Drinking enough water?

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Sage12

Well-known member
Joined
May 19, 2020
Messages
79
I know chinchillas don’t drink a lot of water but it still doesn’t seem like much. I give Sage fresh water every other day. This is how much she has drank since Monday.image.jpg
 
I can't really tell the size of the bottle, but most chins only drink about 1-2 oz of water a day. If she is drinking less make sure the water bottle is working, sometimes they get air bubbles in the tube preventing the water from coming out.
 
It is the all living things 12 oz water bottle. I check water bottles every time I fill them to make sure they work. It does come out.
 
It is the all living things 12 oz water bottle. I check water bottles every time I fill them to make sure they work. It does come out.
Ok so in 3 days (72 hours) the water should have gone down at least about 1/4, if it's not overly warm or dry in the room. It looks to be about that, so she is probably fine. Just like humans the amount they drink in a day can vary a bit depending on temp and how active they are that day. I know my guys drink more in the winter when I have the wood stove going because it drys out the house, so it can seem like they are suddenly drinking less come spring when it's a bit more humid out.

My chin also drinks very little.
Probably like 5 ml a day
If your chin is only drinking 5ml a day there is something seriously wrong, a chin can't survive on that little amount of water. As I said before they normally drink about 1-2oz a day which is roughly 30-60ml.
 
In three days I estimate she is drinking just a little less than 1/4. I will try to find out exactly how much she is drinking.
 
Always prepare more then enough. On a general hot day, or if the chin is having play time, they get thirst quicker. Also, the dry hay and cookie like pallets that pet store sells makes them thirsty as well.... My own experience is on a hot day, chin drinks more =)
 
Is your chinchilla a male? My one only drinks about 5 ml of water a day. I took him to the vet in December, thoroughly checked over and nothing wrong. He is very active, eats and poos well. Someone on this website who sounded very knowledgeable said some chinchillas, particularly males, can live fine on a very small amount. I also have a water bowl attached to his cage, he sometimes prefers that to a bottle. Also he likes rocket lettuce and apple, which give him moisture.
 
No she is my baby girl. It is a twelve ounce bottle. I think she drank enough because this is how much is missing in 24 hours. If you look at the other picture it only has a tiny bit more missing so maybe she just didn’t drink a lot that day. image.jpg
 
Is your chinchilla a male? My one only drinks about 5 ml of water a day. I took him to the vet in December, thoroughly checked over and nothing wrong. He is very active, eats and poos well. Someone on this website who sounded very knowledgeable said some chinchillas, particularly males, can live fine on a very small amount. I also have a water bowl attached to his cage, he sometimes prefers that to a bottle. Also he likes rocket lettuce and apple, which give him moisture.
Yes if you are feeding your chin inappropriate foods like fruit and veggies that have moisture they are likely going to drink less water since they are getting moisture else were. Lettuce is not safe it can cause diarrhea, gas, and bloat, and apples have too much sugar and can cause issues like tooth decay, seizures, diabetes, and liver and kidney failure. I understand it's your chin and you can feed it what ever you want, it's just not advised to.
 
It was my vet who advised me to try rocket salad and apple when he was drinking such a small quantity of water! It's only very small amounts.
 
It was my vet who advised me to try rocket salad and apple when he was drinking such a small quantity of water! It's only very small amounts.
I have a set of brothers I’ve had for two and a half years and between them they drink very different amounts of water. One drinks much more frequently and larger amounts than the other and have been this way since I got them at 8 weeks old.
Does your chinchilla show any outwards signs of not having enough water? You said before he is very active and pooping well so why is he needing water supplements?
Personally, I feel you may want to look into getting a new vet. A vet that recommends lettuce and apples does not understand proper care of chinchillas. It is honestly quite scary and is more than likely going to cause new/increased severity of problems than what you may, or really what it seems like, may not have now.
If these food amounts are the very small amounts you say, it’s probably not adding much in the way of moisture to their diet. But if it is to the point where those food items are actually adding a significant portion of water to your chinchillas diet, it is certainly way too much for them and should be stopped for the safety of the chinchilla. As pointed out earlier though, it is your chinchilla.
Maybe others can comment, but if your chin is in absolute need of more water it may be a better option to use critical care that’s a little more on the watery side to help supplement water intake. Could be a question to post.
 
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