Bloody Urine

[FoxDog84]

I noticed yesterday Edward left a little pee spot that was orange/pinkish (think sherbet) and then some little red spots a little bit later. I took him to the vet today and all they were able to do was take an xray, and thankfully he doesn't have any stones. So I have a few questions:

1. There are no guinea pig savvy vets around here, but I do have access to ordering antibiotics. Would you treat for a UTI there I have no proof other than the bloody urine, or should I watch him to see if he does it again? So far there's been no other red spots (they're on a spare fleece that is white so that's how I've noticed it).

2. Should I switch him to the calcium:phosphorous diet mentioned in a few threads on this site just as a precaution?

 

[Wiebke]

If you can, get some testing sticks for testing for blood in the urine. The recommended antibiotic for UTIs is bactrim.

Blood in the urine can be a bit hit and miss at the beginning; you can have "bloody" pees that do not show up blood and clear pees that contain blood. Please do not treat before you really have proof.

I have not made good experiences with the ph : ca ratio diet; unless you get it absolutely right, you are much more likely to end up with stones as the calcium content of the diet is very high and it is quite tricky to the get the balance just so. I am not alone with that experience.

Personally, I would rather recommend to stick to a low to medium calcium diet. Don't go extreme unless you have a bladder stone piggy. Most veg high in vitamin C and magnesium are also high in calcium, so it is more important to strike a sensible general balance rather than concentrate on just one aspect to the detriment of all other nutrional aspects.

 

[FoxDog84]

Is there a list for low-medium calcium diet? I'm somewhat at a loss of what veggies to feed and how much. And then to switch on that I've got a baby who I was reading earlier needs a higher calcium diet?

 

[Wiebke]

Give your little baby time out to eat more pellets while you give your big boy only a few so that he's not bullying the little one for eating extra food that he can smell.

You can give a small amount of spring greens 2-3 times a week, but stay off all other cabbages, especially calcium rich kale and Asian cabbages as well as spinach. You can feed a sprig of cilantro/coriander per pig on a daily basis, but the other herb should not be fed more than about times a week. Feed just a floret of broccoli to your big boy and give your little one chunks from the stem, which are higher in calcium, about twice a week. A slice of pepper can be given daily, as can a slice of cucumber and chunks of celery.
I feed raw beetroot twice weekly because it neutralises calcium and rotate between other veg on a 2-3 time weekly basis, depending on what is in season .
Here is a link to veg chart which contains calcium measurements: http://www.guinealynx.info/chart.html#chart

@helen105281 has a slightly different and more restricted diet for her pigs.

 

[helen105281]

Yes I do feed a slightly more restricted diet as I have 2 pigs with interstitial cystitis and follow a plan that was put together specifically for bladder pigs. I feed cucumber, celery, green beans, pepper, a very small amount of spring greens and coriander, all daily. Though I alternate the greens and the coriander. I also only feed small amounts of veg. I feed a grainless pellet which is lower in calcium and protein too though it is properly balanced so they get all they need.

 

[FoxDog84]

@Weibke Should I be looking at a certain calcium percentage when picking out other veggies to feed? Can I use the Excel Calculator the same as the cal:phos diet, but instead shoot for a diet low in calcium. Thank you again for your help, it's greatly appreciated. I guess I got more than I bargained with finally taking the plunge and bringing piggies home!

And the baby is in a different cage than the two boys, so no worries there, except that both boys are piggies!

 

[Wiebke]

No, with a low calcium diet, you do not need to keep to certain percentages, just stay off the worst calcium offenders. You can give any other lower calcium veg within moderation. Limit the intake of pellets according to the age and if you wish, filter your water if you are in a hard water area.

As long as your older boy doesn't have stones or repeated (i.e. interstitial bladder infections), there is no need for special measures. Interstitial cystitis is an inflammation of the bladder walls and not a bacterial urine infection, which is what you are currently looking at; interstitial cystitis is a condition that usually doesn't react much to antibiotics and it is more managed than healed, but it is generally secondary to another bladder problem and not something you need to worry about at the moment.