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Possible Crystals In Urine

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Amba

Amba

Junior Guinea Pig
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I'm about to send a urine sample and have to wait for the results. After many many medications and guesses, the vet thinks she has either inflamed bladder or chronic crystals. She is currently on meds for bloat (which has likely cleared up), bactrim, potassium, diuretics, tramal, vit C tablet and 20-40 forced fed water (she does get water other than this by herself).
Is there anything I can do for her while waiting for results that may help with crystals? I've heard spring water (instead of tap) can help.
She has had x-rays to rule out stones, and her stomach (etc) has been deeply felt for other lumps.
Thank you!
 
I would switch to filter water instead of tap water; especially if you are in a hard water area, as well as looking a low calcium diet that cuts out most medium high calcium foods, too. This will hopefully help slow down any crystals. So far, none of the miracle meds and treatments of the last years have really stood up. :(
https://www.theguineapigforum.co.uk...or-piggies-an-option-to-be-considered.105930/

The one thing that is advisable is glucosamine, which coats the bladder walls and buffers the irritation though crystals. It is a food supplement and not a medication. Often the cat version that is marketed as cystaid (or cheaper derivates) are used for guinea pigs with interstitial/chronic cystitis issues by piggy savvy vets.
One of my piggies with chronic cystitis symptoms reacted extremely well to it and was symptom free within two weeks, even though she continued to suffer from cystitis for another two years. She's been free of it (and of having to take cystease) for about two years now. With others of mine it hasn't made such a dramatic impact, but it can help to ease the constant irritation of the bladder.

Several of my piggies have had similar issues. I ended up treating them with metacam (or as you do tramal) and septrin to cap the worst of an acute phase, which tends to happen every few months if you are dealing with interstitial cystitis. More often than not, the issue seems to go away eventually, but never quickly.
 
Thanks so much Wiebke, I will make a note of that. anyway you can interpret this. my vet emailed me back the 'results' or a urine test, and she doesn't seem to like it when i ask her to be more clear :-/ "the test we did yesterday was to see whether there were significant crystals in the urine.. to indicate why this pain on urinating is persisting. It maybe with flushing fluids into her and using the diuretics the crystals werent there.
The lab picked up there was a large number of a similar type bacteria.. indicating an infection happening, rather than bacteria that just live in the bladder." ? thanks again, so much!
 
I hope that you can get on top of it eventually for the sake of your poorly girl! Bladder infections can be very persistent and hard to treat. If it is an infection, mild diuretics like dandelion, fresh (dog pee free) grass, cucumber and lettuce can help with flushing it out. Please do not overdo it or you may end up with diarrhoea!
 
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