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Advice regarding cystitis

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lulu&sandy

lulu&sandy

Junior Guinea Pig
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Dudley, West Midlands
Hi Everyone, :)p
I'm really pleased to have found The Guinea Pig Forum and this is my very first post so please be gentle lol.

I wish my first post was of a happier nature but unfortunately not.

On Tuesday I noticed spots of blood coming from one of my 3 year old female guinea pigs and on her bedding. I immediately took her to the vets who examined her, she said she wasn't inflammed and couldn't feel anything on examination and suspected she has cystitis. (No xray was given) She gave me baytril to give her twice a day for 10 days. She is still playing with her sister and still seems happy, eating her pellets and hay (although a little offish with her greens although eating some of them) I just wondered if anyone could advise me on how long It will take for the AB's to work and for the bleeding to stop (I'm still finding drops of blood 3 days into the AB's but only small amounts), also any advice on the greens I can feed her during the cystitis would be great as i have read certain ones can cause more problems with the cystitis. I have also given her a bowl of 50% water 50% light cranberry juice but she doesn't touch it, should I give her some by syringe?

I'm sorry to post so many questions on my first post but this is really stressing me out at the moment, probably more then it is her.

Thank you for reading this and any advice you can give is very much appreciated.
Paul.
 
Hi and welcome :)
Septrin is the better AB for any bladder issues and could take up to 3 weeks to have effect. Baytril is harsh and can upset piggies tummies so would recommend a probiotic about 2 hours after AB, it balances the flora in the gut as AB kill off good bacteria as well as the bad :(
Keep an eye on your girls appetite, Baytril can also cause anorexia so you may need to syringe feed mashed pellets if she doesn't eat voluntarily. Tempt with favourite veggies, reduce or omit high calcium stuff like parsley, spinach etc. I always give watery stuff i.e. melon, cucumber and cherry tomatoes for a piggy who has any symptoms of UTI's which I find helps (but obviously, seek the advice of a Vet)
We're all here to help - I have a bladder piggy so relate to your worries :(
Will keep an eye out for any concerns you have...many of us on here have had poorly piggies and without the support of these people, swear I wouldn't have all of my piggies in good health :)
 
Hi Guinea pig slave,
Thank you for taking the time to reply and your advice, it's really appreciated.

It's also nice to see someone on here from the west mids, I'm in Dudley.

Yes I'm so glad I've found the forum and looking forward to getting involved. I think I may need to call the vets Monday, I've read quite a lot of bad things about baytril so wasn't convinced by it, I will mention Septrin - thank you.
 
Here is more information on cystitis. Septrin is an oral form of the bactrim used in the US; it is by far the best AB for urinary problems. The only licensed AB for guinea pigs is unfortunately baytril, so you may need to sign a special form. http://www.guinealynx.info/uti.html

It can also help to ask your vet for metacam (painkiller/anti-inflammatory) for the initial painful stage until the AB kicks in. That helps additionally to keep the appetite up.

Make sure that your girl is drinking plenty. Feeding a mild diuretic like dandelions or cucumber can also help with flushing as many bacteria as possbile out in the first 2-3 days. that helps to relieve the symptoms and discomfort as quickly as possible.

If the symptoms persist or the UTI returns, then it is advisable to ask for an x-ray to check for stones or bladder sludge.
 
Hello Paul! Welcome to the forum, always nice to see someone local. Sorry to hear your little one is poorly. UTI's/cystitis are horrible and the blood can really unsettle you to say the least. Great advice from GPS and Weibke above. I would definitely speak to the vet regarding switching to Septrin as it is much better for bladder issues and also metacam as this will reduce any inflammation and help with any pain. Some vets are reluctant to prescribe septrin as it is off license for piggies as are most drugs but it is perfectly safe to use.

If needed I can recommend an excellent piggie vet in the west midlands who we have used for years now, her name is Rosie and she works at Wombrook Vets they have clinics in Wombourne and Gornal - Wombourne Clinic: 01902 243878 or Gornal 01384 882370. You have to ring them to find out which day she is at which branch

Let us know how your little girl gets on
 
Thank you Wiebke, that link is very useful and the info regarding baytril, that really surprised me.

Appreciate you taking the time to reply. Thankfully she is still enjoying her cucumber.
 
Hi sport billy - thank you for taking the time to reply, nice to meet someone so local.

Wow! I am aware of the vets in Gornal you are referring too, unfortunately when I bought the girls the pet shop referred me to another vets which I'm afraid i'm not too impressed with, they seem very cat and dog orientated and that's about it.

I did make a conscious decision that should I need to go back to the vets I would take her to the vets in gornal.

Thank you for the phone numbers, it's so hard to find a vets that are into our little friends. I'm really pleased this vets has come with a recommendation from you.

I will let you know of any developments. Thanks again
 
Hi Guinea pig slave, hi everyone.

The healing vibes from you and your 20 piggies are very welcome - thank you.

Well I woke up to find some small patches of blood on her fleece- Sandy is still eating and drinking and playing with her sister ok.

I've just been to a farmers market to get some fresh celery leaves, I've read its a good diuretic, she's eaten a little of this but not too keen, the 2 girls are very fussy with the greens and like all the things that are bad for them.

Maybe I'm expecting the blood to disappear too quickly and expecting miracles over night?

I've got it into my head now that I'm probably going to take her to another vets on Monday, the one mentioned by sport billy, they seem to cater more for piggies, I'm sure a 2nd opinion won't hurt. Her sister lulu's been back and forth with cysts over the past year which they lance and then give baytril. Baytril just seems to be the answer to everything from my vet.

How on earth do you cope with 20? I'm stressed out and panicked with 2 lol.
Hope you are having a good weekend.
 
UTI's can be stubborn and so can cystitis, we have had 3 bladder piggies so far and 2 of our girls have been plagued by cystitis all their lives. But we have found ways to manage it. Often Metacam would flare down any inflammation Treacle had, if it was not caused by a UTI .

Make sure you see Rosie - if you ring Wombourne they open at 8:30am and can book you in at either surgery Wombourne or Gornal (They aren't too far from each other) depending on which branch Rosie will be working at that day as she is amazing with piggies, be sure to tell her your girl has been on baytril for however many days.
 
Thanks for the further info sport billy.

Update: Not building my hopes up but today is the first morning I've woken up to no blood on her bedding, there was also no blood last night when I changed the bedding, she's still wet underneath though. Still eating, drinking and playing, fingers crossed.
 
That's good news :) Piggies are so susceptible to UTI's as they are low to the ground so any soiled bedding etc. can easily cause infections.
I swear by vet bed - all our piggies have it even on the ramps as I find it the best option for us having so many of the wheekers. It wicks wee away so they're not lying in it. A small piece in the sleeping areas will cost a few pounds if you don't want to do the full pen, ebay have some decent suppliers.
One of my boys squeaked last night and when I checked, had a small spot of pinkish wee (usually blot any suspect areas onto kitchen paper and inspect rolleyes) so he was whisked out and given some Septrin and Metacam (lots of cuddles too) For the remainder of the evening and today so far, nothing :) Always good to catch these sinister things quickly...I always keep Septrin and Metacam in stock as our Vet will give us a little extra if we ask :)

Glad your little one is ok and sounds as though she's responding well to treatment :)
 
Thanks for that info Guinea pig slave. :)

Have been onto ebay and ordered some vetped, never seen this before so thanks, it looks so much better than fleece blankets. Think I've ordered enough lol.

Hope your little boy is ok. I didn't realise how common UTI's are.

No signs of any blood today :)) and she seems a lot drier underneath, I'm keeping everything crossed.
 
I'm glad she is seeming a little better. My 3 piggies adopted last year have all had bladder problems in one fprm or the other- whether it be utis or cystitis.
I'm currently treating one of my girls with inflammatory cystitis with metacam when it flares up, she occasionally has blood in her pee and it seems to get better.
It.can be quite worrying when you first see it , I know having been through it.

Fingers crossed for your girl :)
 
Thank you klee, yes it has been a bit of a shock to the system, this is the first time in 3 years this has happened, they are such a worry.

2nd day of no blood, thankfully and she seems a lot drier underneath. I'm still contacting the vet recommended by sport billy as they seem more geared to guinea pigs.

Hope your girl gets better soon.
 
Hi Everyone,

Apologies for the lack of updates, been without wonderful BT Broadband but back online now.

Thought I would update you all on my girl Sandy. The bleeding stopped but as soon as the baytril was finished the bleeding returned. My girls are not so keen on the vet bed lol, but I love it lol.

FAO Sport Billy - Managed to register and see Rosie at Wombourne, what can I say Wow! wow! wow!

Thank you so much for your recommendation, it's made a big difference to my worry factor. It was great to talk to a vet who was not only helpful and knowledgable but a pleasure to meet a vet that feels passionate about piggies. The consultation wasn't rushed and I was very impressed. Rosie has given me a course of Septrin, lots of advice and peace of mind knowing I'm now registered with a vet trained in guinea pig care, can't thank you enough.
 
lulu&sandy said:
Hi Everyone,

Apologies for the lack of updates, been without wonderful BT Broadband but back online now.

Thought I would update you all on my girl Sandy. The bleeding stopped but as soon as the baytril was finished the bleeding returned. My girls are not so keen on the vet bed lol, but I love it lol.

FAO Sport Billy - Managed to register and see Rosie at Wombourne, what can I say Wow! wow! wow!

Thank you so much for your recommendation, it's made a big difference to my worry factor. It was great to talk to a vet who was not only helpful and knowledgable but a pleasure to meet a vet that feels passionate about piggies. The consultation wasn't rushed and I was very impressed. Rosie has given me a course of Septrin, lots of advice and peace of mind knowing I'm now registered with a vet trained in guinea pig care, can't thank you enough.
Click to expand...

Thanks for the update, Glad you got to see Rosie, she is amazing isn't she. Such a knowledgeable vet, very forward thinking and a lovely person also. Hoping the Septrin will help sort the UTI out, UTI's can be very stubborn and frustrating.
 
Baytril is not the antibiotic of choice treating UTI's, Bactrim / Septrim is.
 
Hi Pigjes - yes she is taking the septrim a lot better then she did the baytril, didn't realise that it wasn't licensed in the UK, barmy.
 
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