• Discussions taking place within this forum are intended for the purpose of assisting you in discussing options with your vet. Any other use of advice given here is done so at your risk, is solely your responsibility and not that of this forum or its owner. Before posting it is your responsibility you abide by this Statement

Boxy - Polydipsic piggy

Status
Not open for further replies.
Amanda1801

Amanda1801

Senior Guinea Pig
Joined
Mar 28, 2011
Messages
8,725
Reaction score
915
Points
845
Location
Bristol, UK
Argh why are all my pigs going "not quite right" on me?! This is the 3rd pig with a random something going on in 3 weeks rolleyes

Boxy has always been a big drinker. He's previously been tested for diabetes and nothing found. All tests have come back clear.

Now it seems hes drinking even more. I've been trying to nap (students, eh!?) since about 5.30pm and he's been at the water bottle constantly with very short breaks in between. He's drunk about 250mls in 3 hours, as I've filled the bottle up when I got in from work, before I tried to sleep!

Temperature in the room is normal, he's eating fine, no other real concerns to be honest.


He's lost some weight recently and He's quite small anyway. Over the last 12 months or so he's dropped about 100g. He's quite stable between 780-790g now, he's my dinky little man. Appetite hasn't changed, behaviour hasn't changed, he's polydipsic (which seems to have increased) but doesn't appear to be polyuric.

Just wondering where to go from here - back to the vets for retesting I guess.

Any ideas? I'm thinking potentially A) kidneys (although I'd have expected weight loss, loss of appetite, change of demeanour?) or B) diabetes (but I'd have expected increased urination, weightloss?)

TIA,

Amanda & Boxy
 
Abi_nurse said:
Your guess is as good as mine, i would agree: kidney's or diabetes. Have you thought about cushings? Some piggies on here have it?

x.
Click to expand...

Doesnt cushings cause weight gain? Does in humans anyway. Then again, it causes acne in humans too and he has beautiful skin :))

Edit: I was going to PM flintstones WRT cushings, but I have a feeeeeeeeeling she's replying here ;)
 
Abi_nurse said:
Your guess is as good as mine, i would agree: kidney's or diabetes. Have you thought about cushings? Some piggies on here have it?

x.
Click to expand...

I would expect he is urinating more as what goes in must come out I'd be concerned if he isn't urinating excessively he'd be more like a balloon due to fluid intake. I know with my Bette I never noticed excess urinating - well I don't think I did and she was certainly drinking excessively it's not easy to spot! Milo urinates continuously but Bette was less frequent but massive puddles when she urinated.

As for Cushings - your guess is as good as mine, pig's seem to be appearing more and more with suspected Cushings but I'm yet to see it being diagnosed! Milo still has no answer and Cushings treatment you do not want to start without a being certain - I'd rule out the obvious illnesses first.

Cushings - can cause weight gain or weight loss (Pot Belly affects on dogs), also causes alopecia (symmetrical baldness), excessive thirst, excessive urination, lethargy but at times the animal can appear healthy, happy go lucky as the cortisol is not released continuously in dogs anyway. Cortisol levels go though the roof - but as there's no baseline no real point there be aware a Guinea Pig Cortisol also 'Spikes' in the morning and as there prey animals there cortisol is likely to be higher than a dog. Only way to diagnose Cushings - is though an Ultrasound which is me and Milo's next step but I'd quite rather it was ruled out as the medicine isn't tested and with one Guinea Pig ever receiving treatment there isn't much to go on!

Diabetes first - then check Kidney's be aware Bette's first urine sample showed negative of Glucose, Just goes to show one urine sample can't rule it out as she was confirmed Diabetic before being PTS.

Good Luck Amanda xx
 
Last edited:
flintstones said:
I would expect he is urinating more as what goes in must come out I'd be concerned if he isn't urinating excessively he'd be more like a balloon due to fluid intake. I know with my Bette I never noticed excess urinating - well I don't think I did and she was certainly drinking excessively it's not easy to spot! Milo urinates continuously but Bette was less frequent but massive puddles when she urinated.

As for Cushings - your guess is as good as mine, pig's seem to be appearing more and more with suspected Cushings but I'm yet to see it being diagnosed! Milo still has no answer and Cushings treatment you do not want to start without a being certain - I'd rule out the obvious illnesses first.

Diabetes first - then check Kidney's be aware Bette's first urine sample showed negative of Glucose, Just goes to show one urine sample can't rule it out as she was confirmed Diabetic before being PTS.

Good Luck Amanda xx
Click to expand...



I've had the pigs for 2 and a bit years, and in that first year I had him tested 3 or 4 times, all negative.

I guess I'd better get another urine sample rolleyes
 
Forgot to say Liver enzymes are also elevated - if the animal has Cushings. Milo had 3 urine tests for diabetes so far he's still negative! LOL
 
flintstones said:
Forgot to say Liver enzymes are also elevated - if the animal has Cushings. Milo had 3 urine tests for diabetes so far he's still negative! LOL
Click to expand...

Hmm - I think we'll start with diabetes, then kidneys, then probe further if necessary. He's quite skinny (he eats loads, never gains weight, he's got them mythical good genes!) so kidney palpation should be easy :)
 
He is quite a small pig worth having his teeth checked to as if he's having trouble eating he maybe filling on Water just a thought! xx

ETA: seen your reply, Diabetes is healthy appetite unexplained weight loss. I think failure to gain weight would be classified in there to.
 
flintstones said:
He is quite a small pig worth having his teeth checked to as if he's having trouble eating he maybe filling on Water just a thought! xx

ETA: seen your reply, Diabetes is healthy appetite unexplained weight loss. I think failure to gain weight would be classified in there to.
Click to expand...

His teeth are all fine, recently checked (after I spent 20 minutes cleaning his mouth out rolleyes certainly no problems eating.

I'm working this week so I'll take him in with me one day. I need to get Big Dave re-examined too so they can both come in. Boxy can then sit in a litter tray of katkor until he wees rolleyes
 
Hi love really sorry to hear about Boxy :... xoxoxoxo

erm just to throw a spanner in the norm for diabetes........ Velvet showed absolutely no signs, no weight loss or anything first whee knew was her sudden on set of the cataracts.....then they did tests on her urine and bloods.

Please give the little man lots of gentle hugs from me and the girls send some girlie kisses XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
 
Glynis said:
Hi love really sorry to hear about Boxy :... xoxoxoxo

erm just to throw a spanner in the norm for diabetes........ Velvet showed absolutely no signs, no weight loss or anything first whee knew was her sudden on set of the cataracts.....then they did tests on her urine and bloods.

Please give the little man lots of gentle hugs from me and the girls send some girlie kisses XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
Click to expand...

Ohh girly kisses, Big Dave will be jealous!

I'm about to find out which vet is working at the surgery I'm working at today, I'm hoping it's one of the exotics vets. Failing that, I'll just take him with me, get a urine sample and do the tests myself rolleyes

Watch this space!

Oh and Glynis - do you have any info on diabetes in pigs that you've amassed with having dealt with Velvet? Diet info etc?
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Back
Top