[ChristinaP]

The ones I mentioned had grown up with bottles, but still were not getting enough.

Yeah, I guess I wasn't really clear when I relayed my guess that maybe water bottle problems are a result of not growing up using the bottle. Doesn't really apply to not being able to get enough water. I was thinking just for teeth and mouth injuries. Sorry bout that.

Well, your guess made sense. It just wasn't the case with ours.

 

[Gatrice]

I just got Holly yesterday (yay!). When I put her cage together I decided on a water bowl over a bottle, but when I put her in her new home she didn't seem to get the water bowl concept at all. She ate plenty from her food bowl, but instead of drinking from the water one she just kept running through it and soaking her cage.

So today I brought home a water bottle. After I mounted it in her cage she spent some 10 minutes straight lapping at it, which makes me think she didn't drink a drop out of the bowl. She does bite at the tube, which worries me, but I guess potential tooth damage is ever so slightly less bad than dehydration. :S

 

[Jess]

Do all hedgehogs drink a lot? Ours doesn't seem to drink much at all. It is hard to tell how much water is gone from the bowl, but it isn't much. I have been trying to give her food that has a higher water content---not just dry kibble--so that she at least gets SOME water. Also, could it be related to having a baby? She was drinking noticeably more before she gave birth. She poos fairly normally and they are not too soft and not too hard, so it makes me think that she is eating and drinking enough.
Any comments?

 

[Marc]

We were worried about ours when we first got her because she didn't seem to be able to figure out how to use the bottle on her own. I emailed our breeder and she said that they're desert animals and it's normal for them to not drink much and if you have an 8 oz water bottle they usually drink 1/4" to 1" a night (easy to measure is another reason I like bottles).

 

[dorasdaddy]

Dora didnt drink much at all when she had her bottle....now she drinks 2-3 oz a night from her bowl. We never had Millie on a water bottle, and she has always drank alot as well. When we first switched to bowls Dora didnt take to them to well, i think this had to do with the size and shape of the bowl...was bigger around with short sides....now the two of them are on the 3" diameter crocks from petco....and they havent slowed down yet..lol

 

[Reaper]

Well what I did is my own little experiment. Both of my girls were on a bottle from the breeder. I added a reservoir bowl sold for reptiles. They have both in the cage and they rarely touch the bottle. I think they still use the bottle to hear the noise it makes. They may use the bottle once a month if that. The bowl is a big hit and they do drink much more. Drinking more is better for renal health and dilutes the urine so the odor is greatly reduced. I would NEVER just offer a bottle.

 

[azntart]

I recently acquired 2 hedgehogs and my female was pregnant. She has now given birth and the only that survived now had his teeth and since I cannot keep him due to lack of room I'm having to sell him. However the parents have been using a water bottle and I was wondering I
How the baby hedgehog k ow the water in the water bottle. Do I have to somehow h
Show him or will he learn himself? Any suggestions please and thank u

 

[SpikeyFl00f]

I am new to this, however, my hog came to me being water bottle fed. I changed over to a bowl (actually glass) two nights ago. When patient, she would use her nose to prop the ball at the end of the water bottle to get water. However, I noticed when really thirsty, she would bite aggressively at the end, trying to paw the metal end. Because of this, I switched. I was concerned about damage to her teeth. So far, no mess...

I have noticed the exact same behavior with my new-ish hedgehog, so I have decided to offer him a bowl and see if he drinks out of it. As far as I know he's only ever been given a bottle.

 

[nikki]

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