If you are going to be a hedgehog parent, you may wonder if it is better to buy a water bottle or a bowl for the newest member of your family. There is a hot debate in the hedgehog community about whether a water bottle is safe for your hedgehog. Here is the truth.
It is not safe for a hedgehog to drink from a traditional small pet water bottle, whether the bottle is spring-loaded or not. Hedgehogs can chip their teeth, get their tongue stuck, and even poke their eyes out using these bottles. However, hedgehogs can safely use chicken nipple water bottles and water bowls.
Continue reading to learn more about the dangers of small pet water bottles. You will also receive helpful recommendations for water bowls and other dispensers that best suit your hedgehog.
Table of Contents
Why Can’t Hedgehogs Use a Traditional Small Pet Water Bottle?
Drinking from a small pet water bottle can be dangerous for hedgehogs’ health because their teeth, tongue, and eyes can get hurt.
Their Teeth Can Get Chipped
Small pet water bottles generally release water slowly in small amounts. However, your hedgehog’s thirst will not go away with two or three drops of water.
If your hedgehog is thirsty but not getting the water it needs, it may, out of frustration, start biting and chewing the spout of the water bottle to get more water out. Since the spout is made of metal, it can cause the teeth of your hedgehog to chip or even break.
A broken or chipped tooth will make it harder for your hedgehog to eat. It will have to chew directly on its gums, which is hurtful. It may even stop eating out of pain. Chipped or broken teeth will require expensive vet treatments.
Their Tongue Can Get Stuck
Hedgehogs mostly eat insects. They have a long and skinny tongue, which is particularly useful to help them catch insects. However, having such a tongue can cause injuries when drinking from a spring-loaded water bottle.
Some bottles are spring-loaded, which means they have a small spring behind the little ball that a pet needs to push with its tongue to get water. These bottles are popular among small pet owners since the spring prevents the bottle from leaking.
However, they do not design these bottles for hedgehogs. Hedgehogs can get their long, skinny tongues farther into the bottle than other small pets. They can get their tongue stuck in the spring if they push the ball too hard.
Unfortunately, a hedgehog may rip out its tongue trying to get loose, which is extremely dangerous since your pet could bleed, be in horrible pain, develop an infection, or even die.
They Can Poke an Eye Out
Hedgehogs have poor eyesight, so they mostly use their smell to know where they are.
However, a clean water bottle does not have a strong smell (and should not!), so it is difficult for your hedgehog to know precisely where it is in its cage.
When your hedgehog walks around its cage, it cannot see the water bottle’s spout. It could run right into it and damage its eye. Unfortunately, there are horror stories about hedgehogs who lost an eye (or even both). With their prominent eyes, hedgehogs are already subject to eye infections.
As you can see, traditional small pet water bottles are dangerous for hedgehogs, and you should never use them. Using a spring-loaded water bottle is even riskier. It is best to stick to safer alternatives, but a bowl is not the only good option.
What Should I Put My Hedgehog’s Water In?
Now that you know that small water bottles are not suitable for your pet hedgehog, you may wonder what to put your hedgehog’s water in.
Use a Water Bowl
This is an obvious choice. A water bowl is a great option for a hedgehog. It will be easy for your hog to drink from and does not require any training. Your hedgehog will naturally know how to drink from it. It is also safe, as your hedgehog cannot hurt itself by drinking from a bowl.
However, hedgehogs sometimes knock over their water bowl. If that happens, your hedgehog will have no water source and a wet and cold cage.
You need a stable bowl to prevent your hedgehog from knocking its water bowl over.
Most owners recommend this bowl. It is slightly slanted, making it more comfortable for your pet. It is made of ceramic, making it heavier than other small pet bowls and more difficult to knock over.
Some hedgehogs really like to play hard and will find a way to knock over even the most stable and heavy bowl. If you choose to go with a bowl, but your hedgehog is particularly active, you may need something extra heavy to prevent the bowl when getting spilled by your hedgehog. You can buy a small ceramic tile and hot glue the bowl. It will be impossible for your hedgehog to knock this over. If you buy a big enough tile, you will also be able to glue its food bowl, and then it won’t be able to knock over that bowl either.
A bowl is an excellent option for most hedgehogs since they are easy to use. However, they can get dirty fast. Some hedgehogs will step into their water bowl or even poop in it.
Another thing to consider is if you use loose bedding, like paper bedding (instead of fleece bedding). Your hedgehog may dig near its water bowl and then push bedding into it.
In some cases, other alternatives may be a better fit for a hedgehog.
Use a Gravity Water Dispenser
A water dispenser is as safe as a water bowl, but it has the convenience of a water bottle.
Some hedgehogs use the Hypeety Water Dispenser. They designed this dispenser for birds, but it is the perfect size for hedgehogs. It is also safe and easy to clean since it comes in two detachable pieces.
A water dispenser can still get dirty like a water bowl. However, water dispensers usually have a smaller opening than bowls, which reduces the risk of your hog stepping in it or putting bedding in it.
It is also harder to knock over a gravity water dispenser because it is heavy. When filled, a small water dispenser can usually hold up to 500ml of water, which is 500g, about the same weight as an average adult African pygmy hedgehog.
There are other gravity water dispensers on the market. However, many are hard to clean since they are in one piece. It is not recommended to get those since mold and bacteria could grow inside if you cannot clean them properly.
Use a Chicken Nipple Water Bottle
Unlike traditional small pet and spring-loaded water bottles, chicken nipple bottles cannot hurt your hedgehog’s teeth, tongue, and eyes.
Chicken nipple water bottles have a tiny metal spout, making it impossible for your hedgehog to bite. There is also no opening with a ball and spring, so your hedgehog’s tongue cannot get stuck. Finally, since the chicken nipple is small and directly under the bottle, your hedgehog does not risk running into it and poking its eye.
You can buy a hedgehog-sized chicken nipple water bottle from Sonoran Desert Hedgies.
However, chicken nipple water bottles are not perfect. When placed too high or too low, the position your hedgehog must adopt to drink may be uncomfortable and harmful to its spine. Your hedgehog should not have to lift or lower its head when drinking from its water bottle. You will need to adjust the height of the bottle as your hog grows.
Drinking from a water bottle is not natural for a hedgehog. It will then require some training for your hedgehog to understand that there is water in the bottle and how to get it.
Note that hedgehogs usually drink less from a bottle than they would from a bowl.
How to Train a Hedgehog to Use a (Chicken Nipple) Water Bottle?
If your hedgehog has always drunk from a bowl, it may need some time to get used to a water bottle.
The best way to train a hedgehog to use a water bottle is to fill the water bottle and the water bowl and place them both in the cage.
Do not remove the water bowl from the cage until you see your hedgehog drinking from the water bottle. You can check the water level in the bottle at night and in the morning. If the water level is down, the chances are that your hedgehog drank from its bottle.
Most hedgehogs will need up to two weeks to get used to a water bottle. However, keep the bowl longer if you are not 100% sure that your hedgie uses it to prevent dehydration.
Conclusion
You now know why traditional small and spring-loaded water bottles are dangerous for hedgehogs. You simply have to find what best fits your hedgehog between a water bowl, a gravity water dispenser, and a chicken nipple water bottle.
Remember, whether you use a water bowl, a dispenser, or a chicken nipple water bottle, you still need to clean and refill it with fresh water daily.