# hedgehog not drinking water!



## newhedgiemom1 (Jun 9, 2014)

Hello everyone, I got a hedgehog on thursday and he has warmed up very well the past couple days. Eating cat food and meal worms, active at night for a couple hours, poop has turned back to brown, but one thing hasnt happened drinking water. When I got him he had a bottle so i jave a bottle on his cage and also a plastic dish deep enough that it cant tip and he can still reach. He is almost 2 month but seems to sleep during the day and some period at night too. Around 11 I will check on him and he was asleep last night. Im not sure if that is normal for a baby or if he became active again later or what. The temp stays around 75-77 which was his temp at the breeder. I have even tried watermelon and he has no interest in it. I dont know what to do I marked the bottle and so far nothing. Yet I think I hear him at the bottle maybe.


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## Teddi4211 (Apr 30, 2014)

Is not using the dish either? Maybe he is drinking from the dish, as many hedgehogs prefer that when the have the choice. My hedgies weren't hard to convert to using a dish from a bottle.


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## Lady (Dec 30, 2013)

You can try putting a small cat bell in the water dish to listen and see if he's using that instead of the bottle.

Babies will sleep 23 hours a day if you let them. I don't think Colin's a baby anymore but sometimes he'll run all night and other nights he'll only be up just as the sun's going down, and again just as it's coming up.


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## newhedgiemom1 (Jun 9, 2014)

I know he knows of the dish because the day I put it in there he sniffed it and walked away. But the water doesnt seem to go down in there either. I would assume if hes thirsty he will drink but if this is a bigger issue then I think I want to notify the breeder whom im good friends with so she can take a look at him


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## Melanie G. (May 29, 2014)

If you are friends with the breeder it might be a good idea to ask her about it.
My hedgies drink from a bowl and there isn't a noticeable change in the amount of water in the morning. 
He may be drinking in the night when you are sleeping.


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## newhedgiemom1 (Jun 9, 2014)

Okay thanks


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## Lilysmommy (Jan 7, 2009)

Lily never had a huge amount of water gone either. Look for urine spots in his bedding, or you can try putting down some paper towel, particularly in front of the wheel to see if you find any urine spots on it in the morning. The color of his urine can indicate how much he's drinking too - dark means not drink much & potentially dehydrated, light means he should be fine.


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## newhedgiemom1 (Jun 9, 2014)

If I knew how to post pictures I would because milo seems to be drinking water because urin is all in his wheel. Also another question I have a bottle ans a bowl in there and the bottle is full but isnt dripping as well as it should? How could I fix that?


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## Lilysmommy (Jan 7, 2009)

Personally I'd just ditch the bottle. Even if it's working properly, they often can't get enough water out of it, and they risk chipping or breaking teeth or catching their tongue on the spout. If it's not working well, it doesn't seem worth the trouble to try and make it work well, especially if he has a bowl available to him and if he seems to be drinking from that.


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## newhedgiemom1 (Jun 9, 2014)

Thats the thing I dont know if hes drinking from the bowl. He must be drinking bevause he has urine in his wheel but idk from where hes drinking


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