Drinking More...

[Claire W]

If a guinea pig was drinking more due to a health condition would a urine test show abnormal results?

The reason I am asking is because Erika seems to be drinking quite a lot. When I say quite a lot, she actually isn't but she spends more time at the water bottles compared to Emma and Enoch. She has also developed an obsession with the water bottle where she will play with it almost pulling it off of the cage bars.

This has been going on for a few weeks now but she had her urine tested just last Wednesday at the vets as a routine after Emma had a mild UTI. The vet could find nothing abnormal on her urine test stick. There was a bit of confusion the week before whether her urine had a trace of blood as I carried out the test myself at home hence the second test but everything looked normal according to my vet.

Another factor to consider is that up until Christmas when they moved indoors and for a brief period whilst they were in rescue / fostered, Emma and Erika were outdoor guinea pigs and the weather has been warmer here just recently.

I am probably just being over cautious as when Eleanor had renal failure, she was drinking up to a bottle of water a day to herself and she lost lots of weight. Erika's weight is stable (at a massive 1500g) and it has been like that since I adopted her last May. She is also showing no other signs of illness.

Erika is around two years old.

 

[sport_billy]

You would normally see blood visible or non visible it shows up on urine sticks as a sign of UTI.

I understand your concern, how much would you say she is getting through? Ours are drinking a lot at the moment as it is warmer

 

[Stewybus]

Did the water test include a check for diabetes which is a remote possibility. I know first hand because I started drinking a lot more water when I developed Diabetes 2. I would probably weigh her more often while she's like this & if in doubt see the vet.

 

[Claire W]

Thank you. I am probably stressing over nothing but I just wanted to check.

Vet said her glucose levels etc were normal but I am not sure if it was a specific test for diabetes?

They have two water bottles between the three of them and are only getting through roughly half a bottle to three quarters of a bottle a day between them but it just seems that Erika is at the water bottle the most but like I say, she seems to have developed an obsession with trying to pull it off the bars as well so I am not sure if she is even drinking everytime she is at the bottle.

I shall weigh her daily and see bow she goes. If there was a problem, how much roughly would she lose and would there be anymore signs I should be looking out for?

 

[CaymanCavy]

I have a six month old boar that spends a significant amount of time by his water bottle as well and he drinks up to 30ml of water every 48 hours approx which is alot more than my other 5 pigs. I havent really done any tests on him because other than that he seeems perfectly fine. Is this abnormal?

 

[Stewybus]

In humans it's higher glucose or sugar levels that give you the early warnings. Once it get's over 6.5 they start to let you know to change your diet.. It's probably similar with piggies.

 

[Claire W]

I have a six month old boar that spends a significant amount of time by his water bottle as well and he drinks up to 30ml of water every 48 hours approx which is alot more than my other 5 pigs. I havent really done any tests on him because other than that he seeems perfectly fine. Is this abnormal?

It may just be normal for your boy as like humans, some guinea pigs simply drink more than others.

But if you are concerned, you could always pop him to your vets along with a urine sample. The best way to collect a urine sample is by placing the piggy in a clean waterproof setting such as a cat carrier / washing up bowl and wait until the guinea pig pees sucking it up in to a syringe and placing the sample in to the fridge until you go to the vets. The fresher the sample the better.

You can give them watery veg such as cucumber to encourage them to pee.

 

[CaymanCavy]

It may just be normal for your boy as like humans, some guinea pigs simply drink more than others.

But if you are concerned, you could always pop him to your vets along with a urine sample. The best way to collect a urine sample is by placing the piggy in a clean waterproof setting such as a cat carrier / washing up bowl and wait until the guinea pig pees sucking it up in to a syringe and placing the sample in to the fridge until you go to the vets. The fresher the sample the better.

You can give them watery veg such as cucumber to encourage them to pee.

Thank you, that's what i'll do. Better to be safe than sorry especially since here the vet charges very little for guinea pigs, they are so happy to see us when we visit because they hardly see guinea pigs at all. I'm about 90% sure that he just loves water though because he is also my most active cavy.

 

[Claire W]

Thank you, that's what i'll do. Better to be safe than sorry especially since here the vet charges very little for guinea pigs, they are so happy to see us when we visit because they hardly see guinea pigs at all. I'm about 90% sure that he just loves water though because he is also my most active cavy.

No problem. Always better to be safe than sorry. I hope you get on ok but it is probably just normal for him.

 

[boarding service]

I have the same problem with my piggie sammy, he can drink a full 300ml a day, and there is a sweet smell coming from him, I just lost one to kidney failure, and I have had a diabetic piggie in the past, I am getting a dip stick test done, looks to me I have diabetic piggie number 2 poor sausages, hope your piggie is ok, was there lots of protein in her urine.

 

[Claire W]

Aw, poor Sammy Does he show any other symptoms?

On the first test, there was a bit of protein but on the second one a week later, nothing unusual appeared on the test stick x