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Bad smell

S

swiss_02

Junior Guinea Pig
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Hello everyone, I have to girls that have about 1 year 2 months. One of them, misty, sometimes gets this fishy and bad smell in her genitals and when I pick her my hand gets smelly too! It's like a really strong urine smell (it's only noticeable if you accidentally touch it as it happens when I pick her up, otherwise u can't smell it). She's been eating very well and there is no change in behavior. Misty is long-haired, and since is winter maybe she's just been sitting on top op the pee? (even tho this has happened sometimes when it's not winter)
This smell it's not always there, sometimes it doesn't smell at all and other times it smells like this, so maybe it's when she's in heat or around that time?
Other possibility is neither of my piggies drink water (I know, I know they should but I have tried everything such as bottles, fountains,bowls they just don't drink it, my veterinarian says its cause they are getting enough water on the vegetables [they now and then give some licks to the water bowl and drink a tiny tiny bit but that's it]) can it be since she doesn't drink too much water the urine smell is strong?
I don't know, what do you guys think? Should I be worried? I am just a momma bear and I worry at the minimum! Thank you ❤️
 
I can’t help with the smell - I don’t have sows so don’t know if they get more fragrant when in season - but regarding drinking water, your vet is right. The amount piggies drink varies so widely. They do get a lot of water from their vegetables though. I only see one of my boys have the drink regularly, the other one I have only seen him drink once in over a year!
 
Sorry I haven't noticed a change in smell other than when they have had UTI's, womb infections or something causing them to sit in their urine more. You say you are accidentally touching when picking them up, are they wet around their lady parts? Could it be discharge?

I know you mention seeing a vet previously, was it for this same issue?
 
Piggies&buns said:
I can’t help with the smell - I don’t have sows so don’t know if they get more fragrant when in season - but regarding drinking water, your vet is right. The amount piggies drink varies so widely. They do get a lot of water from their vegetables though. I only see one of my boys have the drink regularly, the other one I have only seen him drink once in over a year!
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Thank u so much for your reassurance, even tho I know this I always worry anyway ahah! But thank you :)
 
Lady Kelly said:
Sorry I haven't noticed a change in smell other than when they have had UTI's, womb infections or something causing them to sit in their urine more. You say you are accidentally touching when picking them up, are they wet around their lady parts? Could it be discharge?

I know you mention seeing a vet previously, was it for this same issue?
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Thank you for the quick reply! It's not accidentally touching, it's like when u pick them up and they sit a little in your hands so the smell gets attached to the hands you know? I never noticed that if I am being honest but I dont think so, I went to pick her up right now and no smell was left on my hands! I don't know as I say it's only sometimes its not like during days or anything maybe I always pick her up after she peed and that's why it smells! There's anyway I can know if it's an UTI? No, she never went to the vet for this, I never thought I should because as I said sometimes I pick her up and my hands smell horrible and sometimes doesn't smell at all! She went because of a little problem in the eye (piece of hay made a little hole in the cornea but it's all good now)!
 
swiss_02 said:
Thank you for the quick reply! It's not accidentally touching, it's like when u pick them up and they sit a little in your hands so the smell gets attached to the hands you know? I never noticed that if I am being honest but I dont think so, I went to pick her up right now and no smell was left on my hands! I don't know as I say it's only sometimes its not like during days or anything maybe I always pick her up after she peed and that's why it smells! There's anyway I can know if it's an UTI? No, she never went to the vet for this, I never thought I should because as I said sometimes I pick her up and my hands smell horrible and sometimes doesn't smell at all! She went because of a little problem in the eye (piece of hay made a little hole in the cornea but it's all good now)!
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Ah that's my misunderstanding, I thought maybe you were saying some liquid was on your hand after handling her and that's what smelt which made me wonder.

Do you weigh them regularly? We usually recommend once a week unless they are ill as often weight loss will be the first sign of illness or pain. A UTI can produce a strong smell, have them sitting in their urine or leaking urine, hunching and squeaking when weeing or pooping. That said as prey animals they can hide illness well. I would start weighing regularly if you aren't already and if she loses weight then see a vet
 
My sow smells fishy now and then, but nothing has ever been picked up on examination at the vets, and a good vet at that. She still has the smell after being spayed and having a her uterus removed aswell. I do keep an eye though. She does have intertestial cystitis though which can only be managed with ease, and isn't life threatening at all. Don't know if it's linked
 
Lady Kelly said:
Ah that's my misunderstanding, I thought maybe you were saying some liquid was on your hand after handling her and that's what smelt which made me wonder.

Do you weigh them regularly? We usually recommend once a week unless they are ill as often weight loss will be the first sign of illness or pain. A UTI can produce a strong smell, have them sitting in their urine or leaking urine, hunching and squeaking when weeing or pooping. That said as prey animals they can hide illness well. I would start weighing regularly if you aren't already and if she loses weight then see a vet
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Sorry for the delay! Oh nothing like that! The smells only gets attached to the hand but it's only sometimes! For example now I picked her up and the smell was awful, but another times there is no smell.
I already do that, I weight her once a week always around the same time! Her weight is very good, she is either gaining or mantaining ( she weights 940 and is about 1.2 years). She doesn't sit in her urine, she is pretty active always walking around, discovering etc, she doesn't week or make any sound when pooping and peeing nor shows any sign of discomfort, she eats more than well and her behavior is the same (i mean for a while now she is not as cuddly as she was :'( when they grow up and reach puberty don't even care about us anymore ahaha jk) but yea it's pretty much this, what do you think? Thank u in advanced :)
 
SkyPipDotBernie said:
My sow smells fishy now and then, but nothing has ever been picked up on examination at the vets, and a good vet at that. She still has the smell after being spayed and having a her uterus removed aswell. I do keep an eye though. She does have intertestial cystitis though which can only be managed with ease, and isn't life threatening at all. Don't know if it's linked
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OH, you think maybe it could be from the intertestial cystitis? I hope not :( she does have a awful smell sometimes around her genitals but she smees good and is doing everything without any sign of illness(I know the hide sign but I mean there isn't any weight loss etc etc)! I will try to look into that thank u so much anyways :)
 
swiss_02 said:
OH, you think maybe it could be from the intertestial cystitis? I hope not :( she does have a awful smell sometimes around her genitals but she smees good and is doing everything without any sign of illness(I know the hide sign but I mean there isn't any weight loss etc etc)! I will try to look into that thank u so much anyways :)
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My girl didn't get very ill with intertestial cystitis, we thought it was that, turns out she had a uterine tumour, but then when she recovered from that op. She still had blood in her urine and some times when she didn't eat as much, but still maintained a healthy weight. It's all very complicated to be honest. I think yours sow sounds OK, may be worth a checkup incase,
 
Well it's very possible signs that there is no visible blood, no symptoms of discomfort, no weight loss and eating, drinking and pooping well. I think you have a healthy girl on your hands. Maybe it's like humans and different foods can trigger stronger smelling urine or maybe her cycle/coming into heat is triggering something.

Personally I would just keep an eye on her and her weight and not worry about it right now. If you need to go to the vets for either of them for something else then mention it while you are there but I don't think it needs a trip.

Interstitial cystitis - there are a few members on here with IC piggies but I don't think it's overly common. I also believe there is also not much you can do for it other than keep a good diet and go to the vet when it flares up.
 
Hi, my piggie also does this when my daughter picks her up, she says "she's fished on me" I'd never heard of it before , ha
 
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