help with a Piggy who loves a drink of water

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sozansound2

Post   » Fri Nov 12, 2021 7:12 pm


i have been swapping 2 different big liners all the time. now they are showing their age. the absorbent layer is starting to ware off which isn't much of a problem since i have a bunch of small liners to assist.

Now to the big issue. i have my piggie's water bottle in the half mark of the cage. maybe the reason i never noticed this was because the liners were brand new and super absorbent. my pig has a unique way of drinking water to the point that the same amount she drinks water is the same amount that spills over into the liner. even if her mouth is full of water, she still keeps on biting releasing more water. since the big liners aren't as absorbent, you can see the wetness on top and it spreads since the liner directly at the bottom is probably shot at this point. mix in some poop and hay shavings, it can become like mud at times. i clean it frequently.

i will paint a picture of the situation. if a put 1 cup of water, she immediately comes out and in about 30 minutes, it is almost gone. don't worry, she drinks plenty of water but she just cant pass up fresh water. one time i filled the water bottle at the half mark. my water bottle can hold a big amount of water. just a bit more than a regular water bottle you can buy from corner stores (Poland springs, ext..). in 1 hours, it was completely empty. i know it is not the water bottle leaking because i have checked multiple times. the only way water will come out is if the tip is pushed in which pushes up a plunger like slide inside letting water slide down. if not pushed, the plunger creates a tight seal. ever since that, i never put in allot of water but it gets empty fairly fast and i would have to refill allot through the day.

at the moment, i place some big pieces of regular fleece but in about 2 days, it gets wet since there is allot of water in that area. it is just a straight line in the middle of the cage that is affected but she has to get through the middle to get the the water or the hay rack.

i have some ideas but i was wondering if anyone may have some solutions to this.

1) one of my solutions is buying a new big liners but then again the problem still persist in my pig's drinking habits. she used to never drink the way she drinks water now so the liner will ware off much faster than before. also those liners cost a pretty penny as well.

2) i can use another pea pad under the water bottle but again i feel i will be running threw pea pads allot which means i would have to buy allot potentially. i like to use some to make sure she is dry under her hut. if you haven't guessed by now, she pees ALLOT xD.

3) the last one is maybe putting something that can collect a bit of water under her water bottle but it would have to be flipping proof because if she somehow manages to flip it, we are back at square 1. i have her eating tray i use which could work but the edges are to wide to be able to go directly under the water bottle.

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Lynx
Celebrate!!!

Post   » Fri Nov 12, 2021 7:20 pm


I wonder if focusing on #3 would be best for you (this is, assuming there is no medical reason for her to drink a lot of water, like diabetes).

Think in terms of something heavy with a lip that can't be flipped. Something where you can see the water collect. It may take a lot of experimenting and cruising pet stores, home improvement stores, nurseries (they have trays that go under long planters but are lightweight) to figure out something that will work for you. If this is on a table, maybe even something that will drain into a container below.

If you had a raised floor around the lipped flat container, it could be lightweight and not flip.

There may also be someone who has a suggestion for a different water bottle.

sozansound2

Post   » Fri Nov 12, 2021 10:37 pm


I have a hard time thinking what I can put under that won't block her from drinking water as well.

Maybe a new water bottle could help. That water bottle gives off a good amount of water when pushed. I got that one specifically because it is hard for it to drip down water passively over time

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Sef
I dissent.

Post   » Sat Nov 13, 2021 6:44 am


I use the Lixit glass bottles. They do drip a small amount but I just use a small drip pad underneath. Since they are relatively inexpensive, maybe try one and see if it fixes the problem?

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PooksiedAnimals
Supporting my GL Habit

Post   » Sat Nov 13, 2021 8:30 am


I used to put a brick underneath the water bottle. I don't think it will absorb the amount of water you're talking about, but it did help for my purposeful dribbler. (She loved feeling the water drip down her chin)

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Lynx
Celebrate!!!

Post   » Sat Nov 13, 2021 8:02 pm


A smaller bottle and spout (designed for a smaller animal?) might also slow things down but allow her to drink if she was truly thirsty.

sozansound2

Post   » Mon Nov 15, 2021 9:46 am


What is a brick?

What I did for now is I got 2 small towels and placed them side by side. Then cut up some fleece to perfectly cover them and keep the area dry. Cut off a small edge were the water would originally fall down so it hits the small towel instead. So far after 2 days it is dry for her.

I used to use a glass water bottle but since It dripped water, I replaced it with the one I have now.

Right now I am waiting to see how long it takes for the fleece to start feeling wet and see if this is an effective longterm solution

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Lynx
Celebrate!!!

Post   » Mon Nov 15, 2021 7:59 pm


Glad you are finding a system that works for you. If you change out the fleece before it gets really saturated, there will be less bacterial growth.

A brick is: "A molded rectangular block of clay baked by the sun or in a kiln until hard and used as a building and paving material."

The brick pictured in the wikipedia page has holes in it and used to build walls. A solid brick, like a paving brick, would work best to absorb water.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brick

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Renonvsparky

Post   » Wed Nov 17, 2021 3:25 am


All of the water bottles I have leak. They get the fleece bedding wet, which in turn soaks through to the bedding pellets underneath. I've tried everything to combat it with no success. I just change the fleece every third day, which is about how long the bedding pellets under the water bottles can last before becoming too saturated. I scoop out only the wet stuff and replace with dry every time I change the fleece. Except for one or two small spots where they pee, the spot under the water bottles is the only place where the pellets are wet and need replaced.

So far I haven't had any issues with the pigs having to sit on wet bedding. Moisture goes right through the fleece and the pellets absorb it and keep it away from them as it's designed to. Only catch is that if I push the bedding change beyond the third day, it becomes an issue, so it's very important that I keep up with the bedding change and let that happen. It means that I have lots of blankets and I have to wash them more often, but my guinea pigs are well worth it.

The initial investment in the fleece was a bit much, but it's cheaper in the long run. Bedding pellets are relatively inexpensive and by only replacing what's wet when I do bedding changes, one 25 lb bag lasts about 4 months.

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ItsaZoo
Supporter in 2023

Post   » Wed Nov 17, 2021 12:35 pm


Same here, the bottles drip a bit. It’s not a lot but there’s a damp spot under the bottle. I have a extra fleece pad I put there and replace it each day.

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