veg you are feeding, so you cannot just necessarily follow recommendations blindly - for instance, following US diet advice in the UK can cause bladder stones. A diet too low in calcium can also have long term life shortening health impact. But you may actually find our UK based advice useful since you are dealing with roughly similar conditions.
Long Term Balanced General And Special Needs Guinea Pig Diets
 
Piggies&buns said:
Most calcium comes via water and pellets. So filtering water and making sure pellets are not overfed are the main factors to helping.
You don’t mention pellets in your post.
I have a filtering tap and only feed pellets three times a week.

The calcium absorption process is complicated though and there is a genetic element but just because your piggies are not related does not mean they don’t have a genetic predisposition to it.

A certain amount is chalky pee is normal though, but thick, gritty pee isn’t.
Click to expand...
They only get pellets for tricks, so very little. Anything I should ask the vet when I go?
 
Wiebke said:
Hi

The UK is mainly a hard water country. We recommend Brita filter jugs, which are adequate for preventing the formation of bladder stones in most cases. Low calcium bottled water is the alternative option.

Please also reduce the quantity of pellets to 1 tablespoon per piggy per day. What most owners are not aware of is the fact that even no added calcium pellets still contain more calcium weight for weight compared to the veg highest in it, kale. More calcium comes into the diet via hard water and pellets than via veg, unless you grossly overfeed on calcium.

Please also be aware that you will also get calcium pees if the calcium level is too low. There is a sweet spot in the diet between too high and too low calcium that varies from location to location, depending on your water hardness and what pellets, hay and veg you are feeding, so you cannot just necessarily follow recommendations blindly - for instance, following US diet advice in the UK can cause bladder stones. A diet too low in calcium can also have long term life shortening health impact. But you may actually find our UK based advice useful since you are dealing with roughly similar conditions.
Long Term Balanced General And Special Needs Guinea Pig Diets
Click to expand...
Thank you, I don’t think they are getting to little of calcium, nor extreme amounts of it. I have read both Long Term Balanced General Diets, and the other thread that is all about drinking and water bottles. My plan is to just take pasty pee one to the vet and get her x-rayed, or what ever they want to do (she has already been to another vet before, but I did not feel they had the best knowledge on piggies so I got a referral to a more experienced practice). Then ask for advice on the still just chalky pee ones (unless you recommend something different).
 
RedLoredAmazon said:
Not sure if you are into reading scientific papers, but the National Library of Medicine has a study about calcium amounts measured in tap water around the US. They also include the amounts in bottled water by brands and how filtration devices work.

How Much Calcium Is in Your Drinking Water? A Survey of Calcium Concentrations in Bottled and Tap Water and Their Significance for Medical Treatment and Drug Administration

Hope this is helpful. I would advise reading it when you aren't sleepy; then again, if you do want to fall asleep, this may do it!
Click to expand...
I’ll read up on this, thanks! I have found several studies from the National Library of Medicine helpful. Also, definitely won’t read it if I am sleepy, since I really need advice from it🥱.
 
A Guinea Pig said:
I might try this, my tap water is very much drinkable (kind of confusing), so it would be more for the piggies. Thanks for the advice!
Click to expand...

The hardness of water has nothing to do whether whether it is drinkable or not, just with how often you have to decalcify your fittings and your pipes needing replacing more often. A lot of bottled water is actually fairly high in calcium since we humans need it in our diet for our bones. ;)
 
Wiebke said:
The hardness of water has nothing to do whether whether it is drinkable or not, just with how often you have to decalcify your fittings and your pipes needing replacing more often. A lot of bottled water is actually fairly high in calcium since we humans need it in our diet for our bones. ;)
Click to expand...
Ohhhhh, wish I knew that earlier. Thanks!
 
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