guinea pig not drinking after operation

Question
QUESTION: hi there, my female guinea pig has recently had a stone removed and also been spayed due to internal and external bleeding as something wrong with her uterus. she was in for a few days and was allowed to come thursday evening. i have noticed she is eating fine, really well in fact but she is not drinking. i have a water bottle and have also put a bowl in there as well but she is not touching either. i am trying to give some water via a syringe every couple of hours but she really trys her hardest to refuse that too. i have tried all kinds of things but no luck. i do put her veggies in the morning in water to try and get some down her but it really still isnt enough. she use to drink a lot before her operation. i was just wondering if this is normal after major surgery and will she start again soon and if not how long should i give it before contacting the vet ?
any help would be appreciated.
michelle xxx

ANSWER: As long as she will eat lettuce she can stay hydrated without water. Veggies and fruits have a lot of water in them. The best lettuce for hydration is Iceberg. It has no nutritional value but is mostly water. But you should still have the vet recheck her to be sure everything else is okay.

Major surgery is very hard of guinea pigs. I would expect her more to have no appetite, yet drink water. Just to be safe, take her back and let the vet check her over.

---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: thank you for your response unfortunately iceberg lettuce is poisonous for guinea pigs but romane is ok. luckily i noticed late last night that she went to her water bottle , only took a few sips but she seems to be making progress . she seems more alert today and bright eyed so my little girl is on the mend. thank you for your help and reassurance.
michelle xxx

Answer
Where did you get the idea that iceberg is poisonous to guinea pigs?  I can tell you emphatically that it's not only not poisonous, but has been used by breeders and exhibitors for many many years for hydration on the road. I'm speaking of exhibitors and breeders all over the United States and parts of Canada.

We travel many miles from state to state to show our prized pigs, and to avoid dripping bottles in transit we use iceberg lettuce.  Water bottles are hung by some when we reach our destinations, but some exhibitors use strictly iceberg until they reach home. You have to know we wouldn't risk the health and safety of these precious animals with something that was dangerous. So please trust me, there is nothing wrong with iceberg lettuce for guinea pigs.

This idea probably got started much like the old childhood 'telephone' game.  You whisper something into someone's ear, they whisper the same thing to the next person and so on.  By the time it gets around the circle it sounds nothing like what was first said.  

The same it probably true of the iceberg issue. Someone was told it wasn't good nutritionally and it snowballed into "it's poisonous".

We tell people that for nutrition and Vit C iceberg is useless. It's value is that it is full of water.  But poisonous?  Absolutely not.

Occasionally we see people who've built themselves a website and put information on it that they have heard and believe is true.  They are typically pet owners with little or no experience and very little knowledge. Thus an untrue statement is born.

The reality and truth is iceberg lettuce is a most valuable comodity when hydration is needed for a stressed or traveling animal. My caviary typically has 60 to 65 cavies (factoring in the babies that come and go).  This part of California gets very hot and arid, and during those times iceberg is a routine part of the diet.  Romaine is excellent for Vit C, as is parsley. And those are given periodically as well.

I'm sincerely happy (as I'm sure you are) to hear your little sow is improving. She may have just been recovering from the left over effects of anesthesia. It can linger in the system for awhile in both animals and humans. Going to the water bottle is a very good sign.  

Please keep me posted, I am genuinly interested in her recovery.