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[Dex21]

Hey guys, so I have noticed in these past two weeks that Dex's water bottle is not dispensing water as easily as before.  I have been trying to tap my finger on the nozzle part (where he licks/sucks the water from) to help dispense it more, but I have noticed that in about 2 days time Dex's water hasn't gone down more than an inch.  This is unusual for him, however he has only lost 7 grams from all of this and doesn't seem any different.  I have 2 questions: 1) do I have anything to be worried about? and 2) What can I do to help this water bottle dispense better just in case I am ever away from home and need to rely on it.  Is there a certain water bottle you recommend?  Currently I am using the glass Kaytee water bottle.  Thank you!

[GrayRodent]

1. Do you have anything to be worried about? Maybe. If you suspect there is a problem and your chinchilla is not consuming a normal amount of water you could have a problem with either your bottle or your chinchilla. 7 grams is about normal variation though. I think you'll have to wait another day or two to definitively tell.

2. I wish I knew how to answer how to make it dispense. With vacuum/gravity fed waterers you should try to open the bottle and see if there's any pressure or suction that has built up in it. This is going to be the main reason for failure in a bottle. Also push on the metal balls and rinse it in the sink. See if there could be hair or something clogging it from either side. It is more unlikely but it won't hurt to try. Make sure the bottle doesn't get put in direct sunlight or rooms with extreme temperature changes.

3. I think you have a good bottle. I almost bought one of those. The most reliable bottle will use a gravity fed drinking valve. I've seen these sold in pet stores. The one I have is a totally insane experiment that's based on an industrial system (attached) but it uses a gravity fed valve as well. I've had one clog from hair in it but otherwise I've been using it for four years and found it to be superior to the vacuum style systems I've used for rats in the past.

[Dex21]

Thank you!  Also how high above your chinchilla is your water bottle placed?  Mine is probably 3 inches above my chinchilla's height when he is standing on all 4 legs (as opposed to just his hind legs), however he will sometimes use the nearby ramp at a lower height to get a better angle when drinking from the bottle.  Is that a sign that I should place it higher up?

[GrayRodent]

Mine is about 4 inches from the floor to the valve's opening. I wouldn't want the valve to be any higher than that. Your chinchilla should be able to reach it very easily at all times. It used to be lower and my chins had to turn their head to the side to get it. Either way seems to work just fine for them.

For a gravity fed water system I wouldn't want there to be any less than 4 inches of water inside the reservoir to produce suitable back pressure. A vacuum water bottle should be kept at least 2/3 full. The air inside of the vacuum bottle can expand and contract to cause problems with the ball operation so you're better off with less air.

One thing I will warn about is the mounting hardware. If you have springs or sharp pointy wires where your chinchilla can chew on it this can have fatal consequences. I know of one death caused by hardened steel spring wire. The chinchilla got poked in the mouth, perhaps under the gum line, became anorexic, and died.

When I used plastic water bottles in the past I used a sheet metal plate between the waterer and the cage and wired it in with bailing wire. Bailing wire is pretty benign if you bend the tips in. I'm wary of some types of mounting hardware. Just make sure your pet can't get poked or hooked by it once it's installed. Consider the fact they can and will chew everything they can reach inside of the cage.