Ragamuffin
New Born Pup
Hey, just after some advice to see if anyone else has been having problems with their guinea pigs and sludgy wees /bladder stones while using burgess XL mint pellets.
I feel like it started around the time their pellets changed. Now to give some background, I have an aging sow heard, they're all around 4 1/5- 5 years old... In the last two years they've all suffered heavily from bladder related issues and they've always only had burgess pellets as that's what was recommended to me, in the beginning I didn't know any better and also was feeding them too much high calcium vege, that all stopped when the bladder issues started, they've all developed interstitial cystitis 2 have /had massive (chickpea sized) bladder stones removed, flushed out, and have been on metacam and cystitease long term now.
I understand this is common with guinea pigs, and often genetic, 3 out of my 5 are related. And I've been dealing with this situation for around 2 1/2 almost 3 years now, they're on limited and low calcium food. Trying everything to help figure out what's causing this with the vets and by adjusting their food-
However, I've recently taken on a new pig, I rescued a boar who's been with me a couple of months- I've recently got him neutered so that he can be put into my herd of sows so that he can have a bunch of girlfriends-
with in the last month I've weened him off his pet store pellets and onto burgess mint xl- he's suddenly, like in the last week been showing signs of sludgy wees and now having squeaky wees- I've removed the pellets from his diet, he has a check up on Monday so I'm hopeful that he'll be all good, but I feel like this can't be a coincidence. In the last week I've had two trips to the vets with the girls, with squeaky wees/ blood in urine, but then do a test and then no blood shows up and the only remaining thing to do is take the girls off these pellets. So I did, on Monday and so far they've perked up and showing less signs of sludgy wees and seem all over brighter and more active- they're all still on metacam and cystease but they seem better for it-
Anyone else experienced this or going through a similar thing? I'm starting to feel a bit defeated
I feel like it started around the time their pellets changed. Now to give some background, I have an aging sow heard, they're all around 4 1/5- 5 years old... In the last two years they've all suffered heavily from bladder related issues and they've always only had burgess pellets as that's what was recommended to me, in the beginning I didn't know any better and also was feeding them too much high calcium vege, that all stopped when the bladder issues started, they've all developed interstitial cystitis 2 have /had massive (chickpea sized) bladder stones removed, flushed out, and have been on metacam and cystitease long term now.
I understand this is common with guinea pigs, and often genetic, 3 out of my 5 are related. And I've been dealing with this situation for around 2 1/2 almost 3 years now, they're on limited and low calcium food. Trying everything to help figure out what's causing this with the vets and by adjusting their food-
However, I've recently taken on a new pig, I rescued a boar who's been with me a couple of months- I've recently got him neutered so that he can be put into my herd of sows so that he can have a bunch of girlfriends-
with in the last month I've weened him off his pet store pellets and onto burgess mint xl- he's suddenly, like in the last week been showing signs of sludgy wees and now having squeaky wees- I've removed the pellets from his diet, he has a check up on Monday so I'm hopeful that he'll be all good, but I feel like this can't be a coincidence. In the last week I've had two trips to the vets with the girls, with squeaky wees/ blood in urine, but then do a test and then no blood shows up and the only remaining thing to do is take the girls off these pellets. So I did, on Monday and so far they've perked up and showing less signs of sludgy wees and seem all over brighter and more active- they're all still on metacam and cystease but they seem better for it-
Anyone else experienced this or going through a similar thing? I'm starting to feel a bit defeated