Muffin has been squeaking a little while pooping over the last few days and lost a bit of weight, so husband popped her to the vet today. They have checked her out and said it's cystitis. She's got medication and the vet said to increase water by wetting veg before feeding and to increase greens. Is there a good veg to feed to help? She gets coriander, pepper, green bean and lettuce daily. Anything else I should add in?
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Cystitis
- Thread starter Qpigs
- Start date
Ramia
Senior Guinea Pig
I think cucumber would be good.
Hi
Just make sure that they have fresh clean water access at all times.
You can add some cucumber and if you have access to a safe, unsprayed area, dandelion is a good diuretic. Serving veg wet is frankly not very effective since water runs off very quickly. It's not worth the bother.
What medication and dosages is Muffin on?
Below is our guide to infections of the urinary tract. You are either dealing with a bacterial urine infection or a sterile (i.e. non-bacterial) cystitis that affects mainly the insulation natural glucosamine layer on the walls of the urinary tract which prevents highly corrosive urine from coming into stinging contact with raw tissue.
Getting hold of some glucosamine based feliway cat bladder capsules online (UK product, but other countries have comparable brands) can likely help more with the discomfort. It is not a quick fix since the glucosamine needs time to build up in the body but it is the most effective measure apart from analgesics.
Glucosamine is classed as a food supplement so vets don't prescribe it but painkillers are classed as a prescription-only medication. We can take it from there once you have got the feliway capsules.
Thanks for this. Our vets are the Cat & Rabbit Clinic so confident we're on the right path. She's on Co-trimoxazole and Loxicom.Hi
Just make sure that they have fresh clean water access at all times.
You can add some cucumber and if you have access to a safe, unsprayed area, dandelion is a good diuretic. Serving veg wet is frankly not very effective since water runs off very quickly. It's not worth the bother.
What medication and dosages is Muffin on?
Below is our guide to infections of the urinary tract. You are either dealing with a bacterial urine infection or a sterile (i.e. non-bacterial) cystitis that affects mainly the insulation natural glucosamine layer on the walls of the urinary tract which prevents highly corrosive urine from coming into stinging contact with raw tissue.
Getting hold of some glucosamine based feliway cat bladder capsules online (UK product, but other countries have comparable brands) can likely help more with the discomfort. It is not a quick fix since the glucosamine needs time to build up in the body but it is the most effective measure apart from analgesics.
Glucosamine is classed as a food supplement so vets don't prescribe it but painkillers are classed as a prescription-only medication. We can take it from there once you have got the feliway capsules.
I have dried dandelion forage, is that going to be helpful or is fresh better?
Fresh dandelion would be better if you can get some (I don't weed them from my lawn) but dried can also help. Cucumber and lettuce are best for a sustainable edible fluid.
Co-trim is better known as Bactrim or the old septrin and loxicom is dog strength metacam. You are certainly in good hands there; they are the standard treatment for a urinary tract infection. If the infection comes back or doesn't react to the antibiotic, then the next step is considering a sterile cystitis.
I take my own piggies to the Cat&Rabbit for any operations or whatever my local general vets can't cope with.
We have finished the course of Co-trim and still have a few doses of Loxicom but she had a bad night last night, she was squeaking a lot and didn't eat all her veg. I've had to wash her bum several times as she's obviously sitting in her wee. There is no blood which is the only good thing.
Our vets are away this week and there are no appointments today. Obviously I'm panicking now as I haven't got a clue what to do. She's eaten a fresh dandelion leaf I picked but not really touched the grass.
Please book an appointment for as soon as you can get one. Continue with the loxicom.
Switch to weighing daily on your normal kitchen scales first thing in the morning for best day to day comparison in order to monitor the food intake (over three quarters are hay which you cannot control by eye) and step in with feeding support if needed.
The link below talks you through it all step by step, including how to improvise in an emergency.
It is likely that you are dealing with either a sterile cystitis, which cannot be healed with antibiotics or stones/sludge but since I am neither a vet nor do I have access to your piggy, I can only guess.
Claire W
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Could you phone the cat&rabbit and explain that you have finished the course of treatment and that Muffin is still unwell? Another vet there who isn’t Kim or Simon may prescribe you some more to collect.
I’ve had piggies with UTI / Cystitis and often a week long course isn’t enough
It’s good there’s no blood
I hope Muffin feels better soon x
I’ve had piggies with UTI / Cystitis and often a week long course isn’t enough
It’s good there’s no blood
I hope Muffin feels better soon x
Mu husband called this morning at 8 and there was nothing. The only suggestion was to try again at 8 tomorrow. I might try again later to ask for more advice.
Please book an appointment for as soon as you can get one. Continue with the loxicom.
Switch to weighing daily on your normal kitchen scales first thing in the morning for best day to day comparison in order to monitor the food intake (over three quarters are hay which you cannot control by eye) and step in with feeding support if needed.
The link below talks you through it all step by step, including how to improvise in an emergency.
It is likely that you are dealing with either a sterile cystitis, which cannot be healed with antibiotics or stones/sludge but since I am neither a vet nor do I have access to your piggy, I can only guess.
Thank you for this. She has lost 20g since Sunday morning, but she just wants to hide in her hay box. She's left all her veg this morning. I'll read up on emergency feeding so I am prepared and I'll keep on trying for the vet.
She's barely eaten anything all day, not drank either. Our vets don't think they'll have any appointments tomorrow so my husband is taking her to another practice linked to our vets later today. I attempted a syringe feed earlier but she really struggled. I hope they can do something to help her.
HUGS
I am so very sorry to hear that.
It is not something I ever like to link in but here is our step by step advice in case your girl is not going to make it until tomorrow. Just so you have something that talks you though it in case it comes to the very worst during our forum downtime.
She was looked at last night and given Gabapentin. She ate her veg last night and this morning, and we could hear her eating hay. She's back to the vets this morning for a scan and whatever else. I knew vets were expensive but the costs are ridiculous. Now I'm spending the day waiting for a phone call. I just wish she could be seen by our own vet as I've no clue as to the experience of these vets with guinea pigs.
Costs have become ridiculous. Glad that the gabapentin helps her eating.
Please monitor her food intake weight by weighing first thing in the morning for best day to day comparison. Hay makes around 80% of the daily food intake. Unfortunately, you cannot control by eye or ear only whether your piggy is eating enough over the course of 24 hours.
Of course. She hadn't lost any more weight this morning, it was just a relief to see her eating veg, out of her hay box and seeming brighter. Husband has dropped her off and she will be seen by a rabbit specialist - I'm hoping that's a good thing. I'm just waiting for phone calls now.
All the best. It is great that with the painkiller she has enough appetite to hold her weight.
With a longer term management care issue, I would recommend to discuss the use of glucosamine. It is not classed as a precription-only medication and is therefore not stocked by vets but it is crucial in treating sterile cystitis and any damage from bladder stones/sludge. It will however take several weeks' time to build up in the body so it is not a quick fix. The walls of the urinary tract are coated with a natural insulation layer of glucosamine which prevents highly corrosive, stinging urine from coming into direct contact with raw tissue. Sterile cystitis seems to affect this layer as does mechanical damage from stones or sludge being banged into the bladder walls with every pee.
She has a stone in her urethra (I think that's what she said) and some sludge in her bladder. The vets are not confident in operating and would rather we wait to be seen by the Cat & Rabbit clinic next week. She's hoping she can push it back into her bladder for now 
We are hoping she is on the mend for now. The vet couldn't push the stone fully back in the bladder but chipped a bit off. She said she was bruised and inflamed, poor girl. She was not happy last night but managed her veg. She's now on metacam, gabapentin and back on the co-trim, which is a bit of a challenge getting her to have - although after reading on the forum earlier I took her outside and she didn't refuse the syringe. She's munching hay and scurrying around a little so good for now.
We're booked in the Cat&Rabbit for Tuesday to be checked and operate if needed. Just need to keep things as they are until then
We're booked in the Cat&Rabbit for Tuesday to be checked and operate if needed. Just need to keep things as they are until then
After a good day she's taken a turn for the worse. She's really straining to toilet - raising herself up, I'm not sure she's passed much urine. Spoken to emergency vets and there's nothing they can do as she's on all the pain meds. It's not looking great she can hold out until Tuesday but we need to phone Cat&Rabbit first thing to see if anyone there can help. Otherwise we might have to make a horrible choice.
fluffysal
Forum Donator 2024/25
I hope you can get her in tomorrow.
We had a horrible night, we were up until 1 with her. She seemed to be in so much pain. She doesn't appear to have passed any urine overnight but she's drank from her bottle and is eating veg now. Cat&Rabbit can see her at 10.40 so we'll go from there.
They got the stone! It had moved down her urethra so the vet could manipulate it out rather than surgically. She's recovering from the anaesthetic now but it could be really good news. Here's hoping my strong little girl has many happy hay munching days ahead
