Bladder stones? Maybe?

[jesse1234]

Hey, so I'm in a weird spot right now. I haven't been able to be home with my pigs because somebody in my household has covid and I was the only one who wasn't in the house when it happened. Where I'm staying there isn't room for the pigs, so my sisters been caring for them. Technically 2/3 pigs are hers, but the pig I'm discussing is my boy, Oswald, who I've discussed before.

Since I haven't been there for almost a month, I haven't been able to see him so that's lead me to think a lot about him so maybe I am just psyching myself out.

Anyway, Oswald got pneumonia the summer of 2018, and had an up and down recovery. His pneumonia went away but then the medicine made him have some digestive issues. He went on medicine for that and a probiotic and he seemingly fully recovered. Shortly after the digestive medicines, his pee changed colors and I was worried about that. The vet told me to check for blood so I did that pretty much every day and there never was any reaction with hydrogen peroxide. The vet told me she suspected the medicine just changed the color of his pee. Shortly after that, or maybe during that time, it was years ago now so I don't remember exactly, he would arch his back and give a little squeak occasionally when pooping. The vet wasn't concerned about this and said it was probably an effect of the medicine still.

Fast forward to now, he does that little back arch and squeak every so often. Not extremely frequently by any means, but super intermittently. By this I mean, maybe a few times a month, like twice, maybe. If that. Sometimes less or more, but never is it consecutive or lasting. I've called the vet and I was assured he was fine and that there was no reason for concern if it wasn't consistently happening.

Now this is where I might be overthinking it because I haven't seen him for a bit. Is it consistent if he never fully stopped doing it? Everything else about him is normal. He drinks normal, eats normal, acts normal. It's only occasionally when he poops, and he squeaks and lifts his butt out, like he had to really force it out. It worries me whenever it happens obviously but I was assured multiple times that it wasn't anything to be worried about. I truly do trust the vet too, so I don't know if I am just being frantic, but I'm getting more concerned now.

Whenever I look stuff up about that behavior, it's all about bladder and kidney stones or a UTI. He hasn't given any indications for me to suspect he has any of those things except the occasional squeak while pooping. It's never when he pees either, only pooping. I've been leaning towards thinking it's a gas thing, because I've seen people say that gas can cause that behavior. We are extremely careful with his diet, and we avoid foods that could give him gas, but I could believe if he's just predisposed to being gassy, how that would make sense. It also is noteworthy that all of those conditions seem to take pigs out pretty quick. He's never declined or acted different at all. I hate to think something so major could be wrong with him, but I also feel like if those were the true issue, he would've had a type of decline. He's 5, so not super old, but not super young. I feel like he would definitely show more symptoms or indications if it was something so dire.

I just don't really know what to think and I've been thinking about it a lot now, trying to fill in the blanks, so I might just be overthinking.

I was regularly cleaning his butt and groin because he tends to get pretty dirty down there when nobody does it, so I was wondering if that corresponded with it. My sister hasn't been cleaning him like that because he can be difficult to handle and I didn't think it would be a huge problem if he wasn't getting super dirty which he doesn't seem to have done. Should cleaning resume to see if that could be a stressor?

My sister mentioned she's heard him do it a few times. Should I go to the vet and insist they take a closer look? Sorry, I'm probably rambling. I feel goofy calling the vet and asking the same things that I've asked before and had answered. Should I just trust what I've been told? Has anybody experienced something similar?

 

[Wiebke]

Hi!

It could be a stone or a sterile interstitial cystitis (non-bacterial bladder infection); the latter can only be diagnosed if a course of antibiotics doesn't do the trick and all other potential problems in the urinary tract have been excluded. Symptoms for all problems in the urinary tract are rather similar; stones and sterile IC are the two squeaky poos problems we are contacted over regularly.
Alternatively, sperm rods/infections in the penis shaft and any pain in the lower can also cause the squeaking.

PS: Sterile IC is not well known outside vet circles that see lots of guinea pigs but it has been on the rise over the last decade due to the commercial mass breeding of guinea pigs. It cannot be healed but can be managed with glucosamine, which is not a medication but classed as food supplement, and with metacam. Your boy sounds like he may have a milder form if your vet cannot find any sign of a stone or sludge.
Sterile IC seems to be specifically affect the natural glucosamine coating of the walls of the urinary tract which prevents corrosive urine from coming into very painful contact with raw tissue.

Here is some more information on sterile IC: Links - Interstitial Cystitis - Guinea Lynx Records
Diet tips for piggies with urinary tract problems: Long Term Balanced General And Special Needs Guinea Pig Diets

Boar Care: Bits, Bums & Baths (see chapter boar problems for sperm rods)

Please accept that it takes several weeks for dietary changes to work their way through the body and for glucosamine to build up.

All the best!

 

[jesse1234]

Hi!

It could be a stone or a sterile interstitial cystitis (non-bacterial bladder infection); the latter can only be diagnosed if a course of antibiotics doesn't do the trick and all other potential problems in the urinary tract have been excluded. Symptoms for all problems in the urinary tract are rather similar; stones and sterile IC are the two squeaky poos problems we are contacted over regularly.
Alternatively, sperm rods/infections in the penis shaft and any pain in the lower can also cause the squeaking.

PS: Sterile IC is not well known outside vet circles that see lots of guinea pigs but it has been on the rise over the last decade due to the commercial mass breeding of guinea pigs. It cannot be healed but can be managed with glucosamine, which is not a medication but classed as food supplement, and with metacam. Your boy sounds like he may have a milder form if your vet cannot find any sign of a stone or sludge.
Sterile IC seems to be specifically affect the natural glucosamine coating of the walls of the urinary tract which prevents corrosive urine from coming into very painful contact with raw tissue.

Here is some more information on sterile IC: Links - Interstitial Cystitis - Guinea Lynx Records
Diet tips for piggies with urinary tract problems: Long Term Balanced General And Special Needs Guinea Pig Diets

Boar Care: Bits, Bums & Baths (see chapter boar problems for sperm rods)

Please accept that it takes several weeks for dietary changes to work their way through the body and for glucosamine to build up.

All the best!

Thanks so much! I'm hoping it's not bladder stones, and something simpler/less dangerous, if anything. Thanks again. This is very helpful.