• 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

Don't Know What To Do...

Status
Not open for further replies.
I know its hard but you have to persevere, there isn't much you can do but see if the medication changes things at the moment. If Pebbles gets worse or doesn't improve in the timeline the vet has told you then all you can do is go back and see what they say. Sending Pebbles healing wheeks
 
How long has your guinea pig been on/How long is the course of Enrofloxacin (Baytril)?

If you guinea pig continues to experience issues after treatment, I would encourage you to have another culture performed, and to test for antibiotic sensitivity.

Otherwise, you may want to consider having your guinea pig's bladder flushed.

Although, here's hoping that neither will be necessary.

EDIT: It sounds as if your guinea pig has already had his bladder flushed?
 
Last edited:
If she's still squeaking with the Metacam I would recommend Tramadol. I have a pig on it longterm and I had a separate pig on it for bladder issue's. It took Months to find he had a stone in his uretre despite regular Xray's, he would cry and pass blood daily. It was only Tramadol which would touch his pain and it's better for the kidneys.
 
Guinea-pigGaga said:
How long has your guinea pig been on/How long is the course of Enrofloxacin (Baytril)?

If you guinea pig continues to experience issues after treatment, I would encourage you to have another culture performed, and to test for antibiotic sensitivity.

Otherwise, you may want to consider having your guinea pig's bladder flushed.

Although, here's hoping that neither will be necessary.

EDIT: It sounds as if your guinea pig has already had his bladder flushed?
Click to expand...

Pebbles has been on Baytril since Wednesday, so we still have a while on that.
He hasn't had his bladder flush, only had x-rays, ultrasound and catheter put in, but nothing found apart from calcium crystals.
 
flintstones said:
If she's still squeaking with the Metacam I would recommend Tramadol. I have a pig on it longterm and I had a separate pig on it for bladder issue's. It took Months to find he had a stone in his uretre despite regular Xray's, he would cry and pass blood daily. It was only Tramadol which would touch his pain and it's better for the kidneys.
Click to expand...

Pebbles isn't on Metacam, he hasn't had that one at all, he is on the following -

Potassium citrate mixture 0.05ml twice a day,
Baytril 2.5% 0.2ml twice a day,
Synoquin efa quarter of a capsule twice daily
Loxicom painkiller/anti inflammatory 5kg twice daily.

But he is still squeaking and bleeding, not all the time but quite frequent.
 
Johann said:
Pebbles has been on Baytril since Wednesday, so we still have a while on that.
He hasn't had his bladder flush, only had x-rays, ultrasound and catheter put in, but nothing found apart from calcium crystals.
Click to expand...

One would hope to see an improvement by Tuesday - Fingers crossed.

A catheter is typically used to flush the bladder of 'sludge' i.e. calcium crystals - Therefore, I believe that your veterinarian has flushed Pebbles' bladder. . .

I have spent several hours researching Potassium Citrate. . . It's quite complicated. . . However, I think I understand the purpose - A low calcium diet should be adhered to, whilst using this supplement.
 
The vet said he had high calcium in his wee. We're following the low calcium diet and still giving the potassium citrate. How long does it take for the high calcium to go from his body? Is it something that could take weeks? As i'm not seeing any improvement in him.
Thanks
Johann
 
I'm not sure how long the change in diet will take to affect his calcium levels unfortunately. Hoping someone else might have a better idea for you. Did the vets give you a time to bring him back for another check up and see how he's doing?
 
The vet said to give him a call after 7-10 days, which will be this Wednesday (7 days). I'm assuming i should have noticed a difference by then?
I was reading that Orchard Hay is lower in calcium than Timothy Hay, do you think i should move the piggies onto Orchard Hay? Currently they're eating Alfafa King's Timothy Hay.
Thanks
Johann
 
I thought Timothy hay was the lowest in calcium? Wonder if someone can confirm.

Have you tried syringing additional fluids to help flush his bladder out? You do need to be careful not to aspirate only give small amounts at a time into the side of his mouth. I'm afraid urinary problems are not always easily solved and it may well be ongoing. The best thing you can do is manage his condition.
 
This is the link to where i read about the Orchard Hay What Are The Alternatives To Timothy Hay For Guinea Pigs? - Small Pet Select

I haven't tried giving additional fluids as Pebbles does drink quite a bit more more than the other piggy (Coco), he seems to be at the water every 5 minutes!
Thanks for all the advice, i'm learning all the time and it's so nice to see such friendly/helpful people on a forum!
Johann
 
Low Calcium Diet = Avoid alfalfa; limit commercial feed (Follow manufacturer's guidelines); and avoid high calcium fresh foods/foods with a poor calcium:phosphorus ratio.

Guinea-pigGaga said:
One would hope to see an improvement by Tuesday - Fingers crossed.
Click to expand...
 
Last edited:
Hi there, sorry to hear your piggy isnt doing too well. My sow has flare ups of blood in urine and painful urination. Flare ups are normally caused by diet changes that involve a higher amount of calcium than before. Shes been checked for stones, xrayed and had ultrasounds, all they found was a thickened bladder. She has urine dipstick tested and spun down to check for crystals everytime she has a flare up- always find blood and never crystals. The first time was the worst and took a while to get her over it. Theres a couple of things i would do in this instance:

-Firstly he may need additional pain relief. Pain will affect his appetite and ultimately his ability to fight illness. Keeping ontop of this is vital.

-Secondly if theres no change on this antibiotic then i would ask to try a different one sooner rather than later (septrin works for my sow and none of my pigs ever have side effects from it). Baytril is known to supress the appetite and quite frankly none of my pigs have ever tolerated it well.

- if he isnt eating much, Top him up with watery critical Care mix by syringe feeding to make sure he is recieving enough nutrition, there are guides on here that you can follow.

-(if he eats his hay and veg well enough) i would think about removing pellets all together for a short while, especialy if the diet has changed recently. Potential triggers need to be identified.

-Low calcium veg is key as you know, but the veg part is important. I feed torn up, juicy, low calcium veg in a shallow bowl with water poured on top, regular small portions- this helps crunchie during a flare up as it helps flush the bladder out quicker.

-Give a probiotic such as pro-c powder from pets at home, avipro plus powder or fibreplex. Antibiotics kill the bad bacteria but also the good bacteria in the guts, which can cause tummy issues. Probiotics replace that good gut bacteria and should be given 1-2 hours after the antibiotics.

Hope he improves soon x
 
No different I'm afraid. Still squeaking and passing blood. I'm about to phone the vets and ask for septrin.

What's the best low calcium leafy veg? I've tried peppers, broccholi and sprouts, but they don't touch it.
Apart from carrot and cucumber they only seem to like leafy veg.
In the beginning i was giving them greens, but now i know its high in calcium i don't give it at all and i'm looking for an alternative.
Thanks
Johann
 
Sorry about your poor pig, there is a low calcium list on here that I follow ,it's pepper ,French bean ,celery, coriander, cucumber ,and one strip of greens I think, mine get it if they like it or not lol
Out of 8 they all have the bits they prefer but by the end of the day it's all gone, occasionally I change the bean for baby corn or mange tout, I give them a treat they love parsley but just once a week , sometimes broccoli or a bit of carrot, or piece of Apple.
Hope things get better soon.
 
Ask the vet about the Loxicom dose they maybe able to increase or change the painkiller. My Two piggies who have had Tramadol tolerate it well - it's a fantastic pain killer.
 
I'm so sorry you are going through this. Bladder problems are awful :(

My Emma has had blood in her urine on and off since September. She sometimes also does squeaky wee's :(

After having X-rays, ultrasounds, urine spinned down and urine cultures done, my vet can find nothing wrong apart from the blood in her wee so she has been diagnosed with Interstitial Cystitis. We feed her on a low calcium diet, limited nuggets, filter her water and she has a daily does of metacam and cystease.

I hope that Pebbles is feeling better soon x
 
Hi again,
Well I've collected the Septrin from the vets and given it to Pebbles tonight for the first time. I'm giving him 0.4ml (2x daily)Septrin, 5kg Loxicom (2x daily), 0.05 (2x daily) Potassium Citrate.
He's been on low calcium now for about a week now. I've been giving the filtered water as well for around 2-3 weeks.
Has Emma had this bladder problem before? Hope she gets better soon.
How long does it normally take to see an improvement?
Johann
 
flintstones said:
Ask the vet about the Loxicom dose they maybe able to increase or change the painkiller. My Two piggies who have had Tramadol tolerate it well - it's a fantastic pain killer.
Click to expand...
Thanks, i'll ask the vet as the Loxicom doesn't seem to be that great.
Johann
 
Tramadol seems to be getting prescribed more often, it's also better for the Kidneys. My Pen is chalked full of Kidney stones, before he started his Tramadol he was off his food and lost around 200 grams of weight. He's eating and maintaining himself now so the difference really is amazing unfortunately there is no cure I'm just extending his life by reducing his pain greatly.
 
Johann said:
Hi again,
Well I've collected the Septrin from the vets and given it to Pebbles tonight for the first time. I'm giving him 0.4ml (2x daily)Septrin, 5kg Loxicom (2x daily), 0.05 (2x daily) Potassium Citrate.
He's been on low calcium now for about a week now. I've been giving the filtered water as well for around 2-3 weeks.
Has Emma had this bladder problem before? Hope she gets better soon.
How long does it normally take to see an improvement?
Johann
Click to expand...

Emma had a few UTI's before being diagnosed with IC as her urine samples at that time showed bacteria and protein on the urine test sticks and a few weeks on Septrin soon sorted her out.

She started having bloody urine again in September and her urine was showed to have bacteria and protein so she was prescribed another course of septrin. However, after a long 8 weeks and many urine samples later, we finally got to the stage where her urine showed nothing but blood (this was after she had had an x ray, two ultrasounds, urine spinned down and urine cultures done) so my vet finally diagnosed IC which my vet suspects may have been caused by recurrent UTI's.

Sadly it is a long and frustrating journey and just a case of ruling everything else out before IC is diagnosed.

At least with Pebbles, you know it can't be a reproductive problem which is what I feared with Emma but the ultrasounds proved me wrong.

When it comes to UTI's, it can take a good 3 - 4 weeks or more on antibiotics before the infection has completely gone especially if it is a stubborn UTI.
 
Update on Pebbles, after a couple of days on the Septrin he started to get better no squeaking and no blood in urine it was the best he's been since mid-december, we thought finally he is starting to get better, he was good all weekend but then on Monday this week the squeaking and the blood in the urine has returned. :(

We have bought the pro-c probiotic from pets at home and the beaphar tummy care, we have two water bottle so have put one in each, the two piggies drank it loads at first and really seemed to like it, but after a day seem to turn their noses up and will not drink it much, so I'm now worried about them not drinking enough, should I persevere or just go back to normal filtered water?

Thanks Johann
 
Johann said:
Update on Pebbles, after a couple of days on the Septrin he started to get better no squeaking and no blood in urine it was the best he's been since mid-december, we thought finally he is starting to get better, he was good all weekend but then on Monday this week the squeaking and the blood in the urine has returned. :(

We have bought the pro-c probiotic from pets at home and the beaphar tummy care, we have two water bottle so have put one in each, the two piggies drank it loads at first and really seemed to like it, but after a day seem to turn their noses up and will not drink it much, so I'm now worried about them not drinking enough, should I persevere or just go back to normal filtered water?

Thanks Johann
Click to expand...

I would always have at least one bottle with plain ( filtered) water in if I were you. I have put Pro C in a water bottle - but have always added a bottle additional to the ones they normally use when I have done this .
 
Sprinkle the the pro c on a plate of low calcium veggies, add a table spoon of water and mix - this helps the powder to dissolve. This is the most effective way of giving the probiotics, and means he is recieving them in one go (should be 1-2 hours after antibiotic dose for maximum effectiveness), and water is left clear and fresh as it is important he drinks well too. If he likes cranberry juice, some of this unsweetened juice can be added to the water bottle as this will increase his fluid intake but also cranberries benefit the bladder so would be ideal in both senses- but only do this if he drinks it well, if not just stick to the normal water. Hope this helps x
 
An update on Pebbles!

A week ago we took him to see a rodentologist who had been recommended to us by a guinea pig rescue centre.
She kept him for 5 days and the change is amazing ! He's back to normal!
He did have a high calcium content in his urine with sludge.

The remedy for him was:
1. 50/50 pure orange juice with low calcium content bottled water (not filtered). About an egg cup size syringed every evening (for life).
2. Red peppers they were high in content (of something i cant remember what she said)
3. She said that Baytrill doesnt work that well because of the alkaline in their urine, Septrin is much better
4. Rowatinex capsules, 1 per week for at least 6 months. Its lubricates the crystals so that they're not so abrasive on the bladder wall.
5. Low calcium diet and avoid Alfafa hay (which i was doing already).

The change in him is astonishing, after only a few days. He's running around, jumping and skipping. Whereas for the last 2 months he's been so unwell.

Thanks to everyone on here for their advice, and if anyone wants to know the contact details of the lady rodentologist just contact me.

Johann
 
Johann said:
An update on Pebbles!

A week ago we took him to see a rodentologist who had been recommended to us by a guinea pig rescue centre.
She kept him for 5 days and the change is amazing ! He's back to normal!
He did have a high calcium content in his urine with sludge.

The remedy for him was:
1. 50/50 pure orange juice with low calcium content bottled water (not filtered). About an egg cup size syringed every evening (for life).
2. Red peppers they were high in content (of something i cant remember what she said)
3. She said that Baytrill doesnt work that well because of the alkaline in their urine, Septrin is much better
4. Rowatinex capsules, 1 per week for at least 6 months. Its lubricates the crystals so that they're not so abrasive on the bladder wall.
5. Low calcium diet and avoid Alfafa hay (which i was doing already).

The change in him is astonishing, after only a few days. He's running around, jumping and skipping. Whereas for the last 2 months he's been so unwell.

Thanks to everyone on here for their advice, and if anyone wants to know the contact details of the lady rodentologist just contact me.

Johann
Click to expand...
I'm so pleased you got this sorted
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Back
Top