# Water: Bowl vs. Bottle



## Nicole753 (Dec 16, 2011)

Hey guys  

I'm both new here and new to being a hedgie mommy. I got my little guy a couple days ago as an early Christmas gift from my boyfriend. I have always wanted a hedgie and am so excited to finally have one for my own! 

Anywho, I've been reading through this forum a lot the past couple days to make sure I'm doing everything I can to take the best possible care for my Dexter. I am pretty sure I didn't see this topic, but I could be wrong. What are the pros and cons of using a water bowl versus a bottle? I've read about how a lot of people don't seem to like to use the bottle and use the water dish. My guy has been using a bottle, and he drinks from it fine. I put it pretty low to the ground so that he didn't have to stretch up to reach it. It's just about at nose level. We did put in a dish at the same time for a couple of days and he didn't ever use the dish and would go straight for the bottle. Is it okay to use the bottle? I just want to make sure I am being a good hedgie mommy!

Thanks a lot!


----------



## lehaley (Jun 25, 2011)

From what I understand, and those with more extensive hedgehog experience please correct me if I forget anything:

The cons of using the water bottle are that it's an unnatural drinking position for hedgehogs. Unlike other small animals, their neck was not meant to bend in the way that is necessary for drinking from a cage-mounted water bottle and can cause some discomfort. Drinking from a water bowl is a much more natural and comfortable position for them. Also, hedgehogs have been known to chip/break teeth from the bottle. Since hedgehogs teeth do not constantly re-grow like some rodents do, this can be very problematic for them. Another problem I've seen mentioned here is that there have been hedgehogs who have gotten their tongues stuck between the ball and the side of the water bottle and they have been torn off because of it.

The good news is, most hedgehogs are happy to make the switch to a water bowl. A trick you might want to try if Dexter didn't seem too interested in the bowl is to put the bottle directly over the bowl for a few days. If this doesn't work, you can try removing the top of the water bottle and placing it in the full bowl for a day. Sometimes it helps the hedgie to make the association that water comes from both places. That's what got Felix to start using the bowl. Of course, you need to make sure that Dexter is using the bowl reliably before you completely remove the water bottle for good. You don't want a dehydrated hedgie on your hands. 

Some hedgehogs absolutely refuse to make the switch and many go their whole lives without problems. When I found out how bad the bottle was, I decided that avoiding the dangers was worth at least trying to get him to change to a bowl and it went better than I expected. 

Hope this helps!


----------



## Nicole753 (Dec 16, 2011)

Thanks! That helps a lot. I obviously don't want him hurt so I think I may do the switch over to a bowl right away!


----------



## Immortalia (Jan 24, 2009)

Bottles are also known for causing dehydration. It gives owners a false sense of security when they hear their pet lapping at the bottle. However, what comes out is only droplets. Imagine running a marathon(as our hedgies do every night) and you can only get a few drops of water at a time. After about 30min you're bound to give up, whether your thirst has been quenched or not. 

Also, there's a search box at the upper right corner if you have anything specific you want to search for. There's more pros and cons of each. But the basics are here...bowls are better  
The bottles are also harder to clean, which will cause buildup of bacteria inside the bottle. 
The only pro is that bedding can't get in, but most of us here use liners anyways , so that point is moot. 

Anyways good luck with your hedgie! If you have more questions don't be scared to ask!


----------



## Nicole753 (Dec 16, 2011)

Yes, I actually found a bunch of posts related to this topic soon after I posted this one, but this was just as helpful. I have put the end of his bottle into his water bowl and I'm sure it won't be hard for him to make the switch. Thanks again.


----------



## chelsea.kang (Dec 2, 2011)

Dido to the above posts. I've noticed that Marvin drinks a lot more water once I switched him to a dish. And he also wheels for longer periods of time since he can get the water he needs, making him a very fit hedgie.  
Dishes are also nice because they force you to rinse out and fill them with fresh water everyday. And well I don't drink glasses of water I've left on my nightstand for a few days, why should my hedgie have to drink water that's been sitting out for that long?


----------



## Nicole753 (Dec 16, 2011)

Wow he took to the bowl in a second! I feel much better about the amount of water he is drinking. Thanks again everyone!


----------



## xo.QuilliesMommie (Dec 9, 2011)

I tend to use both, he seems to like them both well enough, he usually doesn't stay in his cage when hes awake because I love spending time with him, when hes out of the cage I put him in a secure area or bin to play around and i'll leave food and a little bowl of water, and when he goes to bed he'll eat a bit more and drink from the bottle then sleep. 

Seems find with both of them , but I just like using the cute little bowls that they have at the pet store lol. :3

and your hedgiee looks super cute! :3


----------



## haleyburger (Nov 30, 2011)

I know I'm a little late, but I found this nifty thing in the reptile section of the petstore that is supposed to ensure proper hydration for desert style lizards who normally won't take to water like tropical ones do. (I wish I would have seen this when I had my beardie, he was a pain with water). Its basically a dish with a bottle attachment. I forget the exact name and I can't check since I'm at school right now. But it basically looks like this, except the one I bought has a smooth surface instead of the imitation rock.

http://www.google.com/imgres?q=lizard+w ... 24&bih=598

Its great because its the naturally drinking position, but it still offers a good supply of water that refills itself when the water level drops below the grated section. My only problem with it is that my hedgie often gets food crumbs in the bowl, but it never really deters him from continuing to drink.


----------



## Immortalia (Jan 24, 2009)

The problem with those kinds of waterers is that the nozzle area is still hard to clean. You'll need either really long fingers or special bottle cleaners to really scrub out the "shoulder" ends at the open end, and then to get far back enough to scrub the far bottom. Also, some owners may take the large volume of water it holds as a means to NOT change water daily, which is bad, especially at the warmer climate our hedgies are kept at. Perfect place for bacterial growth. 

But, if it works for you and you have stuff to clean it easily then great! ^_^


----------



## Nancy (Aug 22, 2008)

I've used one of them. It came with a rehome and I kept him on it. It was okay but I found it far more work to clean it every day as opposed to a bowl. 

As Immortalia mentioned, because of the large amount of water it holds, some people don't clean and refill daily.


----------



## moxieberry (Nov 30, 2011)

A little bit belated, but I wanted to add something that hadn't been mentioned yet. It came up while visiting and talking with the breeder that I'll be getting my little boy from next week - Kim of Kymwana Tiggy Winkles in WA. She uses bottles for her hedgehogs because some hedgehogs will pee or poop in their water bowls, and then be drinking out of it, essentially consuming their own filth. Some hedgehogs will also knock over their water bowls, which leaves them with a damp liner and no water at all until whenever it's checked next, potentially 8-10 hours if it's during the night or while the owner is at work.

Kim uses sterilite bins as cages, with holes and zipties to hold the bottles in place - the bottle on the outside and the end of it poking through. We saw several of them using the bottles while we were there, and they seemed to be positioned low enough that the hedgehogs pretty much didn't have to lean up at all. She also said that in her breeding experience, she's never once had a hedgehog damage a tooth from the bottles - so, while that's of course a possibility, it doesn't seem to be a very high risk.

I just figured I'd point out some cons of the bowl that no one had mentioned yet. :]

I have both a bottle and a bowl, and when I bring my little guy home, I'll be kind of playing it by ear. For instance, he might prefer the bottle because that's what he's been using so far; or I might take out the water bowl if I see him pooping/peeing in it, and not use that until he figures out to use the litter tray/wheel instead.


----------



## caressfromgod (Aug 4, 2012)

Bottle Vs. Bowl......

I've let Malcolm have a bowl since I got him (6 months now! <3) but I'm having a bit of a problem. He likes to throw stuff around and gets it filthy. I'll clean the bowl out and refill it in the evening, but by morning it has litter and cat food in it. I never have time to clean it in the morning, and by the following evening it looks like its molding. I don't want him drinking litter water, but sometimes I don't come home until the next day and I don't want him drinking nasty water while I'm gone. I'm trying to transition to a hanging bottle, but he doesn't seem to know how to use it.

My Questions:
1. Will he figure the bottle out if I just leave him with it?
2. How long should I leave him with only the bottle if he cant figure it out?
3. What height should the bottle be at? (Currently he has to look up a little to use it, but any lower and the plastic siding will make it hang wrong.)

Please help?


----------



## Hedgehoggirl18608 (Jan 14, 2018)

Hi, I don’t want to steal this thread I was just wondering how to make your own thread? Thank you


----------



## NougatTheHedgie (Jan 21, 2018)

Well, in my opinion, a glass bottle should be used, because the bottle won't drip, and hedgie can't put bedding into it. Try not to use plastic because it has dangerous chemicals that can hurt hedgie, so use glass. A bottle also won't drip, and that's important because if hedgie isn't drinking very much, you can tell, and you can easily tell if hedgie gets sick or something. Also, hedgies can put bedding into a bowl, or splash water into the bedding, both means that you will need to replace water/bedding more often(Wet bedding can grow mould on it and hurt hedgie).

-Nougat


----------



## nikki (Aug 28, 2008)

Bottles are not recommended for hedgehogs as it forces them to end their necks backwards and put a lot of pressure on the cervical vertebrae. They also usually drink less from a bottle than a bowl. As long as you use a good sized and shaped bowl there should be no issues with spillage. as long as the bowl is cleaned daily and the water changed daily there is no issues with contaminated water.


----------

