I am new to the forum and just got a chin last week, I noticed this morning that he kept going back and forth a lot to his water bottle like he was having trouble getting water from it. i checked it and my hubby did to and it does give water but seems like it takes a lot for him to get it so I bought a little ceramic dish and put some water in it and he drank and drank now I feel really bad that I didn't notice earlier that he must have been having trouble getting it. Are some water bottles better than others? We bought a book and it said that when they are young they my have trouble drinking from a water bottle and to do as we did.

TTFN
Rachel

I remeber our Bobby having problems with his bottle when we got him. He was used to another system and we werent told. But he did come around. It could help to mash a little bit of a raisin around the teet of the bottle, they will try and nibble it and find out that there is water there to get. I hope your chinnie will be fine now!

It was quick thinking on your part, Rachel. But, some chinnies will play with their ceramic bowl and get water on themselves, which is not too good. Their fur is hard to dry.

I had the same problem once with water bottle. It was attached a bit skewered than normal and no water came out. I noticed in the afternoon that even though my lot tried to drink, nothing came out. So I adjusted it.

Another idea is to buy an extra different water bottle to be put up in the cage. This should act as a reserve, just in case something went wrong with the first one. Better safe than sorry. (Btw, I have 3 water bottles in my cage now, for the three of them. )

For reasons I have never worked out, Daisy stopped using her water bottle some time ago I've tried several different types but no luck (we wonder if she pinched her lip ) since then, though they still have a water bottle in their cage, she has drunk from a bowl, it needs checking/changing more often (twice a day for mine) but otherwise no problems.

I was always having problems with the water bottles with the little ball in it. My lot would dribble water and they dripped incessantly no matter what I did. I finally visited a website called Chinworld and bought a different water bottle, this one has a little lever in it so all they have to do is press their teeth or lips anywhere on the lever and they get water and never a drip, ever and they have a flip top so that I don't have to remove the bottle to refill it. Here's the link to what I'm talking about water bottle

Mind you, Chinworld isn't the fastest when it comes to shipping but these bottles are one of my best investments yet.

Thanks Tabby for the link.

John hopewell now sells a new type of water bottle with a nipple obn it similiar to a watering system - easier for many to drink out of as it has the little lever in the middle that they nudge and a dribble of water comes out might pay to enquire with him and see if it would work with yours?