Why is My Guinea Pig Drinking So Much Water? Signs Of Underlying Diseases

Your pet guinea pig might not be able to communicate with you through their voice. However, their drinking habit is surely one that will make you understand them better. If you notice a sudden change in their drinking habit, then it’s surely not a good sign.

So why is my guinea pig drinking so much water? A guinea pig should be drinking around 60ml to 250ml of water. If a sudden increase in drinking is noticed, then it’s a sign of underlying disease. Diabetes, kidney failure, and improper digestion could be the case with a guinea pig.

Nevertheless, factors such as weather conditions could also be the reason your guinea pigs are drinking water in excess. So let’s dig in deep with it and see whether your pet is carrying any hidden disease or not.

Why is My Guinea Pig Drinking So Much Water?

As a pet owner, you already know that your pet’s diet matters a lot. As a result, their consumption of water and food should be observed regularly to make sure they are healthy. So if you are here, then you are probably wondering why and what happens if your guinea pig drinks too much water.

We are glad that you didn’t ignore your pet’s sudden increase in water consumption. To start, no, it’s not good for your guinea pig if it starts to consume too much water. They only do that when these pigs are going through health issues such as diabetes and kidney problems.

You will come across changing their sheets a lot as they will be urinating a lot. Why? Well, kidney problems are one of the primary reasons why your guinea pig is drinking so much water. For that, they cannot remove the harmful waste materials the body creates.

As a result, they will be urinating a lot, and it will be visible for you to observe the change.

Weather Conditions

On the other hand, the hot weather could be another reason why they are consuming more water. Dehydration is a major issue in pets during summer, and thus need more water to hydrate.

In this case, there’s no need to worry about them carrying an underlying disease.  Yet, there are boundaries on how much extra water they are drinking. As long as the range is between 60ml to 250ml, it is fine.

You will know when it’s in excess, even if it’s on a gloomy hot day. The change shouldn’t be so significant that it will drink more than 250ml of water every day.

Why Does My Guinea Pig Drink So Much Water At Night?

There is nothing to worry about when it comes to guinea pigs drinking a bit of extra water in the middle of the night. Guinea pigs are shy creatures and avoid drinking or eating in the presence of someone.

As a result, they choose a night to have their snacks and drink water when there is no one around. Additionally, no loud noises are always preferred by guinea pigs.

Is Drinking Too Much Water Always Bad For Guinea Pigs?

It’s not necessary that drinking too much water is always bad for guinea pigs. If your pet drinks too much water when you first bring it to your home, then it isn’t a big deal. It’s natural for a few guinea pigs to drink a lot more water than the others.

However, the change in drinking habits is what matters here. You just can’t ignore the changes if it didn’t do these in the beginning. Rather it should be taken as signs that underlying diseases might be involved.

Other Symptoms To Confirm They Are Carrying Diseases

Only drinking too much water cannot make you feel that your pet is sick. You certainly need confirmation that proves your pet is sick. Thankfully, there are other symptoms as well that confirms the underlying disease in guinea pigs. They are;

• Change in appetite
• Lethargy and Sluggish movement
• Fever
• Weight loss
• Diarrhea or frequent urination
• Signs of pain
• Aggression and other behavior changes
• Difficulty breathing

Don’t Compare Your Guinea Pig With Others

Like humans, each guinea pigs have their personality and different dietary needs. Similarly, one guinea pig might drink more water than the other. So the best thing you can do here is not to compare the other guinea pigs with your ones.

Just because you feel that your new pet is drinking more excess water than your previous one doesn’t mean that the new one is sick. What you think is excess is normal for your pet. So, it’s fine to let go and worry about your pet is sick.

Treatment from Vet

Now that you have come across the fact that your beloved pet might be at risk, searching for treatment is normal. Well, we got you covered here as well.

You can start by changing the aviary to a cooler spot. As mentioned before,  weather plays a role in changing the amount of water guinea pigs need. Thus, instead of being confused about whether it’s the underlying disease or just the weather, you can change the aviary spot.

Additionally, make sure that there is enough ventilation in the room that doesn’t allow direct sunlight. Even after these changes, if your guinea pigs are consuming too much water, then consult a vet. There’s no other alternative than this.

FAQ

It’s time for the FAQ section, where we will answer some of the guinea pigs’ owner’s questions. Who knows, you might learn something new that will help you in the future.

Final Thoughts

So if you’re asking yourself, why is my guinea pig drinking so much water? Diabetes, kidney failures, and improper digestion are all that your guinea pig might be going through. Undoubtedly, this is something you cannot let slip off as it is related to your pet’s health.

However, don’t mistake the slight changes due to weather conditions where they drink more water than usual in summer. Similarly, don’t compare your guinea pigs with the others. Your one might need more water than the others genetically.

References:

• https://www.researchgate.net/publication/11318076_Diabetes_Mellitus_in_a_Guinea_Pig
• https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1524846/