Post neutering UTI - help

[Basia1]

Hello
I am back here again....
So about 3/4 weeks ago my boar was neutered. About 3 days post op he started to hunch his back and scream when he was doing pee or poop. Went to the vet who did the xray and urine test to rule out stones. I was told cystitis. So my boy was put on Metacam and Baytril. Two weeks later no change. Apart from he was peeing blood ( not all the time but he was spotting). Back to the vet. Another xray done ( in case the stone was missed). I was told definitely no stones. But now possible UTI. My boar was put on Sulfatrim ( 0.2ml twice a day). After two doses his poop started to smell really bad. So off we go to se the vet again. My boy was checked again and I was told that he looks really good! No pain in his belly, no lumps and he even put weight on! I was told to continue with the antibiotics but up his prebiotic. He's been on this antibiotics now for 4 days. Now since last night my boy is still peeing blood but now with a little white powdery substance. Not enough to say sludge. It looks as if he is excreting calcium! He has a little bit of burges excel blackcurrant pellets, loads of Timothy and meadow hay. I have stopped the veggies and he only gets a little of green pepper. I am at loss! Surely after 4 days I should see some improvement it shouldn't get worse! I spoke to the vet and was ok to give him cystease ( 1 pill a day). Also he is still on Metacam 2 ml a day.
My boy was now seen by 3 different vets. I am so disheartened! Nothing seems to be working!

 

[Piggies&buns]

Can I ask the reason for stopping veggies? If he isn’t having a digestive upset, then he can still have veggies. In fact if he is excreting calcium, the keeping him on a wet diet is the best thing as it’ll flush his bladder through

 

[Basia1]

Can I ask the reason for stopping veggies? If he isn’t having a digestive upset, then he can still have veggies. In fact if he is excreting calcium, the keeping him on a wet diet is the best thing as it’ll flush his bladder through

The vet told me to stop the veg because his poops were VERY smelly. Not sure what veg had to do with it tho. I have been giving him a little of green pepper tho. I will give him his veg as normal tonight. I also syringe water into him as well. 2 hours after his antibiotics he gets a little critical care mixed with probiotic and then about 10 mls of warm water

 

[Piggies&buns]

Oh yes sorry I just didn’t make that connection - was thinking flushing the bladder through for the calcium and the connection back to the antibiotics slipped my mind. Best not to give him veg if he is having poop problems.
It can take a while for antibiotics to work - how long is his course of sulfatrim?
Perhaps get the vet to check him again if you are seeing worsening.
They are definitely sure what you are seeing is bacterial?

 

[Basia1]

Oh yes sorry I just didn’t make that connection - was thinking flushing the bladder through for the calcium and the connection back to the antibiotics slipped my mind. Best not to give him veg if he is having poop problems.
It can take a while for antibiotics to work - how long is his course of sulfatrim?
Perhaps get the vet to check him again if you are seeing worsening.
They are definitely sure what you are seeing is bacterial?

He's got 2 week on Sulfatrim and then back for check up.
I am starting to think maybe he has a stone that they have missed? Why he is excreting calcium when his diet is so low in calcium? If its not bacterial then what this could be?

 

[Piggies&buns]

they can get a sterile cystitis - it’s not caused by bacteria so antibiotics won’t work. I’m not saying that’s what it is, I’m just thinking that if he’s already been on antibiotics for a couple of weeks with no improvement, then what are the other reasons it wouldn’t it be getting better. You of course absolutely need to treat for bacterial first though. If they are definite there isn’t a stone.....you could of course request another x-ray though and see what they say

 

[Basia1]

they can get a sterile cystitis - it’s not caused by bacteria so antibiotics won’t work. I’m not saying that’s what it is, I’m just thinking that if he’s already been on antibiotics for a couple of weeks with no improvement, then what are the other reasons it wouldn’t it be getting better. You of course absolutely need to treat for bacterial first though. If they are definite there isn’t a stone.....you could of course request another x-ray though and see what they say

I will ask for another xray. How many xrays can they have taken? He already had 2... if its sterile cystitis what treatment would work on that? I just need to make sure i go there armed with a lot of information

 

[Piggies&buns]

I don’t have personal experience of sterile cystitis but it’s a case of managing a flare up. Looking at the diet (finding out what foods can trigger it for that particular piggy), giving cytease and using pain meds when it flares up.
it might not be that, it might just be a very stubborn UTI which is going to take a bit longer to deal with, but if after weeks and weeks on antibiotics nothing is changing it makes you wonder if it might be something else

 

[Basia1]

I don’t have personal experience of sterile cystitis but it’s a case of managing a flare up. Looking at the diet (finding out what foods can trigger it for that particular piggy), giving cytease and using pain meds when it flares up.
it might not be that, it might just be a very stubborn UTI which is going to take a bit longer to deal with, but if after weeks and weeks on antibiotics nothing is changing it makes you wonder if it might be something else

There is a vet nurse on this forum from TEAS ( I think her name is Abbie?). Maybe someone can tag her for me please? I am getting pretty desperate to get to the bottom of this now. When I go the the vets and they are checking him over he is behaving like the healthiest pig on the planet! Not a peep from him when they are pressing on his belly! For the last visit I took photos of his bloody pee as an evidence...

 

[Piggies&buns]

There is a vet nurse on this forum from TEAS ( I think her name is Abbie?). Maybe someone can tag her for me please? I am getting pretty desperate to get to the bottom of this now. When I go the the vets and they are checking him over he is behaving like the healthiest pig on the planet! Not a peep from him when they are pressing on his belly! For the last visit I took photos of his bloody pee as an evidence...

TEAS is a sanctuary for special needs piggies. I will tag in other health experts (although we all get alerts for posts made in the health section, so they will see the threads anyway). @Wiebke @furryfriends (TEAS) @Siikibam @PigglePuggle

Are the vets you are going to on our recommended vet list?

They can hide their pain when they are at the vet. One of mine injured his leg - limping around at home clear as day. I rushed him to the vet who put him on the ground and he walked around like nothing was wrong, they said he is clearly hiding it through fear and put him on pain meds. I got him home, put him back in his cage and he went straight back to limping again.

 

[Basia1]

TEAS is a sanctuary for special needs piggies. I will tag in other health experts (although we all get alerts for posts made in the health section, so they will see the threads anyway). @Wiebke @furryfriends (TEAS) @Siikibam @PigglePuggle

Are the vets you are going to on our recommended vet list?

They can hide their pain when they are at the vet. One of mine injured his leg - limping around at home clear as day. I rushed him to the vet who put him on the ground and he walked around like nothing was wrong, they said he is clearly hiding it through fear and put him on pain meds. I got him home, put him back in his cage and he went straight back to limping again.

There are two vets that are overseeing my boys treatment. Both exotics. He also seen a third vet ( it was an emergency out of hours one). Problem is apart from the blood ( and now calcium residue) in urine he eats and drinks like a trooper! Hes put weight on since his neutering op. I am giving him a lot of floor time now ( he has quite a large cage anyway - 3x4 c&c) to make sure he shakes out whatever is in his bladder. And during that floor time he runs zoomies and is behaving like a healthy pig! I am at lost

 

[Piggies&buns]

Hopefully other members may have other ideas on what could be happening and to try next so you can go to the vet armed with as much information and possibilities as you can. Its good he is otherwise happy though. I hope you can get to the bottom of the issue.

 

[Basia1]

Hopefully other members may have other ideas on what could be happening and to try next so you can go to the vet armed with as much information and possibilities as you can. Its good he is otherwise happy though. I hope you can get to the bottom of the issue.

This is his poop. Sorry for too much info. Not sure if its relevant...

 

[Siikibam]

I’m sorry your boy is unwell although it’s good he’s still eating well. Like @Piggies&buns I’m thinking IC but I have absolutely no experience with it so wait for others to respond.

The poop looks fair except for the very tiny barely there tail at the end. Is he off veg completely?

 

[Piggies&buns]

I agree - his poop doesn't look abnormal really. I'd not be concerned about if I saw that

 

[Basia1]

I’m sorry your boy is unwell although it’s good he’s still eating well. Like @Piggies&buns I’m thinking IC but I have absolutely no experience with it so wait for others to respond.

The poop looks fair except for the very tiny barely there tail at the end. Is he off veg completely?

I gave him a small piece of green bell pepper. But apart from that he is on timoand meadow hay. I gave him a little orchard grass hay.... not sure if its best choice as its a little rich. Hes also on burgess excel pellets ( small scoop as I am trying to get him as much hay as possible)

 

[furryfriends (TEAS)]

We had a piggy who was retaining urine post neuter. This initially presented as a urinary tract infection, but was actually caused by him not emptying his bladder properly. This resulted in him feeling unwell, so not moving around much, which then caused sediment in the urine to settle in the bladder and make it even more difficult for him to empty his bladder fully, which then caused inflammation. A few days of taking him to the vets, for them to express his bladder, solved the problem quickly. I am wondering if this is a similar problem.

 

[Basia1]

We had a piggy who was retaining urine post neuter. This initially presented as a urinary tract infection, but was actually caused by him not emptying his bladder properly. This resulted in him feeling unwell, so not moving around much, which then caused sediment in the urine to settle in the bladder and make it even more difficult for him to empty his bladder fully, which then caused inflammation. A few days of taking him to the vets, for them to express his bladder, solved the problem quickly. I am wondering if this is a similar problem.

Thank you! I will mention it to the vet. I do take him out of his cage and give him plenty of floor time to get the things moving

 

[furryfriends (TEAS)]

What dose Metacam is he on and is it the dog or the cat one? I’d suggest feeding as wet as diet as possible. If you’ve got access to grass, pick him some and feed leafy veg too.

 

[Basia1]

He's on 2 mls of 0.5mg/ml oral suspension for cats and guinea pigs

 

[Wiebke]

The poo looks long but is no worry.

I agree with @furryfriends (TEAS) that UTI symptoms in the wake of a neutering operation can very occasionally happen and are more likely to do with pain affecting the urinating and causing potential urine retention in the bladder. An antibiotic won't work in this case.

 

[Basia1]

The poo looks long but is no worry.

I agree with @furryfriends (TEAS) that UTI symptoms in the wake of a neutering operation can very occasionally happen and are more likely to do with pain affecting the urinating and causing potential urine retention in the bladder. An antibiotic won't work in this case.

I will mention it to the vet.... So he will need the urine drained then? Surely he will need the scan first to determine if it is indeed a urine detention? Also my boy is peeing a lot! I give him extra water and he is peeing loads

 

[furryfriends (TEAS)]

I will mention it to the vet.... So he will need the urine drained then? Surely he will need the scan first to determine if it is indeed a urine detention? Also my boy is peeing a lot! I give him extra water and he is peeing loads

If he is emptying his bladder properly, then that is unlikely to be the problem. Our piggy, who had this issue, just leaked urine, but couldn't urinate properly. When his bladder was expressed, what came out looked really gritty and almost like sand.

 

[Basia1]

If he is emptying his bladder properly, then that is unlikely to be the problem. Our piggy, who had this issue, just leaked urine, but couldn't urinate properly. When his bladder was expressed, what came out looked really gritty and almost like sand.

He is urinating without any issues ( well apart from the blood of course and the powdery residue once the urine patches dry). Honestly I really don't know what to think! I will ask for a scan. He had 2 xrays done which didn't show anything....

 

[Wiebke]

He is urinating without any issues ( well apart from the blood of course and the powdery residue once the urine patches dry). Honestly I really don't know what to think! I will ask for a scan. He had 2 xrays done which didn't show anything....

There is a condition call sterile interstitial cystitis (i.e. a non-bacterial recrrung bladder infection) that has become a lot more common over the course of the last decade but that is not well known by vets that are not seeing lots of guinea pigs. Treatment is similar to treatment in feline sterile cystitis (FSC) with plenty of glucosamine (which is classed as a food supplement and not as a prescription only medication, i.e. POM) and with metacam.
The most common way it is diagnosed by excluding any other possible urinary tract/bladder condition.
Links - Interstitial Cystitis - Guinea Lynx Records

 

[Basia1]

There is a condition call sterile interstitial cystitis (i.e. a non-bacterial recrrung bladder infection) that has become a lot more common over the course of the last decade but that is not well known by vets that are not seeing lots of guinea pigs. Treatment is similar to treatment in feline sterile cystitis (FSC) with plenty of glucosamine (which is classed as a food supplement and not as a prescription only medication, i.e. POM) and with metacam.
The most common way it is diagnosed by excluding any other possible urinary tract/bladder condition.
Links - Interstitial Cystitis - Guinea Lynx Records

Thank you! Are the symptoms similar to those of UTI? I will finish the course of sulfatrim and if still he is peeing blood I will tell the vet about this condition

 

[Basia1]

There is a condition call sterile interstitial cystitis (i.e. a non-bacterial recrrung bladder infection) that has become a lot more common over the course of the last decade but that is not well known by vets that are not seeing lots of guinea pigs. Treatment is similar to treatment in feline sterile cystitis (FSC) with plenty of glucosamine (which is classed as a food supplement and not as a prescription only medication, i.e. POM) and with metacam.
The most common way it is diagnosed by excluding any other possible urinary tract/bladder condition.
Links - Interstitial Cystitis - Guinea Lynx Records

My boy is on cystease at the moment ( 1 pill a day) . Is this the glucosamine? He also is on metacam