Fishy urine, reoccurring UTI?

[Lubblobba]

Jasper is a year old neutered boar who a few months ago was squeaking when peeing, peeing in small bursts, blood in urine. We did a course of antibiotics but the issues didn't fully resolve so had his urine checked which was found to be very high in a bacteria but the vet said it wasn't a sterile urine sample so she wasn't 100%. Still we did baytril this time and he got a lot better but since then he's had intermittent bleeding in his pee. He also has slight sludge and doesn't drink a lot of water. He's already on a reduced calcium diet and I give him watery veg daily.

I started him on some guinea pig pellets that contain glucosamine however these seem to make his urine have blood in it (just 3 tiny pellets a day). I've stopped them but now his urine smells fishy (it didn't smell before) but he has no other symptoms. I've done at home urine tests that say he has some blood in his urine even though it isn't visible.

Is this a reoccurring UTI? I dread taking him back to the vet for another course because he's already had 3 courses of antibiotics in his first year of life. TIA

 

[VickiA]

So sorry to hear about his issues. Has he had a scan or X-ray to rule out stones?

 

[Lubblobba]

So sorry to hear about his issues. Has he had a scan or X-ray to rule out stones?

He had one of them, forget which, and it was clear. There's no issues when she feels the bladder either, soft to touch, no pain reaction from jasper.

 

[piggieminder]

I'm sorry you and your poor boy are going through this.
I'm linking a guide you should find useful.
Sometimes a different antibiotic is needed if the one tried is not right for the type of bacteria, it maybe that the urine needs testing to see what bacteria is present to decide the best AB for the infection.

Wiebke's Guide to Pees and Stones

 

[Lubblobba]

I'm sorry you and your poor boy are going through this.
I'm linking a guide you should find useful.
Sometimes a different antibiotic is needed if the one tried is not right for the type of bacteria, it maybe that the urine needs testing to see what bacteria is present to decide the best AB for the infection.

Wiebke's Guide to Pees and Stones

We did get his urine tested, did baytril for 2 weeks and his symptoms went away. He's then had periodic blood in his urine from the dry food and think this may have caused a new infection?

 

[Piggies&buns]

I’d ask for a new urine sample to be tested and checked again, the risk of contamination in the last sample means it probably cant be relied upon.
If it is a bacterial infection then it can help decide what antibiotic is the right one to be used.

A fishy smell generally indicating a bacterial infection.
Sludge can cause irritation to the bladder wall and can cause bleeding, cause secondary infection and thus result in the fishy smell.

I’d be less inclined to think the food has directly caused the bleeding (I guess it’s possible but generally glucosamine is helpful as it lines the bladder and helps protect it against the corrosive effects of urine (after several weeks of use though)) and more to ask your vet whether the sludge may be causing an issue of abrasion in the bladder

A diet too low in calcium can also cause sludge to increase; too low can be just as bad as too high.
- it’s about getting the right balance in the diet

 

[Lubblobba]

I’d ask for a new urine sample to be tested and checked again, the risk of contamination in the last sample means it probably cant be relied upon.
If it is a bacterial infection then it can help decide what antibiotic is the right one to be used.

A fishy smell generally indicating a bacterial infection.
Sludge can cause irritation to the bladder wall and can cause bleeding, cause secondary infection and thus result in the fishy smell.

I’d be less inclined to think the food has directly caused the bleeding (I guess it’s possible but generally glucosamine is helpful as it lines the bladder and helps protect it against the corrosive effects of urine (after several weeks of use though)) and more to ask your vet whether the sludge may be causing an issue of abrasion in the bladder

A diet too low in calcium can also cause sludge to increase; too low can be just as bad as too high.
- it’s about getting the right balance in the diet

Thanks, I'll ask for a retest and talk to the vet. I think it might be the other ingredients in the dry food, apparently they can be irritating including the calcium content.
What's the best way to judge if they're getting the "right" level of calcium in their diet? By tracking their urine?

 

[Piggies&buns]

Section 4 of this guide explains sludge and crystals and the dietary considerations

Wiebke's Guide to Pees and Stones