Blood In Urine

[louisemary]

hello I'm new on here and in desperate need of help. My guinea pig has been unwell since the last week of feb, she started having problems with eating my vets said there was nothing wrong with her teeth, she was hunched in her cage and poops started to disappear, so i took her to another vet for a second opinion they wanted her to go to animal hospital to stay a have teeth checked under anaesthesia, they kept her in overnight checked her teeth following day and said they were perfect, they wanted to keep her in for the day as she was slow coming around from the anaesthesia, when i picked her up they told me to feed her just hay, that night i stayed awake with her and she didnt eat all night, i phoned animal hospital back in the morning as she was very unwell, i took her back down they looked at her and said to syringe feed her as they didnt know what was wrong, i had to google how to syringe feed as no one told me how to this was friday throught to sunday. I was syringe feeding 3mls every 3hours i did this for a few days but willow still couldnt eat so i contacted my first vet i went to they asked me to take her down, they checked her over said she has lost weight but teeth are fine think it maybe a blockage so i was to give her metaclopamide and metacam and syringe feed 1ml or 2mls every 3hours as they didnt want to over feed her, she could poop they where hard or she would have runs, wasnt interested in food, and was hunched up by this time i had bad anixety and was constantly crying, took willow back to vets they offered to have her in and feed her, they had her for two days they didnt feed her and she went into gut stasis they printed her notes and didnt know if she would make the night, i stayed awake with her all night she had body twitches, water coming out of her nose problems breathing and legs where limp but she got through i also notice blood in her urine so itook her back to vets next day, the vet contacted exotic vet in bristol they told her to up feeds to 10mls 4times a day, up metacam and give her rantitdine every six hours and do xrays, my vet said the xrays were fine, but they asked exotic vet to have a look . They said she has sludge in urine, thin face bone and inner ear disease my vet couldnt see this,not having much luck with vets i searched home remedies, i used dioralyte to hydrate her and metatone to help her appitite, she started to pick up slowly the blood disapeared, poops where coming back to normal and she was eating on her own until now, she cant eat again and found a hard lump on her jaw so I took her back to vets couple of days ago they are treating lump as abcess but said there is nothing else they can do for her, i am £600 in dept on barclaycard ruuing back and forth vets, i am on sryinge feeding again, she has had bloat and today the blood has come back in urine, i phoned vets today to mention urine told them i emailed pics of urine back they didnt get back to me, pls help advice as i dont know what to do for her and i have no money, ive put pics of willows urine on

 

[Wiebke]

and welcome

I am sorry that it is under such sad circumstances. Unfortunately, a jaw abscess (which may or may not be connected to the inner ear/balance problem) requires ideally a very strong antibiotic like zithromax; baytril and normal strength antibiotics won't cut through it.
The bladder sludge needs very careful flushing by a vet experienced in this procedure; if it is done to strongly, the fluid and sludge can back up into the kidneys with fatal consquences. Again, that will also need an antibiotic and an anti-inflammatory like metacam for the bladder wall damage. The procedure may require some sedation. If the sludge is very tightly packed, an operation is the better bet with a vet that is not familiar with a bladder flush in guinea pigs.

However, your poor and very obviously very much loved girl is aleady very frail and not likely to make it through the rather aggressive treatment she'll need if it is already touch and go whether she can make the next day and these are not things that a very frail piggy may be able to cope with and recover from.

There comes unfortunately the time when we have to seriously weigh up just how much we want to put a beloved one through and whether any new treatment comes with reasonable chance of being successful for the longer. Guinea pigs have huge personalities, but they are small animals and they can take only so much.
There is no right or wrong in these situations; we all feel individually and differently about these things. No way is any easier or comes with less heart-break. I've done them all with various piggies of mine over the years.
As long as you make any decision with your piggy's wellbeing and happiness before your own desires and wishes, you cannot go wrong. If in doubt, listen to your gut and go with what you think you can live best with in the long term. Any good vet is willing to discuss with you any pros and cons of further treatment openly and honestly if you ask them to so you can make an informed decision.

There is also a point where we all have to take into account the cost of any further treatment; it can easily spiral quickly out of control. Vet cost can quickly come over £1000 or even higher without any garantee that the treatment will be successful. That has nothing to do with betraying your piggy; you have done your best already and everything that a good owner should do, so you do not have to feel bad if you do not want to take things into yet more expensive territory with an increasing risk that thing won't get better.

I wish I had some more upbeat advice for you, knowing how desperate you must be feeling.

I am sorry that I do not have any better news or better advice. I know from my own experience how hard-breaking it is when you get into what I call 'rat-tail' country where one health issue leads to another for an increasingly frailer piggy.

HUGS

 

[louisemary]

and welcome

I am sorry that it is under such sad circumstances. Unfortunately, a jaw abscess (which may or may not be connected to the inner ear/balance problem) requires ideally a very strong antibiotic like zithromax; baytril and normal strength antibiotics won't cut through it.
The bladder sludge needs very careful flushing by a vet experienced in this procedure; if it is done to strongly, the fluid and sludge can back up into the kidneys with fatal consquences. Again, that will also need an antibiotic and an anti-inflammatory like metacam for the bladder wall damage. The procedure may require some sedation. If the sludge is very tightly packed, an operation is the better bet with a vet that is not familiar with a bladder flush in guinea pigs.

However, your poor and very obviously very much loved girl is aleady very frail and not likely to make it through the rather aggressive treatment she'll need if it is already touch and go whether she can make the next day and these are not things that a very frail piggy may be able to cope with and recover from.

There comes unfortunately the time when we have to seriously weigh up just how much we want to put a beloved one through and whether any new treatment comes with reasonable chance of being successful for the longer. Guinea pigs have huge personalities, but they are small animals and they can take only so much.
There is no right or wrong in these situations; we all feel individually and differently about these things. No way is any easier or comes with less heart-break. I've done them all with various piggies of mine over the years.
As long as you make any decision with your piggy's wellbeing and happiness before your own desires and wishes, you cannot go wrong. If in doubt, listen to your gut and go with what you think you can live best with in the long term. Any good vet is willing to discuss with you any pros and cons of further treatment openly and honestly if you ask them to so you can make an informed decision.

There is also a point where we all have to take into account the cost of any further treatment; it can easily spiral quickly out of control. Vet cost can quickly come over £1000 or even higher without any garantee that the treatment will be successful. That has nothing to do with betraying your piggy; you have done your best already and everything that a good owner should do, so you do not have to feel bad if you do not want to take things into yet more expensive territory with an increasing risk that thing won't get better.

I wish I had some more upbeat advice for you, knowing how desperate you must be feeling.

I am sorry that I do not have any better news or better advice. I know from my own experience how hard-breaking it is when you get into what I call 'rat-tail' country where one health issue leads to another for an increasingly frailer piggy.

HUGS

Hello wiebke,
Thank u for replying, if u where in my place what would u do for guinea pig.
She is my first ever guinea pig and ive only had her 3yrs in june.
And time i have I'm always with her, she even curls up under bedblankets at night whilst i watch tv and to see her going through so much is breaking me,
She is on rantitdine 0.3 twice day to keep gut moving, metacam 0.4 once day for pain from ear disease, baytril 0.3mls once day for two weeks for abcess she is on small amount of baytril as she dont take well to it and vets dont have alternative.
She not good at eating at moment she chokes alot so I'm syringe feeding aswell as encouraging her to eat on her own, no veg at moment as she gets bloat. Since her gut shut down she drinks like a fish she is always thirsty, they checked for diabetes but she was fine. She got this blood in urine she dont cry when she wee but she in alot of pain passing poops, of which I'm concerned about.
She has crushed vit c tablet syringed every morning and a bit of dioralyte in her water to help keep her hydrated and burgess excel guinea pig and rabbit with probiotic syringe fed 10mls four times a day,
I cant afford a exotic vet, and i dont drive and the nearest is bristol and i live in cwmbran, wales.
My vet no longer knows what to do for her, ive been to the vets that much that i think they have had enough of treating her as they keep telling me to go to exotic vets. i dont know what else to do, could u advise me on what else i can do to get her better, even though she has alot going on she still enjoys cuddles, what would u do if in my shoes.
Heres pics of my little willow x

 

[piggieminder]

Sending you and your gorgeous girl hugs. I am so sorry you have found yourself in this very difficult position. X

 

[louisemary]

I dont know what to do i need advice , my vet has phoned and is refusing to treat willow anymore if i dont take her to bristol to see exotic vet, she knows i cant drive and have no money

 

[louisemary]

Hello, my vet would like to have a ct scan of willow, i cant afford to go to high croft, can u tell me when i could get one done for a reasonable price and where to and if bus/coach could get there, I'm cant give up on willow just yet but i also need to budget my money.

 

[PeanutAndMe]

I'm sorry that you are under these circumstances. you can use the vet locator on the forum to look for other vets near you.i would also suggest looking at this link and seeing if it is any help. How to Diagnose and Treat Urinary Problems in Guinea Pigs
hope everything goes well.