Wondered if anyone can help.
I have two 4 year old male Guinea Pigs. One of which suddenly started being really wet underneath and very smelly. I took him to the vet who diagnosed "Boar Bum". After the faeces was cleared however there was no improvement. A second vet visit found a lump in his bladder. This responded really well to antibiotics and the problem seemed to disappear. The antibiotics stopped but the problem came back, we tried a longer course of antibiotics which again seemed to work. Then I noticed a very small sore spot near his scrotum. I took him back to the vet and a different type of antibiotics was tried. This made no consistent improvement in the wound. Some days were better than others. So an Xray was done and found a collection of stones in his bladder. The vet said that he thought that the stones were causing an infection and he must be traumatising himself. He therefore had an operation to remove the stones. The vet was surprised how few stones there were and was cautious in saying that he would now be ok. He talked of contacting an expert to try and shed more light on the problem if it continued. Two weeks later he seemed fine and the vet said that we could be quietly confident that he will now be ok. However the wound has on a couple of occasions since then come back, fairly slight and to be honest Ferb (the piggy) seems really well in himself, as he has done through the whole ordeal. Its strange as it is always in the same place and it disappears and reappears really quickly. Once it disappears it leaves no mark like there was never anything there. As he presents so well I am trying not to worry too much - he's been through so much already. I wipe him down with a Guinea Pig wipe to keep it clean an it then clears up and reappears a while later. I don't think it's a through fighting with the other one either as they have the odd spat - usually settled by the "who can get their nose higher" competition, and despite what he's been through he usually gets the upper hand! Don't know how much more the vet will be able to help and if any treatment will be more distressing to him in any event.
This may be unrelated but the most recent occasion was after I brushed him - I hadn't brushed him much lately as he hates it and I thought he has had so much poking about recently I wouldn't fuss. I had to cut out a few matted bits and he didn't appreciate the attention! so wondered if it may be stress related. Anyone else have any ideas?
Thank you for any help you are able to give.
I have two 4 year old male Guinea Pigs. One of which suddenly started being really wet underneath and very smelly. I took him to the vet who diagnosed "Boar Bum". After the faeces was cleared however there was no improvement. A second vet visit found a lump in his bladder. This responded really well to antibiotics and the problem seemed to disappear. The antibiotics stopped but the problem came back, we tried a longer course of antibiotics which again seemed to work. Then I noticed a very small sore spot near his scrotum. I took him back to the vet and a different type of antibiotics was tried. This made no consistent improvement in the wound. Some days were better than others. So an Xray was done and found a collection of stones in his bladder. The vet said that he thought that the stones were causing an infection and he must be traumatising himself. He therefore had an operation to remove the stones. The vet was surprised how few stones there were and was cautious in saying that he would now be ok. He talked of contacting an expert to try and shed more light on the problem if it continued. Two weeks later he seemed fine and the vet said that we could be quietly confident that he will now be ok. However the wound has on a couple of occasions since then come back, fairly slight and to be honest Ferb (the piggy) seems really well in himself, as he has done through the whole ordeal. Its strange as it is always in the same place and it disappears and reappears really quickly. Once it disappears it leaves no mark like there was never anything there. As he presents so well I am trying not to worry too much - he's been through so much already. I wipe him down with a Guinea Pig wipe to keep it clean an it then clears up and reappears a while later. I don't think it's a through fighting with the other one either as they have the odd spat - usually settled by the "who can get their nose higher" competition, and despite what he's been through he usually gets the upper hand! Don't know how much more the vet will be able to help and if any treatment will be more distressing to him in any event.
This may be unrelated but the most recent occasion was after I brushed him - I hadn't brushed him much lately as he hates it and I thought he has had so much poking about recently I wouldn't fuss. I had to cut out a few matted bits and he didn't appreciate the attention! so wondered if it may be stress related. Anyone else have any ideas?
Thank you for any help you are able to give.
