UTI guinea pig

[Helsbell]

I’m sorry to hear this

The situation is still as I have explained before, either:

1 - it’s a bacterial infection but the antibiotics were not the right ones for the type of bacteria, or the course was not long enough.
Determination of diagnosis would likely be that the vets can taken Cultures, their cultures can check which bacteria is present to know antibiotic would be the right one, identify whether it is actually blood or whether it is porphyrines, and then another appropriate course of antibiotics may help

2 - a stone may be in there. A scan or x ray would be needed to determine.
If no stone, then back to potential bacterial infection or sterile cystitis (see below)
If stone present, then depending upon size or position of stone next steps would need to be determined as to whether the stone can come out on its own (possible in sows provided the stone is small) or whether surgical removal would be needed

3 - If multiple rounds of antibiotics don’t work, if no bacteria present on cultures, if no stone present on scan or x ray, then a vet could determine a diagnosis of sterile cystitis ( non bacterial bladder inflammation). Sterile cystitis is usually only diagnosed once every other possibility including stones is ruled out. There is no test that can be done to diagnose sterile cystitis. It can only be done by ruling out everything else first.
Sterile cystitis can be suppressed by an antibiotic but symptoms return once the antibiotic is stopped because there is no bacteria in this condition so antibiotics are of no use.
There is no cure, only management with glucosamine and pain killers. Plus ensuring the diet is appropriate

The strip tests you are using don’t tell you specifics.
For example leukocytes mean there is inflammation but inflammation would be present in all three possible causes ie they show up whether it is bacterial, stones or sterile cystitis.
Protein will also be raised if there is a bacterial infection or a non bacterial infection. Also If there are bladder stones and the stone is bashing the bladder and causing an infection then proteins will also show as raised on a strip test.
So the tests are showing you that she has an issue but it doesn’t tell you what is actually wrong

Did the vet tell you to use potassium citrate? I don’t think I can see it mentioned on the thread before now.
Potassium citrate may be given when a piggy has had a stone but that stone has been removed. Potassium citrate might help reduce the risk of further stones forming (but it isn’t a miracle drug so it may not) but it definitely will not do anything to dissolve or help any stone which already exists. Any stone which is already in the bladder has to come out as explained in 2 above

Wiebke's Guide to Pees and Stones

hi thanks for your reply.

Been to vets this morning
The vet I seen was more clued up on guinea pigs.
She gave her a good look over a felt everywhere.
She said she can’t feel anything but doesn’t mean there’s stones there.
She thinks she hasn’t been on antibiotics long enough. And now it’s retuned the infection.
She suggested 30 days of baytrill ans they have a urine sample that’s getting sent off.
She said carry on with everything I’m doing.
Potassium citrate was some advice off the previous vet. If she had bladder sludge or any crystals forming would stop them from growing into a stone.
I’m still giving her Cystease everyday.

If it is a small stone will she pass it her self?
Kind regards Helen

 

[Piggies&buns]

Yes that is very possible. The wrong antibiotic or not long enough of a course can mean not all the bacteria were killed. Once meds are stopped then if any bacteria remain it can cause the infection to start again.
If a 30 day course doesn’t stop it and symptoms return once the antibiotics are stopped then that would be making it look much more likely to be sterile cystitis

Yes It might stop it forming into a stone. You would still need to encourage any sludge or crystals does to come out through promoting a wet diet and lots of water intake. Also by ensuring her drinking water is filtered, she isn’t given many pellets and any high calcium veg is kept very limited.

She might be able to pass a small stone but it is not possible to say with certainty

 

[Helsbell]

Thanks for your help.
Yes she’s only has a few Timothy hay pellets. She’s never really been a pellet eater. Yes only been giving her some romaine lettuce and cucumber. I’ve also been syringe feeding her water. I did buy some uti pellets from piggie parcels but they all don’t seem keen on them.

Thanks Helen

 

[Helsbell]

Cuddles with mum

 

[Piggies&buns]

Thanks for your help.
Yes she’s only has a few Timothy hay pellets. She’s never really been a pellet eater. Yes only been giving her some romaine lettuce and cucumber. I’ve also been syringe feeding her water. I did buy some uti pellets from piggie parcels but they all don’t seem keen on them.

Thanks Helen

So with calcium intake there is a balance which has to be met and it’s complicated. Too little calcium intake is as bad as too much. So if you don’t feed enough calcium then you can find they still get sludge/ crystals/stones. This is because the balance is still wrong, it’s just in the other direction.
If she isn’t getting pellets and you don’t feed any high calcium veg, and if her only calcium source is water (assuming you don’t filter it) it can be she isn’t getting enough calcium. For now it’s probably best you don’t change anything given you don’t have a diagnosis of sludge/stones etc but if you do ever get that diagnosis then this information could become relevant.

You can’t feed the urinary support pellets from
Piggie parcels and give Cystease at the same time as it will give far too much glucosamine.
You can only give one or the other - so if she isn’t keen on the pellets anyway then don’t feed them at all.

 

[Helsbell]

So with calcium intake there is a balance which has to be met and it’s complicated. Too little calcium intake is as bad as too much. So if you don’t feed enough calcium then you can find they still get sludge/ crystals/stones. This is because the balance is still wrong, it’s just in the other direction.
If she isn’t getting pellets and you don’t feed any high calcium veg, and if her only calcium source is water (assuming you don’t filter it) it can be she isn’t getting enough calcium. For now it’s probably best you don’t change anything given you don’t have a diagnosis of sludge/stones etc but if you do ever get that diagnosis then this information could become relevant.

You can’t feed the urinary support pellets from
Piggie parcels and give Cystease at the same time as it will give far too much glucosamine.
You can only give one or the other - so if she isn’t keen on the pellets anyway then don’t feed them at all.

 

[Helsbell]

So with calcium intake there is a balance which has to be met and it’s complicated. Too little calcium intake is as bad as too much. So if you don’t feed enough calcium then you can find they still get sludge/ crystals/stones. This is because the balance is still wrong, it’s just in the other direction.
If she isn’t getting pellets and you don’t feed any high calcium veg, and if her only calcium source is water (assuming you don’t filter it) it can be she isn’t getting enough calcium. For now it’s probably best you don’t change anything given you don’t have a diagnosis of sludge/stones etc but if you do ever get that diagnosis then this information could become relevant.

You can’t feed the urinary support pellets from
Piggie parcels and give Cystease at the same time as it will give far too much glucosamine.
You can only give one or the other - so if she isn’t keen on the pellets anyway then don’t feed them at all.

 

[Helsbell]

Yeah I knew about feeding both piggie parcels was gonna swap the cystease for the pellets but she doesn’t like them. So she’s Just on her original ones.
I’ve only took away the high calcium veg until we know what’s happening. I just wanted to get more water intake to her. Just have to see what’s happening this month. And see how she reacts to more antibiotics she is happy been munching all day and very active. Just a squeak no and then when she pees.

 

[Piggies&buns]

If you were seeing lots of white and gritty deposits then reducing calcium is a good thing.
If there were not any, then she probably had a good calcium balance so doesn’t need calcium reduced in her diet.
As I say, it’s about a balance so reducing it if the balance was already good could actually cause a problem over the coming weeks

Hopefully a longer course of antibiotics will help.

 

[Helsbell]

She was eating a lot of celery I didn’t feed much kale or spinach only every few weeks they get little bit. Her main diet was peppers cucumbers carrots sometimes not really keen on them. They was always left. Celery some apple once a week.
But I learned celery was high in calcium so I’ve cut it out for now. Yes there were some deposits of white gritty stuff. But not as much this week.
She seemed to have developed a cough tonight I don’t know where that’s come from. But she’s on baytill so that would clear it up if it is a respiratory infection.
Feel a bit deflated tonight I feel she isn’t going to make it.

 

[Piggies&buns]

I think it’s the leaves of celery which are higher in calcium but either way celery isn’t a daily food. It can be given once a week.
Carrot shouldn’t be given regularly anyway. Carrot and fruit is the equivalent of a chocolate bar.
Changing the diet doesn’t have an instant effect on calcium in the body. It takes several weeks to have an effect.
The occasional white patch of calcium urine is fine, it is how the body excretes calcium. It’s only a problem if it happens very often.

Perhaps the cough is because she has been in hay?
They can cough if they eat too fast

As I say it’s about finding a balance which works for each piggy while keeping in mind that you should not cut calcium out entirely.
I don’t feed mine any pellets so to make up for the loss of calcium from the pellets, I give them a high calcium veg once a week.

 

[Helsbell]

I think it’s the leaves of celery which are higher in calcium but either way celery isn’t a daily food. It can be given once a week.
Carrot shouldn’t be given regularly anyway. Carrot and fruit is the equivalent of a chocolate bar.
Changing the diet doesn’t have an instant effect on calcium in the body. It takes several weeks to have an effect.
The occasional white patch of calcium urine is fine, it is how the body excretes calcium. It’s only a problem if it happens very often.

Perhaps the cough is because she has been in hay?
They can cough if they eat too fast

As I say it’s about finding a balance which works for each piggy while keeping in mind that you should not cut calcium out entirely.
I don’t feed mine any pellets so to make up for the loss of calcium from the pellets, I give them a high calcium veg once a week.

I think it’s the leaves of celery which are higher in calcium but either way celery isn’t a daily food. It can be given once a week.
Carrot shouldn’t be given regularly anyway. Carrot and fruit is the equivalent of a chocolate bar.
Changing the diet doesn’t have an instant effect on calcium in the body. It takes several weeks to have an effect.
The occasional white patch of calcium urine is fine, it is how the body excretes calcium. It’s only a problem if it happens very often.

Perhaps the cough is because she has been in hay?
They can cough if they eat too fast

As I say it’s about finding a balance which works for each piggy while keeping in mind that you should not cut calcium out entirely.
I don’t feed mine any pellets so to make up for the loss of calcium from the pellets, I give them a high calcium veg once a week.

Yes think your right she been rooting in the hay.
She hasn’t coughed since.
so don’t you give them any pellets at all ?
I have reduced them a lot over this last year as I was keeping there bowls full over a year ago.
But i was watching videos and they said only a small amount per guinea pig. There in the science select grain free ones.
What do you give yours daily ?

Kind regards Helen

 

[Piggies&buns]

Yes think your right she been rooting in the hay.
She hasn’t coughed since.
so don’t you give them any pellets at all ?
I have reduced them a lot over this last year as I was keeping there bowls full over a year ago.
But i was watching videos and they said only a small amount per guinea pig. There in the science select grain free ones.
What do you give yours daily ?

Kind regards Helen

Yes should only ever be one tablespoon per pig per day but they aren’t essential in the diet.

Mine get coriander, lettuce, bell pepper and cucumber daily. They get something high calcium once a week (spring greens or kale usually).

They might also get something else in addition once or twice a week but it depends on what veg I’ve bought for us for our meals - they might get a bit of broccoli, or cauliflower leaves, a green bean for example.

They are not given any pellets at all. By not giving them pellets I have more leeway in other areas or their diet.
I also feed a bit more than the one cup of veg per out per day.
In summer they are on grass all day.
In winter I hide them some dried forage mixed in their hay to help keep them occupied.