# Switched to a Water Bowl - Question



## bnk28 (Dec 19, 2010)

I've had my hedgehog since Christmas Eve. Since then, she's been putting me through the ringer with eating. She'll eat eggs, meal worms, baby food, etc but wont eat her kibble (note: I haven't been spoiling her with treats, I hardly give them). I've tried every combination, cat food with cat food, hedgehog food with cat food, 2 cat foods with hedgehog food, I tried coffee grinding the kibble and adding chicken broth to make it pasty, everything. 

Well last night I was cleaning her cage and decided to switch her to a water dish and remove the bottle as it seems like she struggles to reach it, even with a step stool. My mom and I stood there watching, scared she wouldn't know how to drink out of the bowl. Within two seconds she figured it out and slurped it down. She was SO thirsty. It made me feel terrible. Then this morning, it looked like she ate a little bit of the pasted up food I mixed up and there was a poop in her litter pan. 

Do you think thirst could of been causing her lack of interest in the kibble? She hasn't been acting lethargic or anything.

Thanks,
Briana


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## silvercat (Oct 24, 2008)

It could have been. Dehyrdation can reduce hunger a little bit. Think about yourself. If your mouth is really dry, you don't want to put dry food in it. (Of Course this is just me guess). I would recommend watching for a week without adjusting the food side of things and see if her food intake goes up.

Glad she liked the water bowl!


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## MissC (Nov 15, 2010)

Snarf did the same thing. His previous owner used a bottle, so I kept it and added a bowl as well. He took a drink of water from his bottle - and seemed to me to be getting more and more ticked as he did so - then stuck his nose in his water - ooops! He sat back...glared at the water bowl for a second...then I swear I saw a light bulb go off and he drank half the bowl.

It breaks my heart to think he's probably lived his entire life needing more water.


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## silvercat (Oct 24, 2008)

MissC said:


> Snarf did the same thing. His previous owner used a bottle, so I kept it and added a bowl as well. He took a drink of water from his bottle - and seemed to me to be getting more and more ticked as he did so - then stuck his nose in his water - ooops! He sat back...glared at the water bowl for a second...then I swear I saw a light bulb go off and he drank half the bowl.
> 
> It breaks my heart to think he's probably lived his entire life needing more water.


bah ha. I'm not laughing at your message, I just had the most wonderful memory of my first hedgie reading that message thought. Sylvie's water/food dish was a cat dish with two bowls. Sometimes when putting the dish back in her cage, I would accidently switch the side that the water & food was on. Sylvie was a creature of habit, come out to eat some food and get a face full of water. She was look totally stunned, then turn & go back into her hidey hut until I fixed the bowl. It was too precious  Thanks for the memory!


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## ShaylaRosa (Jan 22, 2011)

I'm might buy a hedgehog, but first i want to buy everything before hand and then i buy the hedgie  
so you would consider a water bowl better?


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## MissC (Nov 15, 2010)

ShaylaRosa said:


> so you would consider a water bowl better?


Definitely. 

OMG, Silvercat!!! That's too funny!


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## bnk28 (Dec 19, 2010)

Thanks for the replies! She's been eating like crazy and pooping like crazy ever since I put the water dish in there. I'm so happy that I finally got her eating problem figured out!


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## PJM (May 7, 2010)

This is good for us too! If someone in the future has a similar problem, we can ask if they have a water bottle or a bowl. It may help another hedgie down the road. Glad you figured it out!


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## hedjie (Jan 14, 2011)

This morning I noticed that my new Hedgie, Sandi, was a little shaky which reminded me of my first hedgehog that passed away from extreme dehydration (she had a water bottle and not being able to drink from it effectively may have been a factor in her passing). I put her in her cage and tried to get her to drink from her watter bottle and it looked like she was having a lot of trouble getting the water to come out of it. I searched my kitchen for a suitable temporary dish and came up with a heavy-bottomed shallow glass dessert bowl. As soon as I put it in her cage and put Sandi next to it she drank almost half the water in the bowl! She continued to drink all day and tonight all of her shakiness was gone and she seemed very happy once again. I'm very glad that I caught it now and not in a couple days when she was extremely sick. I will never use a water bottle again.


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## susanaproenca (Aug 14, 2010)

I'm glad you figured this out and Sandi is doing fine again!


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## MomLady (Aug 14, 2010)

When I first got Nara, I offered her both, since the breeder was using water bottles. Well she immediately drank from the water bowl and after about a week, I took the bottle out. I had heard horror stories of cuts, broken teeth and blocked water tubes. 

Yes, I too have changed the "order" of the food and water dishes and gotten some weird looks. They are certainly creatures of habit.

I am always amazed at how much water she drinks and I give her fresh water at least twice a day. 

I am glad to hear changing to a water bowl is helping. If nothing else, offer both and see which gets used.

Donna


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## hedjie (Jan 14, 2011)

I was so relieved! We're still going to take her for a vet visit next week, probably Monday, just to make sure everything is how it should be with her health.


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## suwanee (Nov 15, 2010)

wow.

That is so sad that they can't get enough water *to sustain life* from the water bottle. We definitely need to remember this lesson.


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## MissC (Nov 15, 2010)

Thank you for sharing!!! The next time someone asks if a water bottle is okay, I am going to refer them to this post!!


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## hedjie (Jan 14, 2011)

Yes! Please do! I don't want anyone else to go through what I had to because of a bit of misinformation.


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## karennoel (Dec 20, 2010)

Luna has used a water bottle ever since i got her. She drinks from it fine and i have it really low. I got my first hedgie back in 1997 before all this info was available and she drank from a bottle also, she lived to be 7. The experiences I have had with bottles have been good, so I'm not sure if I want to change or not. I may do a little experiment to make a decision. Measure how much water is in her bottle when full, then measure it in the morning to see how much she drank. Then tomorrow I will put in a water dish and measure it the same way and see if she drinks more or about the same. I just worry about her tipping the water dish over. If she ends up liking the dish better I may get her that reptil waterer from petco that has a bottle on the back and fills up the dish.


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## Kuzukuzu27 (Oct 20, 2010)

When I first got Yoshi, I had a water bottle. Unfortunately, though it had an adorable little yellow ducky to show the water level(I'm cuteness freak ), it leaked EVERYWHERE. It would soak all the bedding(I started off with carefresh before switching to liners) underneath it in a 2 inch radius.  So because of that, I switched to a bowl, though I was actually planning on getting a new water bottle. After seeing how much happier Yoshi was with a bowl, though, I decided to stay with that.

Then I was at Dollarama one day and saw some really cute ramekin dishes. I bought a red one for his food and a blue one for water. Then only a week later after a trip to the vet, Mom was moving his water dish back into his cage and dropped it. xD So I bought a new one.  They're super cute, and perfectly Yoshi-sized.

Glad you figured out your hedgie's food issue!


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## silvercat (Oct 24, 2008)

Kuzukuzu27 said:


> Then I was at Dollarama one day and saw some really cute ramekin dishes. I bought a red one for his food and a blue one for water. Then only a week later after a trip to the vet, Mom was moving his water dish back into his cage and dropped it. xD So I bought a new one.  They're super cute, and perfectly Yoshi-sized.!


Watch out with Dollar Store dishes. They can leak.... something. I want to say lead, or... something. Ok so this isn't the most informative post. I do remember reading something though about Dollar Store ceramics though. As most are made over seas where there regulations are different and at such low cost, that the products used are not as good or necessarilyu "human" quality." I will see if I can find the actual info.

edited to add: link to another discussion about dollarstore dishes leaking chemicals/lead http://hedgehogcentral.com/forums/viewtopic.php?f=6&t=5195&p=42381&hilit=dish+chemical#p42381


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## MissC (Nov 15, 2010)

silvercat said:


> Ok so this isn't the most informative post.


silvercat you always make me laugh! (with you, of course, not at you).

You can get little heavy-bottomed ceramic dishes at CTire, HomeHardware, any kitchen store (and they can be painted on the outside for those of you that need the 'cute' factor) <ahem> kuzu...

Pet stores also ceramic, heavy-bottomed dishes. But their call theirs food dishes. :lol: 
i kill me.


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## Kuzukuzu27 (Oct 20, 2010)

Eep! Now I'm worried... I'd get a lead testing kit, but I'm not sure where I could get one... Should I take the bowl out? They are meant to be food dishes, but could there still be a risk?

Oh, here I go into protective-worrisome-hedgie-mama mode. :|


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## Ophelia (Dec 10, 2010)

Reptile water dishes are great! :d But make sure to clean it daily if you use one. ^_^ I just run mine through reeeeally (dishwasher hands!) hot water and wipe it down with a cloth. I notice it gets gunk on the bottom too, so you'd have to wipe down the bottom.


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## Kuzukuzu27 (Oct 20, 2010)

The ramekins are/were made by Gryphonware, and I can't find anything on the net about them leaking lead, so I THINK I'm safe. However, if anybody feels I should replace them, absolutely let me know! I trust all the more experienced hedgie owners here.


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## MissC (Nov 15, 2010)

Kuzukuzu27 said:


> The ramekins are/were made by Gryphonware, and I can't find anything on the net about them leaking lead, so I THINK I'm safe. However, if anybody feels I should replace them, absolutely let me know! I trust all the more experienced hedgie owners here.


It has been a concern here and there...esp with stuff from China (I mean they put plastic in their baby formula :shock: . knowingly...willingly...). A lot of the dollar store 'bad' stuff does get weeded out, tho' cuz Canada's laws are so strict. What I do is check how long the store keeps bringing in the same brand...if they carry it for a long time, it's likely passed our laws, anyway. NOT a guarantee but likely safe. If there was a huge issue, you'd likely be hearing more about it.

if you want to be safe, get a similar style pet dish or find an American/Canadian made brand.


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