|

Why Does My Guinea Pig Drink So Much Water? 5 Whys!

Did the question “Why does my guinea pig drink so much water?” ever popped your mind? There are many reasons behind this behavior; sometimes, it may be natural, or while there are cases when it’s fatal for your guinea pig.

Why does my guinea pig drink so much water

Why does my guinea pig drink so much water

Have you started to see your guinea pig drinking a lot of water lately? Without a doubt, water is essential in every living thing.

Plants need water to make their food, humans need water to digest the food taken in, and most especially animals need water to stay hydrated.

When it comes to guinea pigs and rabbits, they will need an adequate amount of water in their cages at all times.

But what about if you see your guinea pig drinking more water than they used to? There are various reasons, and we have laid them out for you.

 

Is Drinking Too Much Harmful?

If your guinea pig is drinking a lot of water initially, then it is normal for them to do so.

However, a sudden change in their usual water consumption might pose a problem.

The excessive thirst in guinea pigs is called Polydipsia.’

If you have noticed the excessive drinking of your pets, they may have developed polydipsia.

Is Drinking Too Much Harmful

Some of the common signs that go with polydipsia include:

  • Change in appetite
  • Lethargy
  • Weight loss
  • Diarrhea

If you can observe some of these signs in your pets, you will have to see your veterinarians as soon as possible because this might pose an underlying health problem. (please read here How to clean Guinea pig water bottle)

 

Reasons Why My Guinea Pig Drink A Lot Of Water

Why does my guinea pig drink so much water?

Listed below are some of the possible reasons why your guinea pig drinks much water.

 

#1. Season

With every changing of seasons, animals tend to change their cycle of needs too. They might need to eat a lot before winter, preparing themselves for hibernation in some animals.

Some may need to drink a lot of water during the summer season because of the hot weather.

This is the case with your guinea pig. Especially in summer, the weather gets hotter, which is one reason why your guinea pig drinks a lot of water.

They might be drinking too much water to keep their body hydrated or to keep themselves cool.

Ginger gets her refill of water whenever I see that her water bottle that has little water left. I do that once or twice a day.

I had to refill her water bottle 3 times a day; I noticed that the weather was hot that even I had to drink more water too.

Remedy: Take note of the season and the weather condition when your guinea pig’s drinking too much water.

 

#2. Size matters

If you wonder why your guinea pig drinking plenty of water, it might be because of their size.

The Guinea pig age, size, diet, exercise, and lifestyle could be one of the factors.

Reasons Why My Guinea Pig Drink A Lot Of Water

Well, most of us guinea pig owners tend to get concerned about how our precious little pets are eating, so this matter is a serious thing for us. Some guinea pigs tend to drink from 80 ml to 150ml of water.

Do not compare your guinea pig with others because every guinea pig varies. Observe their usual water intake, and if you see a drastic change, then that is the time you should worry about why.

 

#3. Change in diet

A change in diet could also be one reason why your guinea pig had a sudden change in water intake.

But that sudden change could lead to diarrhea and loos of essential electrolytes from their body.

The lack of vegetables in their diet could be a determining factor in their thirst. Guinea pigs are fussy eaters, but they could get a sufficient amount of water from what they eat.

Although hays are the most recommended food for these types of pets, vegetables should never be absent in their diet.

Vegetables keep a well-balanced diet in their body. A lack of vegetables in their diet could trigger excessive thirst.

As well as the amount of salt in their food. Excessive salt could lead to dehydration.

As salt absorbs water from their cells, leaving them completely dehydrated, keep watch of the salt intake.

 

#4. Pain

Guinea pigs are one of the prey animals that tend to hide away their pain. This is to help them survive in our ecosystem.

However, this behavior becomes a challenge to us pet owners as we will not know what our pets feel, especially when they’re suffering from any pain. (please read here why does Guinea pig lick me)

Still, various signs will help us determine if they are feeling ill or sick.

How to euthanize a guinea pig at home

A change in their diet and excessive drinking could be one of those determining factors.

Some causes of pains include:

 

#5. Diabetes

Diabetes is a common disease in guinea pigs. Too much treat is one of the main causes of this disease.

So if I were you, I would prevent myself from falling for those cute little gestures and give them a manageable amount of treatment that they deserve.

Guinea pigs can be diabetic by birth, but that is a rare case. In most cases, an unbalanced and poor diet leads to diabetes in guinea pigs.

If you see your guinea pig increasing their appetite, frequently urinating, and drinking water excessively, these are common symptoms of diabetes.

Remedy: See your attending veterinarian for medical attention. Switching their diet to a healthy one could be a good idea also.

 

Common Treatment

You should first know the reason behind your guinea pig’s excessive drinking by examining your guinea pig’s diet.

Are they eating the right amount of vegetables?

Try improving their diet slowly for a better one.

Also, note down the effects of the new diet that you have introduced to your pet. Monitor your pet for significant changes.

After you note down their diet, pay attention to their environment.

Check the ventilation and move your guinea pig’s cage to a well-ventilated area or someplace inside your cooler house.

Monitor your guinea pig’s health if there are significant effects on the small changes you’ve made.

Make sure to check on their water consumption daily. You can also mark their water bottle to monitor their daily water consumption.

Looking out for possible health problems that may be hiding behind these symptoms; change in drinking habit, appetite, weight loss, lethargy, and defecating. please read here how much do Guinea pig weight

 

Conclusion

In any of these various situations, knowing your guinea pig’s health status is a must.

That way, you will not wonder why our guinea pig is drinking much water.

As mentioned above, a healthy diet and a properly ventilated environment could ease your guinea pig’s pain or needs, and make sure to provide it to them.

Hopefully, you’ve already known the answer to the question, why does my guinea pig drink so much water?

Written By