Beano's Cystitis - Imminent Vet Visit.

[7squeakers.]

A short history; Beano had Cystitis (or something) in June last year. Was passing small amounts of blood, but had no other symptoms. Continued to eat, drink and behave as normal. After seeing Vet, was put on Baytril and Metacam, each twice daily. The bleeding did eventually stop, although it took some weeks. Fast forward to early March this year; Beano started passing blood again. As before, no other symptoms. Was put on 0.7ml Septrin twice a day. Bleeding stopped much quicker. 3 weeks later, bleeding has started again. We will be going to the vet again on Monday. Should I ask for Zithromax this time, or allow some proper tests to be done?

 

[MerryPip]

I would ask them to test the urine for antibiotic sensitivity so you can get the most effective drug.

But it may not be bacterial and may be more irritant like Interstitial Cystitis (IC) which often causes pain or similar without the 'appearing ill' bit of a UTI. Angus had ultrasound in the past for this too as this can show whether there is thickening of the bladder walls (common in IC) or soft tissue tumour. For Angus' IC we use metacam when needed and Cystease (glucosamine) which helps keep the bladder lining in good condition. We filter his water as we live in a hard water area and watch the calcium levels in his food. Touch wood we've not had problems for a long time.
There isn't much written about it but it is thought to be similar in origin to IC in cats which has links to stress and other factors. The causes in guinea pigs are less well definied and it seems to have some genetic basis as some piggies seem more predisposed than others. It can be managed in Guinea pigs with diet (reducing calcium levels), glucosamine and anti-inflammatories when needed.

If there is no resolution otherwise then an x-ray should be able to rule out stones as well. Intermittent episodes of bleeding could be caused by a stone rattling around and irritating things or gritty sludge...

 

[flintstones]

Double post.

 

[flintstones]

Proper tests - I would request an Xray is done or scan to ensure no stones. It is possible the first course of antibiotics wasn't long enough. Did you finish the course of antibiotics?

I don't have information about Zithromax being used for a UTI infection, it is however possible to do a culture to find the most suitable antibiotic?

 

[Kerrie74]

I had the same problem with Jericho last Summer, it turned out that it was more than likely IC, but if he had carried on having problems then he would have had an xray.

 

[Claire W]

My Emma has been having a daily dose of metacam and cystease for the last 6 months for possible IC as she has had blood in her urine and had the occasional bout of squeaky pees for a long time now.

She has had ultrasounds, X-rays, urine cultures and urine spinned down etc to check for crystals which have all come back clear.

I would definitely have further tests done to start ruling things out as that is usually how IC is diagnosed x

 

[Wiebke]

A short history; Beano had Cystitis (or something) in June last year. Was passing small amounts of blood, but had no other symptoms. Continued to eat, drink and behave as normal. After seeing Vet, was put on Baytril and Metacam, each twice daily. The bleeding did eventually stop, although it took some weeks. Fast forward to early March this year; Beano started passing blood again. As before, no other symptoms. Was put on 0.7ml Septrin twice a day. Bleeding stopped much quicker. 3 weeks later, bleeding has started again. We will be going to the vet again on Monday. Should I ask for Zithromax this time, or allow some proper tests to be done?

I would recommend to have an x-ray or scan for stones/bladder sludge done and also check whether there is an antibiotic your particular issue reacts to well or not.

Several issues are lumped under "UTI" that have the same symptoms, but are not the same. UTI (urinary tract infection) is a straight forward bacterial infection; it reacts well to antibiotics although it may take a few weeks. Cystitis is an inflammation of the bladder walls; this reacts often not well or completely to antibiotics. That is why an increasing number of vets now prescribe both metacam (which is an anti-inflammatory and not just a painkiller) and an antibiotic. If a cystitis that is not responding to antibiotics well keeps coming back every few months, we talk about interstitial cystitis (now often referred to as IC), which at the moment can only be managed, but not healed until it eventually goes away on its own (but that can be 2-3 years).

 

[JackJack1]

I would say have an X ray, rather than ultrasound as it gives more detail on any stones lurking. My guinea pig had similar symptoms and the ultrasounds he had picked up nothing, but the X ray picked up a large stone in the urethra which was causing the problems. The vet said that during checks with ultrasound, the hip bones covered a short section of this area which blocked the view on the ultrasound and this is why the X ray is better at picking up any stones which lurk around in this area and can cause these type of issues. I would also have tests to check if this is bacterial at all and if it is, sensitivity tests to check if there is resistance to Metacam as there is no point in taking an antibiotic if there is resistant bacteria. I know from experience this is a hard one to tackle and it takes patience and determination to overcome and all the vet tests and medication are expensive. My vet said it is quite common, thought to be related to stress which is why they also prescribe Cystease to help support the bladder lining which is thought to be attacked by the immune system in times of stress. Hope things improve and Beano feels a lot better soon.

 

[7squeakers.]

@MerryPip ,@flintstones @Kerrie74 @ClaireW @Wiebke, @JackJack1 Thank you all for your replies.
We are booked at the vets for Monday evening. I shall make notes and mention IC, and suggest an X-ray. Do you think a longer course of Septrin will help? Her last one was only 10 days long. Today Beano is just the same; ate all her morning veg and is currently sitting in a box of hay, stuffing her face! I have seen fresh blood, though only very small amounts. I have not heard any squeaking in pain. I've been suffering with a heavy cold this week, so have kept my distance from them all. I will let you know how we get on on Monday.

 

[JackJack1]

A longer course of Septrin will only help if it is bacterial and without urine tests you cannot tell. The vet can do a dipstick in the urine to look for protein and nitrites which are chemicals present when it is bacterial, but it is better to do a full urine and sensitivity test for the correct antibiotic. Septrin is a very good antibiotic and good for urinary tract i infections but will not work if it is Interstitial Cystitis. If it is interstitial Cystitis, I would discuss Cystease or Cystophan, same thing but different names. Hope the vet can sort Beano out. Let us know how you get on. I know how hard this problem is to resolve.

 

[7squeakers.]

Thanks again, @JackJack1 . I'll make a note of that. It looks like we're dealing with IC.

 

[Claire W]

Emma was on Septrin for a couple of months and it didn't help. It was then my vet sent a urine sample off to be cultured but apart from traces of blood, the urine was completely clear.

Shortly after this. Emma began squeaking so my vet span her urine down and thankfully it was completely clear of crystals / sludge.

As well as an X-ray, I would also advise an ultrasound as this can show up any abnormalities in the womb / uterus which can also cause blood in the urine.

I spent a fortune on Emma but it was worth it to rule everything else out. I do however suffer from anxiety which didn't help as I insisted on having certain tests carried out more than once just for my own peace of mind.

 

[Poppy'sMum]

Ditto what Claire said, get a scan too, my bladder pig had early pyometra which was why the antibiotics didn't always clear the blood in her wee & eventually had to have a spay x

 

[Kerrie74]

Agreed, antibiotics won't work properly, Jericho was put on cystaphan and something like metacam (forgot what the other one is called), he seems to be doing fine at the moment.

 

[7squeakers.]

Update; Beano still eating and drinking as normal. Has been pop-corning a bit recently. (I think she's in season.) Behaving as normal still. I have not seen much blood, only a tiny spot every two or three days, no sign of pain when wee-ing.
Had our vets appointment today (postponed from yesterday.) I told Anna, the vet, how the Baytril she had last year took a long time to work, but seemed to have kept the problem at bay until last month. The Septrin she had last month worked quicker but the effects did not last long, hence back at vets. Anna palpitated Beano's bladder which she said was small, but could not make her wee. (I should have taken a sample.) Anna could not feel anything out of the ordinary. We agreed to try a two-week course of Baytril and then have x-ray if the bleeding persisted, and bring it forward if Beano started to lose appetite or was not happy. Is that a good plan?

 

[Claire W]

Update; Beano still eating and drinking as normal. Has been pop-corning a bit recently. (I think she's in season.) Behaving as normal still. I have not seen much blood, only a tiny spot every two or three days, no sign of pain when wee-ing.
Had our vets appointment today (postponed from yesterday.) I told Anna, the vet, how the Baytril she had last year took a long time to work, but seemed to have kept the problem at bay until last month. The Septrin she had last month worked quicker but the effects did not last long, hence back at vets. Anna palpitated Beano's bladder which she said was small, but could not make her wee. (I should have taken a sample.) Anna could not feel anything out of the ordinary. We agreed to try a two-week course of Baytril and then have x-ray if the bleeding persisted, and bring it forward if Beano started to lose appetite or was not happy. Is that a good plan?

Sounds like a good plan of action to me