Why is my guinea pig suddenly drinking excessive water? Is it sick?

You cannot be sure before taking her to the vet. Your vet can diagnose diabetes easily via a small blood test and urine test. There can be other conditions which cause excessive drinking such as a uterine infection, or kidney problems. Guinea pigs often suffer from bladder stones which would also be a cause. Please take Snickers to the vet for an exam. Once you know what the problem is, it can be treated and you won't have to worry so much anymore.

Your skinny pig is very cute, I love thes guys! The increased drinking can be a number of things from a urinary tract infection to a teeth problem! Guinea pigs can pass creamy urine from excess calcium in their urine from diet or from a uterine issue. She will need to see a vet and have them check and see what is going on. If you can get her to go pee on a flat, clean surface, you can take it in to your vet. It should be in the fridge until you take it in. Make sure she is is getting low calcium veggies (like Romaine, Endive, Escarole, Cilantro and bell peppers), no alfalfa hay and Adult GP pellets that are free of Alfalfa.

It’s possible that Caramell may be dealing with a bladder infection or kidney issues. I recommend to take her to see her veterinarian and start with a urinalysis to check for infection. Always better to be safe. I hope this is helpful and please feel free to post any additional questions.

Thanks for reaching out about Genesis and including a photo. You need to monitor urine production. You can also perform a skin turgor test by gently pinching the skin and seeing if the skin is elastic (shrinks back down). If stays raised, possibly dehydrated. Make sure both eat a good quality timothy hay, as needed to for proper dental wearing. Also guinea pigs have a requirement for vitamin C in the diet, and the pellets are probably not enough. Good luck.

A [guinea pig](https://www.petcoach.co/article/what-you-need-to-know-about-your-new-guinea-pig) that is not eating or drinking needs to be seen by an exotics species veterinarian ASAP. Your guinea pig is at risk of developing (or may already have) a medical condition called Gastrointestinal Stasis (GIS). Without treatment, this can be a fatal condition. GIS is a common condition in guinea pigs and rabbits. Gastrointestinal stasis occurs when the normal emptying of the stomach and passage of food through the intestinal tract slows or stops. Food, fur, and other ingesta then accumulates in the stomach. Without sufficient water intake, the stomach contents become dehydrated, making passage of the contents even more difficult. Anything that causes your guinea pig not to eat/drink, such as disease, dental disease, pain, stress, or starvation, can lead to gastrointestinal stasis. Be sure to have your vet check your guinea pig's teeth for overgrowth or misalignment. A guinea pig's teeth are constantly growing. He or she must chew constantly to keep them trimmed. If not they can quickly become overgrown which will affect the appetite. Until you can get to your veterinarian for treatment, it is important to encourage your guinea pig to eat and drink. Some guinea pigs will readily drink fruit-flavored electrolyte replacement solutions, such as PediaLyte or Gatorade, from a syringe. Offer your guinea pig a [balanced diet](https://www.petcoach.co/article/things-to-know-about-feeding-your-guinea-pig) including a large selection of fresh greens such as cilantro, romaine lettuce, parsley, carrot tops, dandelion greens, spinach, collard greens and good-quality grass hay. Don't forget to supplement with [Vitamin C](https://www.petcoach.co/article/guinea-pig-vitamin-c-requirements). Your vet may recommend syringe-feeding a special herbivore diet, such as [Oxbow Critical Care](https://www.oxbowanimalhealth.com/our-products/professional-line/critical-care), or you can mix ground up pellets with fresh greens, vegetable baby foods, water, or juice to form a gruel. Introduce the syringe tip into the mouth behind the front incisors and depress the plunger slowly, giving your guinea pig time to swallow. If your guinea pig is still mobile, encourage exercise for at least 10–15 minutes every 6–8 hours, as activity promotes gastric motility.

Thanks for reaching out about Charmander and including a photo. The photo is suggestive of a urinary calculi (stone), urinary tract infection or uterine disease (possible cancer). A veterinary visit is needed as soon as possible. Good luck.

It is not typical to see guinea pigs mourning although it is possible. I would be more worried that this guinea pig may be coming down with an illness especially since you had another guinea pig die recently. I suggest you get him/her to a vet for an exam as soon as you can to rule out a medical reason for the symptoms.