Giunea Pig Supplements for Crystals

[micahamc]

Yesterday, I noticed my guinea pig, Oreo, had blood in his urine. He'd had the same problem three weeks before (he took medication for it, but it came back anyways), so I thought it might be a stone. I scheduled an appointment for him to see the vet, which he did. They analyzed his urine and sure enough, they suspected that he had a few small stones.

For this problem, the doctor prescribed for him herbal supplements in the form of capsules. They said these supplements were originally intended for larger animals so they instructed to give him only half of a capsule daily (by opening it and pouring the powder onto a vegetable like a cucumber and feeding it to him in that way).

My purpose of writing this right now is for two reasons. One–I've read that opening the capsule and giving them the powder by itself might cause them problems. Maybe I'm being irrational because the doctor was the one to give the instructions... And Two–I've been opening the capsule into a small container, taking half of the herbal powder, pouring it on a cucumber or bell pepper, and feeding it to him. I'm somewhat worried though that he's not getting the recommended amount because some of it ends up on his cheek (which I then proceed to wipe off), and the process is somewhat tedious anyways. Is there any simpler, cleaner, more effective way of doing this?

 

[Siikibam]

What is the herbal supplement called? To be honest I’m not sure it’s a good idea to give it to him. If it’s not in a form that guinea pigs can invest easily then I’m not entirely sure it’s suitable for them.

Did the vet suggest putting him on a low(we) calcium diet? And was he given medication again for the blood in urine and pain?

There’s a section on this thread about special diets (Section 4). Is the vet cavy savvy?

 

[Lady Kelly]

I would be cautious because no herbal supplement is going to get rid of a stone if one has already formed. What's being done to actually diagnose the stone? (X-rays are the norm) I would also be cautious because untreated stones can cause blockages which then cause a back up or urine which can irreversibly damage the kidneys. I don't mean to scare you at all but stones are serious.

 

[Wiebke]

Yesterday, I noticed my guinea pig, Oreo, had blood in his urine. He'd had the same problem three weeks before (he took medication for it, but it came back anyways), so I thought it might be a stone. I scheduled an appointment for him to see the vet, which he did. They analyzed his urine and sure enough, they suspected that he had a few small stones.

For this problem, the doctor prescribed for him herbal supplements in the form of capsules. They said these supplements were originally intended for larger animals so they instructed to give him only half of a capsule daily (by opening it and pouring the powder onto a vegetable like a cucumber and feeding it to him in that way).

My purpose of writing this right now is for two reasons. One–I've read that opening the capsule and giving them the powder by itself might cause them problems. Maybe I'm being irrational because the doctor was the one to give the instructions... And Two–I've been opening the capsule into a small container, taking half of the herbal powder, pouring it on a cucumber or bell pepper, and feeding it to him. I'm somewhat worried though that he's not getting the recommended amount because some of it ends up on his cheek (which I then proceed to wipe off), and the process is somewhat tedious anyways. Is there any simpler, cleaner, more effective way of doing this?

Hi!

Herbal treatments don't work for guinea pig stones in our experience have a naturally very highly alkaline urine.
Has your piggy had an x-ray to check for the presence of stones or sludge? How piggy savvy is your vet?
Recommended UK vets: Recommended Guinea Pig Vets

Red coloured urine is generally typical for the onset of a cystitis, a bladder infection with inflamed walls which can be the result of crystals or stones (in this case it is generally bacterial and should be treated with antibiotics, analgesics and glucosamine) or it can be a symptom of a sterile (i.e. non-bacterial and not curable by antibiotics) interstitial (i.e. recurring) cystitis, which is mainly managed with glucosamine and analgesics as it can't be healed.
Glucosamine (usually in the form of cystease capsules for cats, who are the other species prone to bladder problems) is a crucial part of treating any problems in the urinary tract as the walls in the system have a natural glucosamine coating. Glucosamine is not a medication but is classed as a food supplement.

Has your vet prescribed analgesics for the pain/inflammation? Are you monitoring the weight regularly?
Weight - Monitoring and Management

Please take the time to read our diet guide; your area is one of the trickier ones in the UK for urinary tract problems/stones.
Keep in mind that more calcium comes from unfiltered water and pellets than veg although this needs to be looked at as well.
Our general and particular diet recommendations for guinea pigs with urinary tract issues should help you on that score: Recommended Guinea Pig Vets