DRINKING A LOT OF WATER

Question
Hi Pat,
I have 2 guinea pigs, ages 2 and 4.5 years. A few days ago, I noticed that they have been using up 16 oz. of water a day and so I put them in separate cages so I can keep track of how much each pig is drinking. It is my 2 year old that's been drinking it all. In 24 hours, my older piggy only drank 6.5oz and my other piggy drank the whole 8 oz in half that time. This is a new behavior for her. My question is: is there something that she may have eaten to make her thirstier and is there something I could give her to reduce her thirst? Is a salt lick recommended for guinea pigs and should I give her distilled water?
Irene

Answer
A salt lick will only make her more thirsty so that's not a good idea. There are a couple of things that cause more thirst, the most obvious being the environment.

If they're in the house and you're keeping it warm they may be just a little over heated and drinking more to overcome it. Guinea pigs prefer cooler weather and do their best when their environment is 65 to 70 degrees.  Their normal body temperature is about 102 degrees, much warmer than humans.  In the winter our houses get not just warmed but the humidity gets lower. Also another reason to drink more.

8 oz in a day is not an unusual amount of water. I have some that drink much more than that, but also have some that drink much less. Pregnancy also triggers additional thirst, but of course unless your pig has been with a boar that's not the cause.

I would suspect that this is more a response to the warmth in the household than a physical problem. Don't try to limit her thirst. She is fine, she just needs more water than the other pig. Nothing to worry about.