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Urine Infection Treatment

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TraceyE

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Hi guys, i'm just heading to the vets to have one of my guinea's pee tested for urine infection. She has had an infection before & has bladder sludge issues which i do my best to manage with watching calcium intake & giving her daily unsweetened cranberry juice. However today i saw what i think may have been blood coloured urine on her blanket. If it is vets will give me antibiotics which is fine if it's the only answer but i'm wondering if there is anything more natural that might do the trick? Anyone had any luck with anything other than antibiotics?
Many thanks, Tracey.
 
TraceyE said:
Hi guys, i'm just heading to the vets to have one of my guinea's pee tested for urine infection. She has had an infection before & has bladder sludge issues which i do my best to manage with watching calcium intake & giving her daily unsweetened cranberry juice. However today i saw what i think may have been blood coloured urine on her blanket. If it is vets will give me antibiotics which is fine if it's the only answer but i'm wondering if there is anything more natural that might do the trick? Anyone had any luck with anything other than antibiotics?
Many thanks, Tracey.
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I would recommend starting on cystease/cystophan/glucosamine; this helps protect the natural glucosamine coating on the beleaguered bladder walls of guinea pigs with sludge and/or interstitial (recurring but antibiotic resistant) cystitis - an inflammation of the bladder walls and not a bacterial urine infection.

I would also recommend to stay off tomatoes, root veg, lettuce and frich fresh grass, which are considered to be trigger foods for interstitial cystitis by some. The sample diet in our diet guide is a good example of a sustainable twice daily bladder issue diet (minus the lettuce). I would also switch to grain-free/calcium-free pellets (of which there is now a much greater variety available.
Recommendations For A Balanced General Guinea Pig Diet
Guniea Pig Food | Great bargain prices at zooplus

Filtered water can make a real difference in guinea pigs with cystitis/bladder issues. If you want to encourage your piggy to make a larger pee every day, try to let it drink from a syringe as much as it wants to. Please only give as much as it is willing to take and do not force any down. Also don't give more than one mouthful (0.3-0.5 ml) in one go to prevent it from going down the wrong way.
In the longer term you may want to think about getting rid of the bladder sludge. However a bladder flush takes a very experienced vet as it can kill if it is done too vigorously and the sludge and water are pushed up into the kidneys.
 
How did your little one get on today? Sending lots of healing vibes
 
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