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What could this be?

Wizzy

Wizzy

Junior Guinea Pig
Joined
Feb 19, 2018
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Location
Tunbridge Wells, Kent
Hello, right so I am 14, and one of my pigs rexy, she is 3.5. She has been squeaking while peeing on and off for about 3 weeks now, and my mum refused to take her to the vet, thinking she was fine because she was her normal self and eating and drinking, just was squeaking in pain when she was peeing. It went away for a while but came back on Wednesday so today my mum finally said she could go to the vet if I pay. She refuses to go to anywhere but companion care vets (pets@home) but that’s better than nothing! She squealed while peeing a minute ago and did 3 poos, and I noticed she peed as well, but the pee was very thick, and white, almost creamy like. It was very weird. She then pooed again with no trouble so I believe it is only when peeing. I am taking her to the vet tomorrow, but what could this be? I am really hoping it’s not a stone, as I don’t have £250 for surgery! Like I said I am 14, and I am going to have to get a part time job as it is! I only want the best for my pigs :)
 
If your guinea is squeaking when she wee's - she needs to be seen by a vet . I've taken my guineas to Pets at home - some of the vets are very good there :)
 
It sounds like a urine infection. Some antibiotics from the vets should sort it out. Good luck hope you got on ok.
 
Do her white wees leave a powdery residue when they dry? That would most likely be calcium, and if her wees are always like that, her diet is probably too high in calcium-rich foods. She could have calcium sludge or crystals in her bladder causing her pain when weeing, or it could be a stone. Alternatively as @Julie M says it could just be a urine infection, and the vet will probably treat for that as a first step anyway.

I would check out the diet threads to try to ensure she is having a good diet without too much high-calcium food, and maybe try to give her more water to flush out excess calcium.
 
Qualcast&Flymo said:
Do her white wees leave a powdery residue when they dry? That would most likely be calcium, and if her wees are always like that, her diet is probably too high in calcium-rich foods. She could have calcium sludge or crystals in her bladder causing her pain when weeing, or it could be a stone. Alternatively as @Julie M says it could just be a urine infection, and the vet will probably treat for that as a first step anyway.

I would check out the diet threads to try to ensure she is having a good diet without too much high-calcium food, and maybe try to give her more water to flush out excess calcium.
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She is drinking a lot today, which is good and I give them quite a bit of cucumber in hope that rexy will flush it out a bit.... when I adopted rexy after Pepper my other pig went dating, the lady sent me what she feeds them everyday. She feeds them 1/2 a stick of celery each, cucumber, carrot and kale/spinach. I knew straight away that I shouldn’t feed kale or spinach daily, so I replaced that with lettuce, and was feeding a lot of celery for the past couple of weeks, but I just found it’s high in calcium :(. So right now, they’re getting cucumber, green/yellow bell pepper, and green/red leaf lettuce, and raddacio. There pellets aren’t great, they’re from Sainsbury’s own and only rexy seems to eat them, but I can’t buy any more until the bag at the moment has run out. Rexy doesn’t like bell pepper, however. Is there any alternatives that are high in vitamin c but low in calcium? She loves the lettuce :). Also, does anyone know of any pellets that are significantly less in calcium, as the ones at the moment have alfalfa hay in them, which are said to be quite bad for guinea pigs? Thanks for the advice :)
 
I used the science selective grainless. Grainless is good for them. Lettuce has no nutritional value at all, it's OK to feed with something else. I find that spring greens are the best veg, not to many calcium. Keep trying with the bell pepper it's really. Look at the food forum to clarify what is good for your piggy.
 
@Wizzy - I just want to send you a big hug - as I know , if it was up to you - you'd have taken your guinea pig to the vet by now. Can I reinforce what I said earlier - there is nothing wrong with taking your guinea pig to the vet at Pets at Home .

And, we're not expecting you to pay out a fortune in vet bills. BUT - I think it is only fair your guinea is checked to see if she has a urine infection - and treated with antibiotics if so .

If it turns out to be something more than an infection - we will cross that path when we come to it - BUT your vet can at least give her painkillers .
 
My local Vets for Pets is very good. I won't take mine anywhere else. They see lots of small furries cos that's what Pets at Home sells alot of. Vets for Pets also work Saturdays and Sundays and treat them as normal working hours so you don't have to pay lots to see an emergency vet over the weekend which is a bonus if you are on a budget and money is a bit tight.
 
I was not overreacting!(as my mum said I was) Rexy has some bladder sludge and is being treated with antibiotics and anti-inflammatory painkiller, and has a vet appointment next week.She has baytril once a day and loxicom twice If it doesn't improve next week she'll need an X-ray, as there is a possibility she may have bladder stones. My mum is refusing to pay for an x-ray though, as it's £150 and we 'don't have enough money and it's just a guinea pig'. Needless to say I’m giving her the silent treatment. I gave the medicine and she hated it! She had a bit of cucumber, which she ate very eagerly and is now hiding in my jumper. Fingers crossed it gets better this week. If it doesn’t then I’ll have to raise the money myself somehow!
 
The vet also said she couldn’t feel any large bladder stones and if there were, she probably would’ve been squeaking while pooing as well, but she also said that she always has to consider bladder stones. She is being treated for a uti I believe so hopefully she will feel better soon!
 
When my Rainbow Piggy Lenny had to have Baytril the vet said to mix in a bit of fresh orange juice with it and he took it fine. Others say not to and to offer a treat afterwards. It what works for you and your piggy the best.
 
Hoping the antibiotics help! I was thinking bladder infection/sludge due to your description. Hope she makes a good recovery for you.
 
Thanks for the advice everyone!
Yes the vet said that I can dilute it with a small amount of water if she really hates it
I put the syringe in her mouth quite quickly and she swallowed half of it before she realised how disgusting it tasted! Her face was very funny! She also hated the loxicom, and sulked afterwards. Some fresh grass cheered her up though :)
 
Most piggies love loxicom or Metacam and soon become Metacam junkies! Maybe she thought it would be the same stuff as the baytril. Christian had Metacam for a week. First of all he wasn't sure but by about day 3 he was grabbing the syringe out of my hand!
 
*urgent advice needed!*
right so I just peered in the cage to see how rexy was doing, and she looked fine and was happily muching on hay. but in the corner, I saw a pinkish pee. I touched it, and it was fresh. she had her baytril and loxicom at about 6pm. she seems fine... but before she went to the vet there was no signs of blood in the pee, or pink pees, or anything. they were a bit gritty(one of the reasons why I took her) but not pink. is there a reason why rexy suddenly now has pink pee? Very confused and worried here :(
 
also, how long should I expect it to take before the antibiotics properly start working?
I gave her baytril 3 hours ago and she is still squeaking while peeing.
although it may take longer for the antibiotics to start working, I may just be overthinking!( as usual!)
 
Wizzy said:
*urgent advice needed!*
right so I just peered in the cage to see how rexy was doing, and she looked fine and was happily muching on hay. but in the corner, I saw a pinkish pee. I touched it, and it was fresh. she had her baytril and loxicom at about 6pm. she seems fine... but before she went to the vet there was no signs of blood in the pee, or pink pees, or anything. they were a bit gritty(one of the reasons why I took her) but not pink. is there a reason why rexy suddenly now has pink pee? Very confused and worried here :(
Click to expand...
guineas do sometimes get pink pee if they have an infection . Please keep an eye on her and carry on with the antibiotics ( and loxicam )
 
PiggyOwner said:
guineas do sometimes get pink pee if they have an infection . Please keep an eye on her and carry on with the antibiotics ( and loxicam )
Click to expand...
yes the vets suspects rexy has some kind of infection... maybe I just hadn't noticed the pees before.
 
Update:
Rexy hates the loxicom just as much as the baytril, but I think she may be scarred from the baytril, and now has a fear of syringes!
My mum and her boyfriend are almost making me feel bad for caring so much about rexy, they say I'm 'obsessed' and being stupid because I haven't had rexy very long. I may only have had rexy for 2 months, but I love her just as much as my other pig pepper (who I've had for 3 years). I care about rexy a lot and want her to be happy and healthy, and if that means paying lots then money really doesn't matter. surely that's not 'being obssessed'? Anyways, rexy peed without trouble (on the sofa, may I add, and yes this annoyed my mum) and it was a normal yellow colour, so that's hopefully a good sign :)
 
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