Guinea pig possible uti

[Julie Tait]

Hi everyone my piggy has a possible uti. Due to covid19 I can only get a telephone consultation with the vet and I have to meet them in the car park for liquid antibiotics which is understandable....if I hadn't seen tiny red spots of blood and pinkish urine I wouldnt have thought there was anything wrong. He is eating and drinking as normal. My question is as I forgot to ask the vet is there anything else I should be doing. Should I be giving him a probiotic? If so what is a probiotic and where do I get them from?

 

[Wiebke]

Hi everyone my piggy has a possible uti. Due to covid19 I can only get a telephone consultation with the vet and I have to meet them in the car park for liquid antibiotics which is understandable....if I hadn't seen tiny red spots of blood and pinkish urine I wouldnt have thought there was anything wrong. He is eating and drinking as normal. My question is as I forgot to ask the vet is there anything else I should be doing. Should I be giving him a probiotic? If so what is a probiotic and where do I get them from?

Hi!

Since vets are not classed as key workers, they have to restrict their services and practice social distancing in order to keep going and be available for any life saving emergencies.

If possible, ask for some added metacam; it is now often used in conjunction with an antibiotic with infections of the urinary tract. Only the coming weeks will show whether your are dealing with a bacterial urine infection or a bacterial or sterile (i.e. non-bacterial) cystitis (bladder infection). the first two will react to an antibiotic, the last one won't or will return after the end of the course. If that is the case, please contact us again.

You can get probiotics from most pet shops or online. Unless you have two infected piggies or just a single piggy, you have a generally much more effective replacement at home, direct transfer of live gut microbiome from a healthy piggy via 'poo soup' in case your piggy is losing the appetite. You can find the recipe in the link below:
Probiotics, Recovery Foods And Vitamin C: Overview With Product Links
First Aid Kit: Easily available non-medication support products for an emergency

 

[Julie Tait]

Hi!

Since vets are not classed as key workers, they have to restrict their services and practice social distancing in order to keep going and be available for any life saving emergencies.

If possible, ask for some added metacam; it is now often used in conjunction with an antibiotic with infections of the urinary tract. Only the coming weeks will show whether your are dealing with a bacterial urine infection or a bacterial or sterile (i.e. non-bacterial) cystitis (bladder infection). the first two will react to an antibiotic, the last one won't or will return after the end of the course. If that is the case, please contact us again.

You can get probiotics from most pet shops or online. Unless you have two infected piggies or just a single piggy, you have a generally much more effective replacement at home, direct transfer of live gut microbiome from a healthy piggy via 'poo soup' in case your piggy is losing the appetite. You can find the recipe in the link below:
Probiotics, Recovery Foods And Vitamin C: Overview With Product Links
First Aid Kit: Easily available non-medication support products for an emergency

Thank you. I have quite a bit of metacam from when my cat was poorly. My piggy is 1476 grams. Do I need to ask the vet how much to give or would anyone here be able to advise? X

 

[Wiebke]

Thank you. I have quite a bit of metacam from when my cat was poorly. My piggy is 1476 grams. Do I need to ask the vet how much to give or would anyone here be able to advise? X

Please ask your vet if at all possible.

 

[Julie Tait]

I have 7 days worth of antibiotics and some metacam. I have fed poop soup an hour after his meds and has had it again this morning. I am only mixing 1 to 2 pops in warm water and syringing 1ml. Do you think that's enough?

 

[Wiebke]

I have 7 days worth of antibiotics and some metacam. I have fed poop soup an hour after his meds and has had it again this morning. I am only mixing 1 to 2 pops in warm water and syringing 1ml. Do you think that's enough?

Please do the poo soup ideally 2 hours after the antibiotic so the medication is absorbed by the gut by the time you re-stock it.
Keep in mind that in the vast majority of cases, antibiotics don't cause any dampening or loss of appetite; not even baytril!

Only treat with antibiotics upon consultation by phone with your and not on spec. Please respect that we canNOT replace a vet.
Health and Illness - Important Information

 

[Julie Tait]

Thank you. I did get a vet consultation and they prescribed the antibiotics which I picked up...but they didnt mention any probiotics x

 

[Julie Tait]

Hi. I have just had another consultation with the vet (via phone) as Coconut is not getting better and is now squeaking when peeing. They consulted an exotic vet and are going down the idiopathic uti route?
Now prescribed dog metacam and septrin or whatever it's called which wont be on till Monday so I have to continue on baytril until then. It is heartbreaking when you cant get your little one to the vet x