How Long Can Guinea Pigs Go Without Water

I must have had very thirsty guinea pigs today as I got home from work to find their water bottle almost empty. This got me wondering how long can a guinea pig go without water. I did some research and this is what I found out:

Guinea pigs need a constant supply of water and should not be deprived of water for any length of time. Dehydration can become an issue in just a few hours, and death can occur after 12-48 hours.

In some cases, it has been reported that guinea pigs have survived for longer than 48 hours without water, but this is obviously something you need to avoid happening at all costs.

How Much Water Does a Guinea Pig Need Daily

The average guinea pig will need approximately 80 – 100ml of water per day. Pregnant or lactating guinea pigs will require an increased intake of water.

The easiest way to ensure your guinea pig gets their daily water needs is by simply attaching a none-drip water bottle to their cage.

Providing fruit and vegetables is another way to supply guinea pigs’ daily water needs, as most fruits and vegetables are very high in water content.

You may notice that one or more of your guinea pigs don’t seem to drink all that much. But before you start worrying, determine whether your guinea pig is eating plenty of fruit and veg. If they are, they are probably having their daily water requirements met.

Fruit and Vegetables with High Water Content

As I’ve already mentioned, most fruit and veg have high water content and will provide a good portion of guinea pigs’ water needs.

I have put together a list below of fruit and veg that contain over 90% water. All of these are safe for guinea pigs to eat. Source.

Vegetable	Water Content (%)	Fruit	Water Content (%)
Lettuce (iceberg)	96	Watermelon	92
Cucumber	96	Strawberries	92
Zucchini	95	Grapefruit	91
Radish	95	Peach	88
Celery	95	Orange	87
Tomato (red)	94	Pineapple	87
Cabbage	93	Cranberries	87
Bell Pepper	92	Raspberries	87
Spinach	92	Apricot	86
Cauliflower	92	Plum	85

But what about carrots? Carrots didn’t quite make it into the list as they are 87% water, but are still a great vegetable to give to your guinea pigs. You are also most likely to have some spare. Carrots are actually one of our guinea pigs’ favorites, so we always make sure he gets some.

And what about apples? Apples are one of the most common fruits that people will have in their homes. The water content of an apple is 84% and is another great fruit to feed your guinea pig.

Please note that fruit and veg contain high amounts of sugars and nutrients and should be fed to guinea pigs sparingly. It is recommended to provide fruit and veg in small portions, 3-4 times a week.

Symptoms of Dehydration in Guinea Pigs

Perhaps you have noticed one of your guinea pigs isn’t drinking much, or maybe you just forgot to attach their water bottle back before going to bed.

Whatever the reason, you should be aware of the signs and symptoms of dehydration in guinea pigs. These are:

• Hard, dry feces
• Dark-colored urine
• Urinating less often
• Poor appetite
• Crusty eyes
• Thick, sticky saliva

If you notice any of these symptoms, the first and most important thing is to not panic. Dehydration can usually be reversed quite easily by simply ensuring your guinea pig is getting extra water.

Before you can start making efforts to correct dehydration, you first need to identify what caused your guinea pig to become dehydrated in the first place.

Identify the Cause of Dehydration

Now that you suspect your guinea pig may be dehydrated the next step is to identify how dehydration was caused. Often the cause of dehydration is obvious and will be easy to identify and correct. Common causes include:

• Too few water bottles – If you have a large number of guinea pigs but only one or two water bottles, it may just be that there are not enough to go round.
• Blocked water bottle – A water bottle may be blocked because loose bedding or food has found its way into the spout.
• Ball-bearing stuck in spout – The ball-bearing that stops water leaking from the bottle may be stuck further up the spout, preventing water from dispensing. A friend of mine recently dropped her water bottle and discovered a few hours later that this exact thing had happened.
• Leaking water bottle – A badly leaking water bottle will empty quickly, which will be a problem if you are not around to notice it. A leak this bad will be obvious though.
• No water bottle – We’ve all forgotten to put a water bottle back at some point, or perhaps it has just fallen off the cage. This is fine so long as you realize quickly, but guinea pigs left without a water bottle for several hours will become dehydrated.

So those are some of the most common causes which are all easily rectified. However, the cause of dehydration could be less obvious and perhaps even due to a more serious issue, such as:

• Unsettled – A guinea pig may not be drinking enough or any water if they feel unsettled in their environment. This occurs most commonly in new guinea pigs as they get used to their new home.
• Heatstroke – Guinea pigs are very temperature sensitive. If they are kept in a hot environment for too long they will first experience heat exhaustion. If this is untreated it will lead to heatstroke which causes severe dehydration.
• General illness – If you can’t identify any clear reason, your guinea pig may be ill. At this point, you need to take them to a vet.

How to Correct Dehydration

It is very important that you have identified why your guinea pig is dehydrated before you go about correcting it.

If you have found that the cause is simply due to a lack of access to water you should first:

1. Address and fix the cause – replacing a broken water bottle for example.
2. Give them a good amount of fresh fruit and vegetables.
3. Consider helping them drink using a syringe if the above doesn’t work.

If they still refuse to drink after trying all of the above, the problem is more serious and they should be taken to see a vet.

Preventing Dehydration and What You Can Do

Obviously we all want to avoid our guinea pigs becoming dehydrated in the first place. Unless dehydration is caused because of general illness, there are several things we can and should do to prevent it. These are:

• Provide more and/or larger water bottles
• Check water bottles daily for blockages and leaks
• Provide fruit and veg with high water content
• Ensure your guinea pigs are not overheating

Leaving Guinea Pigs for More Than a Day?

If you are going to be away for more than a day you are going to need to take further action to ensure that not only are they getting enough water, but also food and cleaning too.

Leaving guinea pigs alone for too long is dangerous and irresponsible, and simply following the tips above will not be enough so you should consider:

• Have a friend look after your guinea pigs, but make sure you trust them and that they know how to look after them.
• You could have them boarded with a professional pet sitter, kennel or pet shop.
• Consider transporting them with you if you will be away for an extended amount of time.

Water Quality Advice

Tap water is perfectly safe for guinea pigs and should be what you provide them with. Do not use water from outside taps as they may be contaminated with harmful bacteria.

The temperature of tap water is usually fine to give straight to a guinea pig. However, if your tap dispenses particularly cold water it is a good idea to let it warm up a bit before attaching the bottle back to the cage. Water that is too cold can give guinea pigs a bad tummy.

Avoid Putting Vitamin Drops in Water Bottles

Do not put vitamin C drops or any other supplement into your guinea pigs’ water supply. Vitamin supplements become unstable in water causing their chemical structure to weaken and lose potency. If you need to give a guinea pig supplements such as vitamin C you can provide them through syringe drops or through fruit and veg.

You should also make sure to thoroughly clean out water bottles (without soap) every other day. Doing so prevents the buildup of mould and bacteria that can make your guinea pig ill.