Toileting advice

[Bigsize9fot]

Hi

I have a sole female guinea around 6-7 years (rescued-lost her mate about 6 months ago) and I'm a bit worried about her peeing. Not sure if I'm being paranoid as her mate was put to sleep after a similar issue.

I *think* there may be an increase in her urinating. But I can't be sure. I am basing this on the newspaper in the bottom of her litter tray seeming wetter than usual. But its usually my son who cleans her out and again I can't be sure. About a week ago my daughter was complaining of a fishy smell in her room. We eventually tracked it to the litter tray. But once the tray was cleaned it didn't happen again and I put it down to the newspaper having a reaction to the urine- it was pretty wet. We used to change her every day but once her mate passed we started cleaning it every second day and we were using puppy pads until she started to eat them.

I picked her up to check her back end tonight- (her mate was completely soaked through with urine when she got il)l. She was dry but I did notice a bit of white discharge - again I am not sure whether to be concerned about this as she occasionally will leave white marks in her cage which I understand is calcium build up - even though she gets no food with calcium and were in a soft water area.

She is eating and drinking fine. Seems to be moving fine. Doesn't seem to be off colour. Complained a bit when I lifted her but she's not a guinea who really likes to be held and she was upside down for a couple of seconds.

I really don't want to be going to a vet unless absolutely necessary as we are shielding my son who is in the very high risk group and I don't really have anyone to ask to take her. I probably wouldn't have thought much about it until I saw the whiteish discharge.

Any advice gratefully received
B

 

[Wiebke]

Hi

I have a sole female guinea around 6-7 years (rescued-lost her mate about 6 months ago) and I'm a bit worried about her peeing. Not sure if I'm being paranoid as her mate was put to sleep after a similar issue.

I *think* there may be an increase in her urinating. But I can't be sure. I am basing this on the newspaper in the bottom of her litter tray seeming wetter than usual. But its usually my son who cleans her out and again I can't be sure. About a week ago my daughter was complaining of a fishy smell in her room. We eventually tracked it to the litter tray. But once the tray was cleaned it didn't happen again and I put it down to the newspaper having a reaction to the urine- it was pretty wet. We used to change her every day but once her mate passed we started cleaning it every second day and we were using puppy pads until she started to eat them.

I picked her up to check her back end tonight- (her mate was completely soaked through with urine when she got il)l. She was dry but I did notice a bit of white discharge - again I am not sure whether to be concerned about this as she occasionally will leave white marks in her cage which I understand is calcium build up - even though she gets no food with calcium and were in a soft water area.

She is eating and drinking fine. Seems to be moving fine. Doesn't seem to be off colour. Complained a bit when I lifted her but she's not a guinea who really likes to be held and she was upside down for a couple of seconds.

I really don't want to be going to a vet unless absolutely necessary as we are shielding my son who is in the very high risk group and I don't really have anyone to ask to take her. I probably wouldn't have thought much about it until I saw the whiteish discharge.

Any advice gratefully received
B

Hi!

Please have her vet checked. Contact a local support group to see whether someobdy can take her for you. When you book her in, please leave your contact number so the vet can speak with you. Any veterinary service is only working with strict social distancing measures at the moment anyway. If you have a card, payment can be made over the phone.
COVID-19 - Mutual aid local support groups UK
COVID-19 - Vet visits/emergencies during coronavirus/Covid-19 lockdown

It is either a problem with the urinary (including potential kidney problems, which are more common at the very good age your girl is at) or the reproductive tract.

Here are our tips for piggies with mobility issues, which include care for piggies sitting in their pee: Looking after guinea pigs with limited or no mobility

I hope that this and the links will help you to get everything organised and have an idea what to expect.

 

[Bigsize9fot]

Hi!

Please have her vet checked. Contact a local support group to see whether someobdy can take her for you. When you book her in, please leave your contact number so the vet can speak with you. Any veterinary service is only working with strict social distancing measures at the moment anyway. If you have a card, payment can be made over the phone.
COVID-19 - Mutual aid local support groups UK
COVID-19 - Vet visits/emergencies during coronavirus/Covid-19 lockdown

It is either a problem with the urinary (including potential kidney problems, which are more common at the very good age your girl is at) or the reproductive tract.

Here are our tips for piggies with mobility issues, which include care for piggies sitting in their pee: Looking after guinea pigs with limited or no mobility

I hope that this and the links will help you to get everything organised and have an idea what to expect.

Thank you! My husband took her to the vet as you just take them to the car park, they collect and examine and bring them back out. At the moment they think it’s a UTI so she’s got some antibiotics. Hopefully that will do the trick as we’ve been down this route before with her cage mate who died recently :-( vet said she had no other symptoms but because you’re not in there you don’t know what they’ve done and I don’t think my husband thought to ask.

 

[Merab]

Hope she’s ok.
It’s not an easy time at present when we can’t really discuss things with vets.

 

[Bigsize9fot]

Hope she’s ok.
It’s not an easy time at present when we can’t really discuss things with vets.

Thank you. No it’s not. She’s an old lady now. I just hope we don’t need to be going back and forwards a lot like we did with her cage mate. Fingers crossed it’s a simple UTI. X

 

[Wiebke]

All the best!

 

[Bigsize9fot]

All the best!

Hi wiebke,
Have you any advice on giving baytril from a syringe? Mabel hates it. She has only had 2 doses but I have to hold her head quite tightly to get it in (feels quite rough and she appears quite agitated and upset. I’ve tried to squirt it in quickly behind her Big front teeth where there’s a natural kind of gap.
Mabel is quite feisty anyway and doesn’t much like being picked up and it’s good to see that back in a way but just wondering if there’s way to make it less distressing for her? B

 

[Little Ones]

With medication (and anything else you can syringe), you want to go in the side of their mouth so at the side of the front teeth not towards them. You could try wrapping her in a blanket, although that has personally never worked for me.
I’ve linked below a thread which contains a short video on syringe feeding which may help you
Syringe training

 

[Wiebke]

Hi wiebke,
Have you any advice on giving baytril from a syringe? Mabel hates it. She has only had 2 doses but I have to hold her head quite tightly to get it in (feels quite rough and she appears quite agitated and upset. I’ve tried to squirt it in quickly behind her Big front teeth where there’s a natural kind of gap.
Mabel is quite feisty anyway and doesn’t much like being picked up and it’s good to see that back in a way but just wondering if there’s way to make it less distressing for her? B

Hi!

Baytril is about as foul tasting as a medication can come (don't try it yourself; it is harmful to humans even in small quantities).

Personally, the best method is to shoot it in and then follow it up with the same amount of ribena and much fussing and praising.
There is no nice way to get baytril in. Mixing it with ribena means that you still have to get two mouthfuls in (a guinea pig can hold about 0.3-0.5 ml in their mouth). In my own experience, having something strong tasting that washes the bad flavour away afterwards works better.

I find it helpful to assert your authority with some ear fondling and then follow it up eye area stroking piggy kiss to a reassure her that while you are in charge, you still love her. You are behaving like an older piggy that is dealing with a misbehaving youngster - something that makes immediate sense to a piggy and puts the problem on a level that is easier for them to accept and to deal with.
More information on piggy whispering here: Understanding Prey Animal Instincts, Guinea Pig Whispering And Cuddling Tips

Here is how I hold my piggies using my upper body to limit movement and my left hand to hold her while leaving thumb and index free to control the head so I have my right hand free to medicate. I use this with the piggies that are really not wanting to cooperate.

The other method is to place a piggy on a table, cover the head and to force the mouth gently open with sideways pressure.
It's never worked quite well for me but everybody has to find their own best way.
This video is with a more compliant piggy: Syringe Training Before The Need For Medicating

I hope that that helps?

 

[Bigsize9fot]

Hi- and thanks for the advice. I cannot get the hang of Mabel going backwards so she still faces me. I have started to give her a piece of coriander immediately after the baytril. Yesterday was tricky but this morning she took it almost straight away in one go without too much struggling. Hopefully this is a breakthrough. Mabel doesnt tolerate holding or fussing at the best of times but shes now even more suspicious! Roll on the end of the baytril and a full recovery!

B

Hi!

Baytril is about as foul tasting as a medication can come (don't try it yourself; it is harmful to humans even in small quantities).

Personally, the best method is to shoot it in and then follow it up with the same amount of ribena and much fussing and praising.
There is no nice way to get baytril in. Mixing it with ribena means that you still have to get two mouthfuls in (a guinea pig can hold about 0.3-0.5 ml in their mouth). In my own experience, having something strong tasting that washes the bad flavour away afterwards works better.

I find it helpful to assert your authority with some ear fondling and then follow it up eye area stroking piggy kiss to a reassure her that while you are in charge, you still love her. You are behaving like an older piggy that is dealing with a misbehaving youngster - something that makes immediate sense to a piggy and puts the problem on a level that is easier for them to accept and to deal with.
More information on piggy whispering here: Understanding Prey Animal Instincts, Guinea Pig Whispering And Cuddling Tips

Here is how I hold my piggies using my upper body to limit movement and my left hand to hold her while leaving thumb and index free to control the head so I have my right hand free to medicate. I use this with the piggies that are really not wanting to cooperate.
View attachment 139440
The other method is to place a piggy on a table, cover the head and to force the mouth gently open with sideways pressure.
It's never worked quite well for me but everybody has to find their own best way.
This video is with a more compliant piggy: Syringe Training Before The Need For Medicating

I hope that that helps?

 

[Claire W]

I am sending lots of healing vibes for a speedy recovery x