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Thread: Not taking to water

  1. #1
    FoxHound Guest

    Default Not taking to water

    MJ is having trouble drinking.

    I have a bottle (Like a rabbit/hamster water bottle) attached and a water dish but I don't ever see her drinking and I don't really notice much difference.
    She is ~6-8 weeks old. On direction of a rehabber we gave pedialite+Baytril mixture and puppy replacement milk. She is still taking to the milk but I do have solid food in her cage, and like I said water.

    She doesn't seem dehydrated, she is acting pretty normal and much better than when she was first brought in.
    Anyone seen this before anything I can do?

  2. #2
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    Default Re: Not taking to water

    My babies just started to take to a water bottle last week...they are ages 8-9 weeks old and 10 weeks old...have you tried the shallow dish of water with rocks or stones in it? I use the big glass flattened out pebbles, like you use in flower plant glasses or white pebbles that I have purchased. That works great to teach them...

    I also will rinsed their veggies in water before giving them and they licked it off of them as well in the beginning.

  3. #3
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    Default Re: Not taking to water

    I just posted a similar thread the other day as mine wants nothing to do with water. I have had it offered for about 4 weeks now and nothing.....bottle and shallow dish with the flat glass rocks at the bottom.
    I was told that if they are still taking formula, and eating veggies, they are possibly getting all the water they need from that and they may still be taking from the water bottle but not enough to notice.

    One suggestion I was also given was to place a damp wash cloth/paper towel they can get water from that way.

  4. #4
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    Default Re: Not taking to water

    Um...

    Mama squirrel usually doesn't let her babies out and about until they are 9-10 weeks old, which is the VERY FIRST TIME they will run into "water" which up until now they didn't now existed. Mama squirrels can't carry water! They are basically wired to mature at a pretty specific rate even if their situation is totally alien to what they would see in the wild. They will find the water soon but not yet - they should be getting all they need from the formula you should be giving them.

  5. Serious fuzzy thank you's to CritterMom from:

    Nancy in New York (10-11-2018)

  6. #5
    FoxHound Guest

    Default Re: Not taking to water

    Quote Originally Posted by CritterMom View Post
    Um...

    Mama squirrel usually doesn't let her babies out and about until they are 9-10 weeks old, which is the VERY FIRST TIME they will run into "water" which up until now they didn't now existed. Mama squirrels can't carry water! They are basically wired to mature at a pretty specific rate even if their situation is totally alien to what they would see in the wild. They will find the water soon but not yet - they should be getting all they need from the formula you should be giving them.
    Thanks!

  7. #6
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    Default Re: Not taking to water

    I put Nibbles formula in the hanging bottle, gave the end a roll so it was on the ball, presented it to him at feeding time and he licked it a couple times. I went ahead and fed normal but knew he knew how to use it. Replaced it with water and hung in his cage. He drank very little until weaned.

  8. #7
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    Default Re: Not taking to water

    Quote Originally Posted by Sottinger View Post
    I put Nibbles formula in the hanging bottle, gave the end a roll so it was on the ball, presented it to him at feeding time and he licked it a couple times. I went ahead and fed normal but knew he knew how to use it. Replaced it with water and hung in his cage. He drank very little until weaned.
    I have thought about doing this....I may try it just to see.

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