bleeding?!

[piggiemummy03x]

freaking out.. i’m sorry i’ve not even replied to my last post.. della had randomly started crying again this evening.. i took her out to check if her bum smells (normally what happens when she has a uti) and she’s BLEEDING.. what could be causing this?!?

phoning vets first thing tomorrow.. other than the crying (when we believe she is weeing) she is completely fine.. eating, drinking, enjoying cuddles and being her cheeky self.. why is this happening

 

[weepweeps]

I’m so sorry she’s bleeding. Good luck getting her in at the vets today. I hope it’s something easily treatable

 

[piggieminder]

I hope you managed to get her a vet appointment. Sending Della healing vibes.

 

[Wiebke]

freaking out.. i’m sorry i’ve not even replied to my last post.. della had randomly started crying again this evening.. i took her out to check if her bum smells (normally what happens when she has a uti) and she’s BLEEDING.. what could be causing this?!?

phoning vets first thing tomorrow.. other than the crying (when we believe she is weeing) she is completely fine.. eating, drinking, enjoying cuddles and being her cheeky self.. why is this happening

Hi

Intensely red coloured porphyrine pees are characteristic for the onset of a urinary tract infection and they can throw an owner who has never come across it before. The urine may or may not test for blood; seemingly clear urine can actually test high for blood. It takes a lot more blood than most people imagine to colour urine red and then it is usually a much brigher red.

With repeated episodes, I would consider whether Della is actually suffering from sterile IC (non-bacterial recurring cystitis) that can only be temporarily suppressed by an antibiotic in the milder cases but that is characterised by flare ups every few weeks and by these dull red porphyrine dyed pees (it is a naturally produced dye) at the onset.
Treatment is with metacam for the inflammation and with glucosamine supplement since the condition seems to primarily affect the natural insulating glucosamine coating of the walls of the urinary tract that prevent the highly corrosive pee from coming into painful contact with raw tissue (hence the squeaking). Treatment follows that of FSC (feline sterile cystitis), which is a comparable condition in cats if you are seeing a vet who has never heard of sterile cystitis in guinea pigs.

Sterile IC is usually either diagnosed by a low or - more rarely - zero count of bacteria in the urine (most piggies have some faecal bacteria in their urinary tract from scent marking but not the number necessary for a faecal bacterial urine infection (UTI) or more commonly by default after all the other issues in the urinary tract have been excluded. Sterile IC has become the most common urinary tract infection in pet guinea pigs over the last 15 years but it is still not much known outside vet circles that deal regularly with piggies. It is generally seen in guinea pigs with in-born high stress setting (the same as in cats). The other piggies can fend it off with their immune system without ever developing acute symptoms and having more than slightly smelly pees that can cause hay stalks to go a bright yellow for a little while.
Please be aware that both metacam and glucosamine take some time to build up. There is no quick fix with this condition but you can learn how to manage it by knowing how low you can go safely between flares and how high you need to go in order to get them under control again within 2-3 days in the longer term. Milder forms will eventually go away on their own, never to return.

Links - Interstitial Cystitis - Guinea Lynx Records

I hope that this helps you? Please take a deep breath and do some Mindfulness. Della may be uncomfortable when peeing right now but her life is not at risk.

 

[piggiemummy03x]

thankyou guys, della was treated for a UTI (again)

 

[piggiemummy03x]

Hi

Intensely red coloured porphyrine pees are characteristic for the onset of a urinary tract infection and they can throw an owner who has never come across it before. The urine may or may not test for blood; seemingly clear urine can actually test high for blood. It takes a lot more blood than most people imagine to colour urine red and then it is usually a much brigher red.

With repeated episodes, I would consider whether Della is actually suffering from sterile IC (non-bacterial recurring cystitis) that can only be temporarily suppressed by an antibiotic in the milder cases but that is characterised by flare ups every few weeks and by these dull red porphyrine dyed pees (it is a naturally produced dye) at the onset.
Treatment is with metacam for the inflammation and with glucosamine supplement since the condition seems to primarily affect the natural insulating glucosamine coating of the walls of the urinary tract that prevent the highly corrosive pee from coming into painful contact with raw tissue (hence the squeaking). Treatment follows that of FSC (feline sterile cystitis), which is a comparable condition in cats if you are seeing a vet who has never heard of sterile cystitis in guinea pigs.

Sterile IC is usually either diagnosed by a low or - more rarely - zero count of bacteria in the urine (most piggies have some faecal bacteria in their urinary tract from scent marking but not the number necessary for a faecal bacterial urine infection (UTI) or more commonly by default after all the other issues in the urinary tract have been excluded. Sterile IC has become the most common urinary tract infection in pet guinea pigs over the last 15 years but it is still not much known outside vet circles that deal regularly with piggies. It is generally seen in guinea pigs with in-born high stress setting (the same as in cats). The other piggies can fend it off with their immune system without ever developing acute symptoms and having more than slightly smelly pees that can cause hay stalks to go a bright yellow for a little while.
Please be aware that both metacam and glucosamine take some time to build up. There is no quick fix with this condition but you can learn how to manage it by knowing how low you can go safely between flares and how high you need to go in order to get them under control again within 2-3 days in the longer term. Milder forms will eventually go away on their own, never to return.

Links - Interstitial Cystitis - Guinea Lynx Records

I hope that this helps you? Please take a deep breath and do some Mindfulness. Della may be uncomfortable when peeing right now but her life is not at risk.

you say here it could be IC, would she be smelling if its IC? i thought that it automatically meant infection if there was a smell?

 

[piggiemummy03x]

hi all, haven’t logged on for a while but feel i need to post this thread as i’m really struggling with what to do.

as many of you know my della has had a long history of UTIs, stones and sludge bless her, luckily at the moment no sign of stones or sludge it’s just the UTIs we are struggling with. it seems she is on antibiotics constantly for UTIs that seem to clear (crying stops, no wet bum, no smelly back end etc) then just come back again normally della is put on baytril for at least two weeks in which it does all improve, but eventually then comes back. we had a couple of months with no UTIs which was brilliant! but recently della was put on baytril again for UTI (started on the 20th sept when she was bleeding), i think around 16 days, symptoms stopped, she had last dose monday 9th but is now already smelling again. we have tried co-trimazole for a previous UTI i think it was called but that didn’t seem to help, i’m just worried shes had baytril too much and is now immune? i think shes had about 5 separate UTIs this year alone, one being treated with antibiotics for at least 4 weeks (co-trimazole that didn’t work them baytril) i’m freaking out i don’t understand why this keeps happening.


could it be reproductive?
are there any more antibiotics safe for piggies?
what should i be asking / suggesting to the vet?


i feel like a awful piggie mum because it seems my girl just always has infections, i don’t even know how safe it is for pigs to be on antibiotics so often? please if anyone has experienced anything similar or has anything to suggest i am desperate

 

[Wiebke]

hi all, haven’t logged on for a while but feel i need to post this thread as i’m really struggling with what to do.

as many of you know my della has had a long history of UTIs, stones and sludge bless her, luckily at the moment no sign of stones or sludge it’s just the UTIs we are struggling with. it seems she is on antibiotics constantly for UTIs that seem to clear (crying stops, no wet bum, no smelly back end etc) then just come back again normally della is put on baytril for at least two weeks in which it does all improve, but eventually then comes back. we had a couple of months with no UTIs which was brilliant! but recently della was put on baytril again for UTI (started on the 20th sept when she was bleeding), i think around 16 days, symptoms stopped, she had last dose monday 9th but is now already smelling again. we have tried co-trimazole for a previous UTI i think it was called but that didn’t seem to help, i’m just worried shes had baytril too much and is now immune? i think shes had about 5 separate UTIs this year alone, one being treated with antibiotics for at least 4 weeks (co-trimazole that didn’t work them baytril) i’m freaking out i don’t understand why this keeps happening.


could it be reproductive?
are there any more antibiotics safe for piggies?
what should i be asking / suggesting to the vet?


i feel like a awful piggie mum because it seems my girl just always has infections, i don’t even know how safe it is for pigs to be on antibiotics so often? please if anyone has experienced anything similar or has anything to suggest i am desperate

Hi

I am really sorry about your desperation but I can only repeat my post from your previous thread on the same subject. My advice has not changed. Sterile IC can smell strongly, and so will any infection, whether it is from the urinary tract or the reproductive tract.

Here is again what I have written. Sorry, if your vets are not aware and not willing to try. Have you told them about the information?

Intensely red coloured porphyrine pees are characteristic for the onset of a urinary tract infection and they can throw an owner who has never come across it before. The urine may or may not test for blood; seemingly clear urine can actually test high for blood. It takes a lot more blood than most people imagine to colour urine red and then it is usually a much brigher red.

With repeated episodes, I would consider whether Della is actually suffering from sterile IC (non-bacterial recurring cystitis) that can only be temporarily suppressed by an antibiotic in the milder cases but that is characterised by flare ups every few weeks and by these dull red porphyrine dyed pees (it is a naturally produced dye) at the onset.
Treatment is with metacam for the inflammation and with glucosamine supplement since the condition seems to primarily affect the natural insulating glucosamine coating of the walls of the urinary tract that prevent the highly corrosive pee from coming into painful contact with raw tissue (hence the squeaking). Treatment follows that of FSC (feline sterile cystitis), which is a comparable condition in cats if you are seeing a vet who has never heard of sterile cystitis in guinea pigs.

Sterile IC is usually either diagnosed by a low or - more rarely - zero count of bacteria in the urine (most piggies have some faecal bacteria in their urinary tract from scent marking but not the number necessary for a faecal bacterial urine infection (UTI) or more commonly by default after all the other issues in the urinary tract have been excluded. Sterile IC has become the most common urinary tract infection in pet guinea pigs over the last 15 years but it is still not much known outside vet circles that deal regularly with piggies. It is generally seen in guinea pigs with in-born high stress setting (the same as in cats). The other piggies can fend it off with their immune system without ever developing acute symptoms and having more than slightly smelly pees that can cause hay stalks to go a bright yellow for a little while.
Please be aware that both metacam and glucosamine take some time to build up. There is no quick fix with this condition but you can learn how to manage it by knowing how low you can go safely between flares and how high you need to go in order to get them under control again within 2-3 days in the longer term. Milder forms will eventually go away on their own, never to return.

Links - Interstitial Cystitis - Guinea Lynx Records

bleeding?!

I am very sorry for your frustration but sadly you won't get new answers if you start a new thread each time. There are only so many possible options as to what it could be and they have all come up before.
Perhaps you may want to look for a different vet wjo knows about sterile cystitis in guinea pigs and is prepared to give it a try?

 

[piggiemummy03x]

Hi

I am very sorry but I can only repeat my post from your previous thread on the same subject. My advice has not changed. Sterile IC can smell strongly, and so will any infection, whether it is from the urinary tract or the reproductive tract.

Here is again what I have written. Sorry, if your vets are not aware and not willing to try. Have you told them about the information?

Intensely red coloured porphyrine pees are characteristic for the onset of a urinary tract infection and they can throw an owner who has never come across it before. The urine may or may not test for blood; seemingly clear urine can actually test high for blood. It takes a lot more blood than most people imagine to colour urine red and then it is usually a much brigher red.

With repeated episodes, I would consider whether Della is actually suffering from sterile IC (non-bacterial recurring cystitis) that can only be temporarily suppressed by an antibiotic in the milder cases but that is characterised by flare ups every few weeks and by these dull red porphyrine dyed pees (it is a naturally produced dye) at the onset.
Treatment is with metacam for the inflammation and with glucosamine supplement since the condition seems to primarily affect the natural insulating glucosamine coating of the walls of the urinary tract that prevent the highly corrosive pee from coming into painful contact with raw tissue (hence the squeaking). Treatment follows that of FSC (feline sterile cystitis), which is a comparable condition in cats if you are seeing a vet who has never heard of sterile cystitis in guinea pigs.

Sterile IC is usually either diagnosed by a low or - more rarely - zero count of bacteria in the urine (most piggies have some faecal bacteria in their urinary tract from scent marking but not the number necessary for a faecal bacterial urine infection (UTI) or more commonly by default after all the other issues in the urinary tract have been excluded. Sterile IC has become the most common urinary tract infection in pet guinea pigs over the last 15 years but it is still not much known outside vet circles that deal regularly with piggies. It is generally seen in guinea pigs with in-born high stress setting (the same as in cats). The other piggies can fend it off with their immune system without ever developing acute symptoms and having more than slightly smelly pees that can cause hay stalks to go a bright yellow for a little while.
Please be aware that both metacam and glucosamine take some time to build up. There is no quick fix with this condition but you can learn how to manage it by knowing how low you can go safely between flares and how high you need to go in order to get them under control again within 2-3 days in the longer term. Milder forms will eventually go away on their own, never to return.

Links - Interstitial Cystitis - Guinea Lynx Records

I hope that this helps you? Please take a deep breath and do some Mindfulness. Della may be uncomfortable when peeing right now but her life is not at risk.

hi, no problem i understand. i didn’t realise IC could smell, sorry i must have missed this reading your reply. i suppose the only way to find out is urine test? she’s had two so far, the last (saturday) showing normal
amount of bacteria/blood so vet was happy to stop antibiotics. there has been no more red urine.

 

[piggiemummy03x]

Hi

I am very sorry but I can only repeat my post from your previous thread on the same subject. My advice has not changed. Sterile IC can smell strongly, and so will any infection, whether it is from the urinary tract or the reproductive tract.

Here is again what I have written. Sorry, if your vets are not aware and not willing to try. Have you told them about the information?

Intensely red coloured porphyrine pees are characteristic for the onset of a urinary tract infection and they can throw an owner who has never come across it before. The urine may or may not test for blood; seemingly clear urine can actually test high for blood. It takes a lot more blood than most people imagine to colour urine red and then it is usually a much brigher red.

With repeated episodes, I would consider whether Della is actually suffering from sterile IC (non-bacterial recurring cystitis) that can only be temporarily suppressed by an antibiotic in the milder cases but that is characterised by flare ups every few weeks and by these dull red porphyrine dyed pees (it is a naturally produced dye) at the onset.
Treatment is with metacam for the inflammation and with glucosamine supplement since the condition seems to primarily affect the natural insulating glucosamine coating of the walls of the urinary tract that prevent the highly corrosive pee from coming into painful contact with raw tissue (hence the squeaking). Treatment follows that of FSC (feline sterile cystitis), which is a comparable condition in cats if you are seeing a vet who has never heard of sterile cystitis in guinea pigs.

Sterile IC is usually either diagnosed by a low or - more rarely - zero count of bacteria in the urine (most piggies have some faecal bacteria in their urinary tract from scent marking but not the number necessary for a faecal bacterial urine infection (UTI) or more commonly by default after all the other issues in the urinary tract have been excluded. Sterile IC has become the most common urinary tract infection in pet guinea pigs over the last 15 years but it is still not much known outside vet circles that deal regularly with piggies. It is generally seen in guinea pigs with in-born high stress setting (the same as in cats). The other piggies can fend it off with their immune system without ever developing acute symptoms and having more than slightly smelly pees that can cause hay stalks to go a bright yellow for a little while.
Please be aware that both metacam and glucosamine take some time to build up. There is no quick fix with this condition but you can learn how to manage it by knowing how low you can go safely between flares and how high you need to go in order to get them under control again within 2-3 days in the longer term. Milder forms will eventually go away on their own, never to return.

Links - Interstitial Cystitis - Guinea Lynx Records

I hope that this helps you? Please take a deep breath and do some Mindfulness. Della may be uncomfortable when peeing right now but her life is not at risk.

hi, no problem i understand. i didn’t realise IC could smell, sorry i must have missed this reading your reply. i suppose the only way to find out is urine test? she’s had two so far, the last (saturday) showing normal
amount of bacteria/blood so vet was happy to stop antibiotics. there has been no more red urine.

 

[piggiemummy03x]

I am very sorry for your frustration but sadly you won't get new answers if you start a new thread each time. There are only so many possible options as to what it could be and they have all come up before.
Perhaps you may want to look for a different vet wjo knows about sterile cystitis in guinea pigs and is prepared to give it a try?

i understand, i’m sorry i was hoping i may hear from others that have had similar experiences. i understand theres only so many options.

when you say give it a try, what do you mean? i feel i can bring this up to my vet but i don’t know what we should be trying? i give metacam when i hear cries and shes been on cystease for ages now. do i ask for another wee sample to be taken?

 

[Wiebke]

hi, no problem i understand. i didn’t realise IC could smell, sorry i must have missed this reading your reply. i suppose the only way to find out is urine test? she’s had two so far, the last (saturday) showing normal
amount of bacteria/blood so vet was happy to stop antibiotics. there has been no more red urine.

The problem with sterile IC is that the infection returns once the antibiotic wears off or whenever there is a new flare.

I've been through it all with Nerys and her 'resistant' urine infection for half a year 14 years ago when sterile cystitis was still a very new and hardly known kid on the block but with the correct treatment she was mostly symptom-free for the three years she had it (thankfully only fairly mildly) and then she had another 3 years without any urinary tract issues at all and died from old age at 8 years.

I have had more IC piggies since then and have a borderline one now. With the rise of indoors and shed piggies, most urinary tract infection actually turn out to be sterile cystitis now. UTIs have become rather rare in comparison and are more common in outdoors piggies or piggies put out on the grass when the ground is still too cold.

 

[piggiemummy03x]

so next plan of action - wee test, can this be in house or properly sent to a lab? (is there a difference?) last two was done at the vets (first definitely showing bacteria, second, two weeks later, showing normal amount of bacteria/blood) assuming this means it was an infection this time round. do i just need to do a wee sample every time this happens? i will fo it of course but at £60 each time its going to add up very quickly!

 

[piggiemummy03x]

The problem with sterile IC is that the infection returns once the antibiotic wears off or whenever there is a new flare.

I've been through it all with Nerys and her 'resistant' urine infection for half a year 14 years ago when sterile cystitis was still a very new and hardly known kid on the block but with the correct treatment she was mostly symptom-free for the three years she had it (thankfully only fairly mildly) and then she had another 3 years without any urinary tract issues at all and died from old age at 8 years.

I have had more IC piggies since then and have a borderline one now. With the rise of indoors and shed piggies, most urinary tract infection actually turn out to be sterile cystitis now. UTIs have become rather rare in comparison and are more common in outdoors piggies or piggies put out on the grass when the ground is still too cold.

oh so IC is still an infection? sorry i’m a little confused! I'm glad to hear you helped your piggie be mostly symptom free! thats a good age too!

 

[Claire W]

Both my Emma and Ellen had IC which was diagnosed when everything else (UTI, bladder stones, reproductive etc) had been ruled out. Has your vet sent off a urine culture to see if Della is on the right antibiotic? Has a urine sample been span down to double check for crystals in the urine? I was endlessly at the vets with urine samples having urine span down, dip sticked and sent off for culture etc. I can sympathise with your frustrations, Ellen especially would sometimes get a UTI alongside the IC flare which was very frustrating to distinguish between the two. But both girls were often smelly when they had an IC flare. I suggest you take Wiebke’s advise and discuss the possibility with your vet as it does sound like Della could be suffering from IC x

 

[piggiemummy03x]

Both my Emma and Ellen had IC which was diagnosed when everything else (UTI, bladder stones, reproductive etc) had been ruled out. Has your vet sent off a urine culture to see if Della is on the right antibiotic? Has a urine sample been span down to double check for crystals in the urine? I was endlessly at the vets with urine samples having urine span down, dip sticked and sent off for culture etc. I can sympathise with your frustrations, Ellen especially would sometimes get a UTI alongside the IC flare which was very frustrating to distinguish between the two. But both girls were often smelly when they had an IC flare. I suggest you take Wiebke’s advise and discuss the possibility with your vet as it does sound like Della could be suffering from IC x

thankyou! sorry to hear both your girls are suffering from IC. so assuming the only way to rule out uti is wee samples? and stones etc xrays? what about reproductive?

no i don’t believe a culture has been sent off, usually just put on baytril as we know it’s worked in the past. the first sample definitely had bacteria and blood indicating infection, the second (2 weeks later after 2 weeks of baytril) come back with normal traces of bacteria/blood, hence why vet said ab course can be finished.

do i just keep testing her wee then? at £60 a pop we’ve already payed £120 in the last two weeks just for 2 samples to be tested.. i’m worried as its a very reoccurring thing for della, but i will of course find the money! x

 

[Wiebke]

I have merged your two threads in order to avoid confusion.

 

[piggiemummy03x]

I have merged your two threads in order to avoid confusion.

thanks and sorry!

 

[piggiemummy03x]

I have merged your two threads in order to avoid confusion.

could you possibly advise what i should be going to the vet with / asking please?
obviously mentioning IC, assuming also a urine sample to be taken but is there anything else? i’m sorry for all my questions just want to get to the bottom of it!

 

[Wiebke]

could you possibly advise what i should be going to the vet with / asking please?
obviously mentioning IC, assuming also a urine sample to be taken but is there anything else? i’m sorry for all my questions just want to get to the bottom of it!

Please read my previous post. Sterile cystitis is usually diagnosed by default after all other possible issues (UTI, stones/sludge, infections in the reproductive tract) have been excluded. It depends on you and your vet how many or few expensive tests you want to have done. The symptoms of sterile cystitis and a bacterial urine infection (UTI) are very similar.

Sterile cystitis is an infection and will test for that re. raised protein levels for example.
It is just an infection that is not caused by bacteria and can therefore not healed out with an antibiotic, which is the unusual part. However unlike a UTI or a bacterial cystitis as the result of crystals/sludge or a stone scraping and banging on the bladder walls, a sterile cystitis will test much lower in the bacterial count that expected although rarely zero since most piggies have some faecal bacteria in the urinary tract from scent marking.

Please read this link here and if needed show it to your vet. If they are lost please tell them that sterile cystitis in cavies is very similar to those in cats. There is information around but your vet needs to be willing to look things up.

 

[piggiemummy03x]

Please read my previous post. Sterile cystitis is usually diagnosed by default after all other possible issues (UTI, stones/sludge, infections in the reproductive tract) have been excluded. It depends on you and your vet how many or few expensive tests you want to have done. The symptoms of sterile cystitis and a bacterial urine infection (UTI) are very similar.

Sterile cystitis is an infection and will test for that re. raised protein levels for example.
It is just an infection that is not caused by bacteria and can therefore not healed out with an antibiotic, which is the unusual part. However unlike a UTI or a bacterial cystitis as the result of crystals/sludge or a stone scraping and banging on the bladder walls, a sterile cystitis will test much lower in the bacterial count that expected although rarely zero since most piggies have some faecal bacteria in the urinary tract from scent marking.

Please read this link here and if needed show it to your vet. If they are lost please tell them that sterile cystitis in cavies is very similar to those in cats. There is information around but your vet needs to be willing to look things up.

thanks so much. so i basically need to ask the vet if she feels she can deal with possible IC. i suppose i will only really know what each ‘infection’ is if i do a sample so maybe i can discuss this as a regular thing.

thanks for clearing that up. is the link in previous message?

 

[Claire W]

thankyou! sorry to hear both your girls are suffering from IC. so assuming the only way to rule out uti is wee samples? and stones etc xrays? what about reproductive?

no i don’t believe a culture has been sent off, usually just put on baytril as we know it’s worked in the past. the first sample definitely had bacteria and blood indicating infection, the second (2 weeks later after 2 weeks of baytril) come back with normal traces of bacteria/blood, hence why vet said ab course can be finished.

do i just keep testing her wee then? at £60 a pop we’ve already payed £120 in the last two weeks just for 2 samples to be tested.. i’m worried as its a very reoccurring thing for della, but i will of course find the money! x

Thank you. Both Emma and Ellen have long passed over the rainbow bridge but it was very stressful at the time so I do sympathise especially as your vet appears to be going round in circles. Xrays or an ultrasound scan to rule out stones and an ultrasound scan to rule our reproductive issues x

 

[Wiebke]

thanks so much. so i basically need to ask the vet if she feels she can deal with possible IC. i suppose i will only really know what each ‘infection’ is if i do a sample so maybe i can discuss this as a regular thing.

thanks for clearing that up. is the link in previous message?

The link is in my first sterile cystitis post but your vet should find more information on sterile cystitis in guinea pigs in their own online resources. I think five rounds with antibiotics are clearly a sign that the approach is not working. I am also sure that your vet has already excluded stones/sludge etc. They are just not aware that there is a non-bacterial infection around since it is a relatively new kid on the block.

 

[piggiemummy03x]

Thank you. Both Emma and Ellen have long passed over the rainbow bridge but it was very stressful at the time so I do sympathise especially as your vet appears to be going round in circles. Xrays or an ultrasound scan to rule out stones and an ultrasound scan to rule our reproductive issues x

thankyou! x

 

[piggiemummy03x]

The link is in my first sterile cystitis post but your vet should find more information on sterile cystitis in guinea pigs in their own online resources. I think five rounds with antibiotics are clearly a sign that the approach is not working. I am also sure that your vet has already excluded stones/sludge etc. They are just not aware that there is a non-bacterial infection around since it is a relatively new kid on the block.

thanks so much. i know.. i think because it does go away and get better for a bit it could still be UTIs? like i said last sample did show bacteria, maybe its a mix of both?

 

[Wiebke]

thanks so much. i know.. i think because it does go away and get better for a bit it could still be UTIs? like i said last sample did show bacteria, maybe its a mix of both?

It depends on how high the bacterial count is. However it is worth trying to see whether sterile cystitis management is more effective at this stage as long as you accept that it will take a while to build up and that it is not instant.

 

[piggiemummy03x]

It depends on how high the bacterial count is. However it is worth trying to see whether sterile cystitis management is more effective at this stage as long as you accept that it will take a while to build up and that it is not instant.

of course. yes i will definitely consider it, i think i just worry and think what if it is uti and i leave it thinking IC and it just gets worse instead of catching it quickly and getting rid. but i suppose this way i don’t actually know if its a IC flare?

 

[Wiebke]

of course. yes i will definitely consider it, i think i just worry and think what if it is uti and i leave it thinking IC and it just gets worse instead of catching it quickly and getting rid. but i suppose this way i don’t actually know if its a IC flare?

Exactly.

The other consideration is that the more courses of antibiotics your piggy gets the higher the risk of developing resistancy. If five courses of antibiotics have not cleared the UTI then it is really worth giving sterile cystitis a shot.

Please accept that the first weeks of IC treatment are tough since both metacam and glucosamine take time to build up.

 

[piggiemummy03x]

Exactly.

The other consideration is that the more courses of antibiotics your piggy gets the higher the risk of developing resistancy. If five courses of antibiotics have not cleared the UTI then it is really worth giving sterile cystitis a shot.

Please accept that the first weeks of IC treatment are tough since both metacam and glucosamine take time to build up.

of course, this was another worry of mine.

she is currently on one cystease a day, can i up to two?

how long do you leave it before you know its probably an infection? if it doesn’t get better after a few days of metacam?

 

[Wiebke]

of course, this was another worry of mine.

she is currently on one cystease a day, can i up to two?

how long do you leave it before you know its probably an infection? if it doesn’t get better after a few days of metacam?

You can up it two capsules a day for the first week or for about 3 days during an acute flare if that helps getting on top of it. Long term overuse is not recommended.

In my own experience (and experimentation with IC flares in piggies of mine), upping the cystease during a flare has been more effective than upping the metacam.