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Poorly pig

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Tracy28

Hi guys i joined today to get some support and advice on my poorly pig, Cleaned Eddie out today and found him urinating blood in his cage its fresh blood too. I paniked and took him to the vets these eve and they suggested i leave him over night for a urine sample. Although it was pricey it was worth it me hopes, He tends to think its a uti i lost his brother last year to a similar thing but they never offered to perform a urine test they just stuck him on antibiotics, he just deteriorated as the weeks went on, he never made it for the xray. I'm just so scared i hope he he is fine, am i sad or do other piggy owners feel the same about their piggy pals. :(
 
^ of course not
try not to worry. he's at the vets and in good care, so right now there's not much you can do
if you want to keep busy maybe give his cage/hutch a clean and make it nice and comfy for when he comes home
your other piggy didn't make it but it doesn't mean eddie won't either; the fact that they're taking him in for the night whilst they didn't with your other pig should make you feel better, now if it is the same thing that's wrong with him he will have a better chance of seeing it out as he's being monitered and looked after by people who know what to do
i hope he gets better soon <3
 
Welcome.
It sounds like a UTI. Usually caused by a bladder stone. Standard treatment is to start with Septrin antibiotic, an x ray to check for the presence of a stone, or silt, plenty of cranberry juice to relieve the symptoms. Just wondering what the urine sample is needed for? Keep the thread updated. I am sure he will be fine as you have taken prompt action.
Regards
 
Aw your so sweet just made my eyes fill up, i just dreaded the day that anything started to go wrong with him, hes 7 and he is a tough old man I'm just hoping he will be fine, The vets really anoyed me £47 and ive not even started any treatment yet, I'm soon to be a nurse so i was thinking drink that water Eddie please. Charlie died on me and it was the worst night of my life, thanks for your support its a great little community in here, i know its depressing i will keep you up to date hugs x
 
Don't be afraid to ask the vet. any questions that you may have. I am sure you know all about informed consent!
Seven years old is a very good age for a pig. Please keep us updated.
 
I am so proud to say ive had him 7 years bless him! It was the same vets i took Charlie to last year, they didnt take a urine sample back then, they just said take these antibiotics and pain relief and come back in a week if no progress, i tried everything for what they called cysistitus, it was obviously not that, more like kidney stones! i was recomended barley and cucumber which is a good healer of infections, the night before the xray he passed away on me. With Eddie its different symptoms so i really hope it is just cysistitus and nothing more serious. I know they all get old and we dread the day they become ill, because as we know when guinea pigs get ill they go down hill fast, we watch them detirorate in front of our eyes. Sounds sad but i never said goodbye he was whisked off like a flash. Just counting the hours till that phone call. The stupid thing is they say not all urine tests come back sucsessfull so fingers crossed guys and girls lol
 
What a shame. One of my piggies has a bladder stone which causes intermittent bleeding. The stone is embedded in the wall therefore I chose not to have him operated on due to the piggies age and the fact that he has apparently had this stone since a pup. He has no other symptoms. I have found that spinach causes more bleeding so if you are feeding your piggy this then maybe try avoiding this to see if the bleeding improves. On the otherhand, dandelion leaves are good for bladder problems so it wouldnt hurt to temp your piggy with these. Hopefully it is just a UTI he has and the antibiotics should help with this. Also, if you can get some cranberry juice into him this should help also. Sending healing vibes to your wee man
 
Aw you guys have been a real good help, i tried the cranberry juice on Charlie last time he wasnt having any of it so i might give it another bash with Ed, I have noticed that he gets bored of greens and kale so i will lay off that for a while. Today was like wooooooo what the heck is that, i mean blood everywhere!
 
Just because I'm new to this i thought i would upload a pic of eddie to see if it works
 

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Lol and he knows it, hes the only pig i know with a attitude problem he should of been a cat! only wants cuddles and kisses when he feels like it head butts you when you kiss him!
 
Some pigs can be reluctant, initially, to take cranberry juice, so you may have to be firm with the syringe to start with ie "It's for your own good"!
There are some pigs who can't get enough juice and prefer to take it from a spoon.
Quantity? As much as possible, say 10ml per day minimum. I have known some who will take 30-40ml per day, gets expensive then, they leave none for the owner!
 
I need some advice, the vet wants an xray of eddie as the urine sample didnt show any results even though this is going to be costly I'm worried that they will ask to operate on him. Hes 7 and i dont want to put him through an operation. Please help!
 
Ive decided to give him the xray will have to call back at 2pm, i just hope there are other alternitives if it is kidney stones.
 
I really can't help with medical stuff, but step at a time, even if you agree to the x ray, you don't have to agree to surgery. Maybe the x ray could give a clearer understanding of what may be wrong with your piggy, then use this information to decide on next step. Best of luck to you and your piggy. x
 
Thankyou Nutmeg if i was working this wouldnt be a problem I'm a student but i guess with animals there will always be a price, no easter eggs this year lol. Ive agreed for the xray it just goes to show that in a city it becomes double the price £47. You are right though at least i will find out the reason behind the problem.
 
That is steep if it is £47 for just an x ray. (Nutty was neutered yesterday, antibiotics, painkillers and check up today for less than that!) and I am not far from Manchester. Hope the x ray helps though. Maybe the forum can find a better way of listing good vets, rather than us trawling through over 130 posts. Something to think about for us. In the meantime hope all is well when you ring back at 2. x
 
Good news after all that they said he may have cystitus, his bladder was quite thick so they catherterised him and flushed his bladder. Hes drowsy so i have to collect him at 5pm I'm so pleased its nothing serious. So ive been in the garden picking dandelion leaves and got him some unsweetened cranberry juice. So on with his medication now, they didnt charge me for the urine sample as he didnt produce enough which is good. all in all £90 bill so yer we do need to find a kind vet who doesnt charge the earth. Cant wait to pick him up, thanks for all your support. x>>
 
And btw i send big kisses to Nutty! i hope these boys are better in time for easter treats x
 
i'm so glad it's worked out =D
he's an absolutely adorable piggy- i love the poster he has on his wall!
 
£47 for an x ray is quite expensive, the film itself costs surprisingly little.
I am surprised that there was a need for a urine test first, usually a film gives the definite answer on the presence/absence of stones. Hopefully he won't cost you anymore.
 
Thanks Sarah hes not eating well i have to keep prompting him to chew as he is laying there with food hanging out of his mouth, i was told by a guinea expert today that they shouldnt of sedated him when they did the xray. I dont know if hes just groggy or if hes deteriorating. I'm cooking up some barley and mixing it with cucumber and see if he eats that tonight! its supposed to be a good mixture for bladder problems. The drugs that they prescribed was metacam and trimoxazole, has anybody got any idea if these are good, i know one is a painkiller and the other a antibiotic. In my eyes its not looking good!
 
Trimoxazole is Septrin, the ideal antibiotic for bladder problems. Metacam is also fine. What doses of each was prescribed?

Some piggies don't do so well with anesthetic, and the 'guinea expert' you spoke to is correct that anesthetic is very unnecessary for xrays. It is frustrating that so many vets are still not willing to accept this! If the right anesthetic was used, then the effects should have long worn off.

Are you syringe-feeding him? It's important to catch it early when you know he's not eating for himself (by all means encourage/stimulate his on appetite too) and be sure to weigh him daily as he recovers, and for however long he needs syringe-feeding. Hopefully something will spark his appetite soon!
 
A couple of things related to this thread that I would be intrested in hearing peoples thoughts on. I tried to get a vets appointment on thursday for one of my piggies who has been squeaking when going to the toilet. I wondered about cystitis. Because of Easter I was having trouble getting an appointment but they said if I could get a urine sample to them they would test it. I did this the same day and took it to the vet. They tested it whilst I waited and said there was blood in the urine.

They then agreed to see the piggie straight away, the result of this was treatment for cys****. I have an appointment for tomorrow when they have said they will do an xray if there is no improvement. The antibotic prescribed was baytril at 0.5ml once per day. I asked about Septrin as some members here have indicated that this is far more effective for bladder problems. I was told that Septin is not a licensed medicine and that they would have to try Baytil first. Is this right?

If they xray the piggie will she be sedated? and will I need to leave her with the vet?
 
Septrin is readily available and I would have insisted on this. My sow has exactly the same problem and I will be requesting Septrin
I have had problems with Baytril in the past and will not use it again.
 
That is correct that Septrin isn't licensed for guinea pigs. Septrin is a human medicine, usually given in the paediatric suspension, and many vets have to write a prescription or order it from the chemist.
Last I heard, Baytril is the only medication that is actually licensed for use on guinea pigs. Everything else - Rimadyl, Metacam, Chloramphenicol, Septrin etc. - is licensed for use with other animals or humans.

The dose rate for Baytril is 0.4ml twice daily; the dose your piggie has been given may not clear the cystitis fully.

Guinea pigs don't need sedating for xrays, a good wrapping technique is sufficient to hold the pig still for the procedure, but most vets still insist upon anesthetic. You are required to sign a consent form prior to leaving the pig with the vet, so if you don't wish for your pig to have an unnecessary sedation, discuss this with the vet. A good vet is willing to at least listen and try.
 
CCC4 said:
That is correct that Septrin isn't licensed for guinea pigs. Septrin is a human medicine, usually given in the paediatric suspension, and many vets have to write a prescription or order it from the chemist.
Last I heard, Baytril is the only medication that is actually licensed for use on guinea pigs. Everything else - Rimadyl, Metacam, Chloramphenicol, Septrin etc. - is licensed for use with other animals or humans.

The dose rate for Baytril is 0.4ml twice daily; the dose your piggie has been given may not clear the cystitis fully.

Guinea pigs don't need sedating for xrays, a good wrapping technique is sufficient to hold the pig still for the procedure, but most vets still insist upon anesthetic. You are required to sign a consent form prior to leaving the pig with the vet, so if you don't wish for your pig to have an unnecessary sedation, discuss this with the vet. A good vet is willing to at least listen and try.
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One of my piggies last year was prescribed Septrin straight away for a URI, they had it in stock and gave it to me there and then?
The piggie I have now with Cystitus was on Baytril last month and I believe it has killed all the good and bad bacteria in her gut, resulting in another illness. I gave her probiotics whilst on the Baytil but this didnt seem to do much good.
 
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