Uti

[amyeeclaire]

My Guinea pig has a UTI again and I've been giving him pearl barley, I can't find anywhere online how long I should give this to him for? I don't want to stop it too soon in case the symptoms come back!

I'm using the pearl barley recipe for the first time as I don't want to keep giving him antibiotics! It seems to be working so far

 

[biscandmatt]

unfortunately antibiotics and an anti-inflammatory will be needed again. it won't clear otherwise. just make sure the course given is long enough and the doses adequate. because this is the second time, the vet might want to do more tests to try and establish why. is you vet piggy-savvy? non-savvy vets tend to under-dose medication and therefore symptoms don't fully resolve. there is a vet locator above which may help. alternatively perhaps let us know where you are someone may beable to advise.

if you are worried about antibiotics then a probiotic can be given to the piggy whilst on them. obviously uti's can be uncomfortable and painful so i'd take piggy to the vet as soon as you can. best of luck

 

[Wiebke]

My Guinea pig has a UTI again and I've been giving him pearl barley, I can't find anywhere online how long I should give this to him for? I don't want to stop it too soon in case the symptoms come back!

I'm using the pearl barley recipe for the first time as I don't want to keep giving him antibiotics! It seems to be working so far

If your guinea pig has got an acute UTI again, then it needs to see a vet and get an antibiotic.

It is up to the vet, and not you, to diagnose whether your guinea pig is suffering from interstitial cystitis (IC), a recurring bladder inflammation that is usually managed with an anti-inflammatory/painkiller like metacam during acute phases, but that generally does not react well to antibiotics. This can currently only be managed and not cured.
Barley water can help minimise the discomfort to the bladder as an alternative to the glucosamine-based cystease/cystophan, and like them, it needs to be given for the longer term. Like cystease, barley water can address the acute symptoms, but it cannot necessarily make the underlying issue go away. IC can last for a year or several before it goes away on its own.
Has you vet made sure that you are not dealing with bladder stones or sludge?