Guinea Pig with calcium issues

[SarahCR]

Our poor piggie was squeaking when weeing. Took her to the vet today and there was blood in her urine and small white deposits. I've looked through all the advice and forums and I don't think she has a high calcium diet. Mostly nuggets, hay and grass, with occasional dandelion leaves and little gem lettuce/cucumber. None of which are particularly high in calcium.
I don't know if it's possible to "cure" her as it looks like it's mostly dietary change, but it's not obvious what i would change for her.
The vet has given her some pain relief and antibiotics, but this doesn't seem likely to solve the problem, although hopefully is going to make her more comfortable. She's still alert and eating /drinking.
Does anyone have any advice to share please?
Also i feel a bit worried that the vet (who was very nice) wasn't a guinea pig specialist. Does anyone know of a really good guinea vet in the New Forest/Southampton area?
Thank you!

 

[Piggies&buns]

Do you keep nuggets limited to one tablespoon per day?
Do you filter her drinking water? (I’m thinking water may be softer in your area?).
Most calcium comes into the diet via nuggets and water.

Were the deposits powdery, or gritty?

You say occasional dandelions, lettuce and cucumber.
Does this mean she doesn’t get veg daily?
How much fresh grass does she get?
The safe daily veg is lettuce, cucumber, coriander and bell pepper amounting to one cup per day.
Dandelion is higher in calcium but the fact it’s occasional would negate it anyway.

What I’m trying to conclude is whether her diet is too dry if she isn’t getting veg often.

While the amount of veg given is generally trending down over the recent years, I will say that I feed a rather wet diet to mine. They get more than one cup of veg per day, but they don’t get nuggets daily (they actually on get 5 pellets each and only twice a week), I live in a hard water area so it is filtered. The lack of pellets in their diet gives me leeway with their veg thus making their diet wetter and balancing calcium ideal for my area as a hard water area.

It is also important to consider that a diet which is too low in calcium is as bad as one which is too high. We still see the same calcium deposits if the balance is too low.

Thread 'Wiebke's Guide to Pees and Stones'

May 29, 2024

1 The Urinary Tract
2 Pees
- Water intake changes
- Pee discoloration
3 Infections
- Bacterial urine infection (UTI)
- Bacterial cystitis
- Sterile cystitis (interstitial cystitis or IC)
4 Stones, Sludge and Crystals
- Crystals, stones and sludge
- Stone and sludge removal
5 Kidneys...

• Wiebke
• Replies: 3
• Forum: Wiebke's Guides to the Body

 

[SarahCR]

Thank you.
Yes, about a tablespoon of nuggets daily each (there are 2). Lots of grass everyday. Several handfuls, and unlimited when they are out on it (not in this weather), fresh hay too.
Water is very hard in this area, so that's an interesting thought.
She gets lettuce most days, but I've also read in other places that guineas shoudl not be fed lettuce as it can make them wet underneath and cause urinary problems.
Some kind of veggie everyday, but I'm wary of giving too much as had friends who lost guineas due to overfeeding and bowel problems.
Thanks for your thoughts.

 

[Qualcast&Flymo]

For alternative vets, you could look at the vet list Recommended Guinea Pig Vets and see if any are local to you enough.
I believe that @Betsy uses Vets4Pets Poole Hole Bay, which is on the list.

 

[Betsy]

I believe that @Betsy uses Vets4Pets Poole Hole Bay, which is on the list.

I know longer use Vets4Pets Poole Holes Bay as all the Guinea Pig vets have left. Thank you for reminding me to ask for them to be taken off the list.

I now use The Pet Health Partnership in Upton which was recommended by the local Guinea Pig Rescue.

 

[Piggies&buns]

If you aren’t filtering water then that is where a lot of calcium will be coming from. As I say most of it is from pellets and water.

Lettuce is safe to be given daily.
There is not much nutrition in it though so it’s about finding a good balance of nutrients - this is why lettuce, cucumber, pepper and coriander can be given daily. They are all safe daily veg but provide a really mix of nutrients without being calcium rich.

What other veggies do you give?

Were the deposits powdery? That is a normal deposit of calcium. Not necessarily a problem unless it happens a lot.

Gritty deposits are crystals which are the precursor to stones.