Strong Urine Smell After Surgery

[JenniferG]

Clove had an operation yesterday to remove a mammory cyst and a fatty lump. She's doing amazingly well and was voraciously tucking into food as soon as she came round, even after having plenty of food before going in. She's been a little spaced out and rattles when I stroke her, and drugged up until this lunch time on pain killer (I have some Metacam too). Pumpkin, who had the same surgery took a few days to recover and was back in for observation at the vets for a couple of days. The only issue is that she's giving off an incredibly strong urine smell! She's in a cage with two others in the living room. I don't know if it's because she doesn't have any fur on her underside. I don't remember this with Pumpkin. It doesn't smell infected as ours would do, just very strong. Wondered if anyone else had come across this before, thanks.

 

[VickiA]

Is she drinking well? Perhaps you could syringe her some water to check that she is drinking enough.
Smelly wee is usually indicative of infection. Are the others ok or is there any chance that they may have an infection?

 

[JenniferG]

Thanks Vicki, she doesn't drink water very often normally. There's no blood or squeaks of pain. The vets called me to see if she was ok and I mentioned the wee, the nurse said that this is fine. She is swollen in that whole area. She's going in for a check up tomorrow morning. She's eating well and been eating cucumber as well. She is moving around the cage and could get to the water bottle if she wanted.

 

[Poppy'sMum]

Is she on antibiotics? They can affect the smell of their urine

 

[JenniferG]

She's not on antibiotics.

 

[Poppy'sMum]

Could she have had an antibiotic injection at the vets when they did the op? Or it could be a result of a pain relief injection as well ?

 

[JenniferG]

I don't know, I'll be seeing the nurse in the morning and she seems to be doing well apart from the smell.

 

[JenniferG]

Clove had her check up this morning with the nurse, the vet popped through too to take a look, she is healing really quickly and still doing well. She's eating a little less than she was but not much and still calls out when she fancies a grape or mini tomato. There was no concern about the urine smell as she has no other symptoms, and today I'm not noticing the smell.

I had been using fleece since October but went back to finacard as I needed to treat them for mites and ear mites (always seems to happen after I introduce a new piggie). I changed to plastic housing that could be washed and not hold mites. With Clove's surgery and the smell, I cut up some polar fleece and put some under their tunnel and inside their pods (round plastic houses) and that is keeping Clove drier than the finacard and more comfortable too. Their at the end of the mite treatment.

 

[Tiamolly123]

What about giving her wet veg that may dilute the wee down. No matter how low the water bottle is it may be she is too sore to reach up, for a drink.

 

[JenniferG]

The smell has gone now thankfully! She was quite swollen down below yesterday and the nurse said she was leaking a bit, so I guess with the swelling of surgery to the mammary area she was a bit incontinent. She's doing incredibly well. She is the top piggy though and naturally chilled although very demanding and ultra vocal.