Guinea pig doesnt drink enough water

Question
QUESTION: Hi, I have two guinea pigs. The first piggy is very active, aware, and drinks and eats very well.  The second piggy, always seems to be tired, jumpy, timid, and doesn't eat or drink very well at all.  The healthier piggy has already gone through at least 3 water bottles, and the other one has barely gone through half of one bottle!!  Could you please help me?  I am very concerned that something is happening to him!  Here is some information  if that might help.. The guinea pigs are separated because they fight toooo much, but they are still in the same cage and they could still see each other; they are both boys; both of them are about 40 weeks old; and the less healthier one was the most dominant one          PLEASE REPLY,   Alisha

ANSWER: Hi Alisha,
It sounds like the second guinea pig you talked about could be sick. Whenever a guinea pig doesn't eat or drink enough, it is a bad thing, and usually a symptom of a sickness or disease they have.
You should get the guinea pig to a vet, just so that the veterinarian can examine the guinea pig and see if there is any problem.
If it is not related to a sickness or infection(only a vet can determine this after they examine your animal) it could just  be that your guinea pig doesn't drink as much as the others. If he eats enough fruits and veggies(most have lots of water) he may only drink a few ounces a day, probably after he eats his hay and pellets. But the fact that he doens't eat much either, concerns me. Could you give me roughly the amount that your guinea pig(the one that eats less) eats and drinks each day, including hay, veggies and fruits, and pellets? I may be able to help you more if I have that important information.
Feel free to contact me if you have any other questions!
         A.Jones

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

QUESTION: Hi again!  Well, the one that eats less rarely drinks, so my dad told me to feed the water to him, by holding the water bottle while he drinks it.  To, me it seems like he only likes to drink cold water!  If that is so, then do I leave the water bottle in the fridge every once in a while for him?  The piggy that eats less seems to eat well when it comes to vegetables, and hay, and fruit (he is very picky with the fruit), but the pellets... he isn't that well with.  Or water.  Every now and then he eats very little pellets, I am not sure how much he eats, and because I'm sometimes concerned that he will not eat, I hand feed him some pellets.  Actually!  The pellets have a little fruit and nuts with the package!  So, I sometimes help him eat the nuts (hand feed).  Not really the fruit much he eats.  Water, he drinks a few sips when I feed it to him, but when a few days or hours pass, he drinks about.... 1, 2, or 3 ounces.  Sometimes, if the water isn't cold he will rarely drink any at all!!  So, I hope this information helped!  Thank you for the information, I will ask my family to help take him to the vet.

Answer
I've never heard of or known a guinea pig that will only drink cold water, but I'm thinking that it could happen. If he'll drink cold water, then by all means, give it to him! Maybe you could put ice cubes in his water bottle, or have two water bottles and rotate, one in the cage, and one in the fridge so that cold water is always available to him.
It is actually good that he eats more hay and veggies, the pellets are the thing I would rather have him eat less of. It still concerns me though, and I still say a vet trip would be very helpful.
As long as he will eat fresh fruits and veggies, and timothy hay, I would give him unlimited timothy hay, and at least a cup of fresh, green veggies daily(cucmbers, red and green leaf lettuce, not iceberg lettuce though, parsley, cilantro, bell peppers, and romaine lettuce are all good choices). Guinea pigs should have unlimited timothy hay anyway, so if he'll eat it, keep feeding it to him.
The way that you said he is tired, jumpy and timid, makes me wonder if he may have mites, or another illness. That is the way guinea pigs act, and especially with the fact that he isn't eating well. As I've said, if at all possible, a vet check-up would be the best thing for your guinea, and your peace of mind!
Feel free to contact me if you have any other questions!
         A.Jones