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Bladder Sludge!

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Sian25

Sian25

Adult Guinea Pig
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I have two male guinea pigs both approximately 1 and a half years old. They do not get along so are in a big c&c cage with a divider. Over the last few weeks I have notice what I think could be bladder sludge in both pigs urine. I did a lot of research and lowered their intake of pellets (burgess excel with mint) and eliminated high calcium veg. Their urine still seems to be sludgy and I'm getting worried about it. Before it dries completely it can be picked up as it is quite thick and feels creamy. It has a powdery feel to it but I wouldn't say it was as rough as sand. I have attached a picture of some of the deposits left on their fleeces. They have not shown any pain while urinating so I am wondering whether a trip to the vets is beneficial or I should continue to try and lower their calcium intake. I understand the severity of bladder stones but can't find anything online about whether bladder sludge is dangerous and requires a treatment.

Thank you.

PS I live in a soft water area but plan on buying a water filter if this can help.
 

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It looks more like excess calcium to me (which is normal), but if it is a frequent occurrence, then you may want to look into lowering the calcium content of your diet.

Unless you you are dealing with a diagnosed build-up of bladder sludge (as seen in an x-ray), I would recommend that you:
- reduce the amount of pellets that you normally feed to half a handful (10g) per piggy per day, as your boys are now fully grown mature adults or switch to these low calcium pellets (5 pellets per piggy per day) http://www.zooplus.co.uk/shop/small_pets/food/guinea_pig/bunny/195679
- Cut out any high calcium veg like kale, spinach, broccoli etc. and/or follow the recommendations that we give in our daily veg diet (so called IC diet): https://www.theguineapigforum.co.uk...or-a-balanced-general-guinea-pig-diet.116460/
- filter any water irrespective of the hardness of the local water; minerals in the water also contribute to the build-up of sludge and stones.

These measures should hopefully be enough to keep your boys fit and healthy long term
 
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