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Potassium citrate dose and bladder sludge

Hannah Boyd

Hannah Boyd

Junior Guinea Pig
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Hello, ive just picked up my piggie from the vet - she's been diagnosed with bladder sludge after xrays, an ultrasound and urine analysis. She's got 10 days worth of metacam and baytril, and recommendations for dietary change.

currently she had asda pellets, only a small amount but i am hoping to change over to bunny. they have water from the filter in our fridge freezer but I'm not sure now if this would filter out calcium, we do have a Brita filter though, does anyone know if that would be better? She has low calcium watery veg already, but I will start wetting it before feeding, and adding a slice of spring greens which I read the lack of could be causing an imbalance.

The vet recommended to stop giving her cystease (I had been giving in between precious vet visits for the same issue and it seems to help), and to try potassium citrate. Question 1 is, should I stop giving the cystease? I thought that the glucosamine helped to soothe the bladder. and question 2 is, does anyone know which potassium citrate to buy and what is the recommended dose? I do have a dose from the vet but she said that would depend on what concentration I get. I was looking at the Care+ potassium citrate which is a 200ml bottle of liquid but I can't see what concentration that is.
 
sport_billy said:
@furryfriends (TEAS) i seem to remember Simon recommending a switch from pellet to something for bladder piggies but can’t find it on forum
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Simon recommends cutting pellets out altogether, or feeding a very small amount of grain free pellets. For piggies who struggle to hold their weight when not on pellets, he recommends porridge oats. He has also used the diuretic Bendroflumethiazide, as that helps keep the system well flushed through!
 
they certainly don't struggle to hold their weight! they did used to be pellet free (not this group, previous piggies) but was worried they wouldn't be getting everything they needed. I have ordered some Bunny pellets, and will give them the recommended 5 per day per piggie. i will ask the vet about the Bendroflumethiazide, is this something she would need to be on for life or just until we rescan and no sludge?
 
I'm surprised the vet hasn't done a bladder flush to get rid of the sludge. Not sure how long she would need to be on the Bendroflumethiazide, as I have never used it for any of our piggies. Simon also recommends feeding a very wet diet too, to keep the system well flushed through. In summer lots of grass and in the winter, if the grass in in short supply, lots of leafy veg and salad. They really don't need the pellets, but if you want to feed some, I just scatter a few into the hay, which encourages foraging.
 
She thought it would be best to try dietary changes first as she thought there didn't look like a huge amount of sludge and poor piggie was stressed and not eating at the vet and she was in 10-3 ish.

So grass is ok for a low calcium diet? I kept reading conflicting advice on grass! and what about readigrass? I had been feeding this daily before (half handful per pig) to expand their forage options but stopped when the urinary issues flared up as I wasn't sure about it.

So as long as I feed veggies (and grass when available) with unlimited hay, I will be meeting their nutritional requirements? this is what I did before and I didn't have any issues but just to check.
 
Grass is one of the very best things to feed piggies. Obviously as with any dietary change, do things gradually. Check out this thread that I started, re how we feed our piggies here at TEAS. We have never had any bladder issues and I was talking to our vet, Simon, about it and he was saying about how diet and stress are thought to play a big part.
Feeding the guinea pigs at TEAS
 
brilliant thank you! interesting thread. I think mine could do with more wet veg and grass. I am hoping they aren't stressed ☹ I don't handle them an awful lot and they have a huge pen (approx 30 sq ft) indoors in their own room so it's nice and quiet. they live in a group of 4 and are all sisters (we think! they were lab rescues).
 
Hannah Boyd said:
brilliant thank you! interesting thread. I think mine could do with more wet veg and grass. I am hoping they aren't stressed ☹ I don't handle them an awful lot and they have a huge pen (approx 30 sq ft) indoors in their own room so it's nice and quiet. they live in a group of 4 and are all sisters (we think! they were lab rescues).
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Aww, bless them! It sounds like they've got an amazing life now! xx
 
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