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Brownie... blood in urine...

Poor Brownie - and what a shock for you. Were they able to give you any further advice on use of the Metacam for her discomfort (or ABs for infection)?
I suppose in some ways this is 'good' news? It looks like something can be done to tackle Brownie's problem (whereas if it was her kidneys....)
How reassuring that you can get to a guinea-pig expert for the op too. It's just the waiting that is difficult. We'll be thinking of you all.

PS My friend's pigs who were fully spayed for their cystic ovaries made really good recoveries and lived long lives after - I know because they came to us for their retirement!
 
Oh no, poor Brownie. Good luck for the vet visit, hope all goes well for her. ♥️🐾

You must be so worried. Sending big hugs. :hug:
 
Free Ranger said:
Poor Brownie - and what a shock for you. Were they able to give you any further advice on use of the Metacam for her discomfort (or ABs for infection)?
I suppose in some ways this is 'good' news? It looks like something can be done to tackle Brownie's problem (whereas if it was her kidneys....)
How reassuring that you can get to a guinea-pig expert for the op too. It's just the waiting that is difficult. We'll be thinking of you all.

PS My friend's pigs who were fully spayed for their cystic ovaries made really good recoveries and lived long lives after - I know because they came to us for their retirement!
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Just a bit of a shock... but better than kidney issues.... I did ask the vet about her Metacam dose and this vet agreed it should be twice a day so am ringing them in the morning to see what dose we can up it to and to get some more if we need it..I still have some left... brownie was very wobbly when I put her back into the cage.. she went straight into the fleece tunnel.. she ate her veg ok, left half a green bean which one of the others will scoff.. then she stayed there for a while... I just checked on her and she was in the hay tray which is a good sign...
 
eileen said:
I'm sorry Brownie is unwell.Ellie is a very good vet.uses keyhole surgery to remove ovaries and uterus.it will seem like a long wait.thinking of you.:hug:
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Thanks... I have heard good things about her and am very lucky to get in so quickly to see her.. my local vet has always been ok but I didnt feel comfortable with them doing the surgery... the vet did understand when i told him that..
 
Well it’s always better to know what you are facing. I hope you can keep her comfy until Tuesday so she can have her op. Poor Brownie (and poor you, too) xx
 
Our Metacam experience - more or less...
The dog Metacam in the purple box comes with a little syringe (with a picture of a dog on it!) and it's marked in 'units' rather than mls. This was the type my vet practice used to supply a few years back and the dose for a 1kg pig was 4 units once per day. My vet now dispenses from a bulk supply at the same concentration so you get a normal syringe and my prescribed dose was 0.2(4) ml once per day. You can't tell exactly if 0.24 ml is the same as 4 u because it's a very small amount of gloopy liquid but it looks about right and they calculated it, not me!

When my girl had the bladder stone / UTI trouble one vet told us we could double or even triple the dose throughout the day as she had done this before for her own pigs on a short term basis. We tried 4u morning and 4u evening which caused us no problems but when we tried increasing to a total of 12u it had an adverse effect in my pig - not terrible but she looked a bit rough and her appetite dropped so we went back to no more than 4u x 2 and she perked up straight off. Perhaps the vet had a big, chunky pig with a faster metabolism, but for us double dose was OK and triple wasn't. She was also talking at this point owner-to-owner as we've been going there a few years so I understood that there was a sort of 'try it and see how it goes' approach and we did give feedback that triple wasn't so good for us. You're vet sounds on the ball if they know you can try twice a day and you'll know your own pig's response - and at least they like the taste!

I hope Brownie has recovered from her GA this morning - it sounds like she was hungry and eating which is always a good sign for pigs! 🥬☺
 
VickiA said:
Well it’s always better to know what you are facing. I hope you can keep her comfy until Tuesday so she can have her op. Poor Brownie (and poor you, too) xx
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thanks Vicki... it's been a weird old few days.... she seems ok this morning..lost a few grams since yesterday so making sure is eating ok..veg went down with no problems.. x
 
Tuesday.... well I am sat outside waiting for the vet to call me...she has examined Brownie and does not agree with the other vet..... she thinks it is her bladder.... and is doing a conscious xray as I type.

I have bumped into @pig in the city hubby in the car park too!
 
So..... I saw The Guinea Pig Vet in Matlock for a 2nd opinion..... she didn't agree with the diagnosis from my local vet, and decided that surgery to remove both her ovaries was not necessary... Upon examination she said the problem is with her bladder - she prodded and poked her ovaries and she didn't complain yet when her bladder was touched - she was not happy :( An X-ray was done to confirm no bladder stones - no stones....

So for the moment, Brownie is on Dog Metacam 1ml twice a day.. I am to monitor her over the next 2 weeks then call them with any concerns. I am to monitor her wee, checking for blood still although not noticed any for a few days.. she is pooing ok and i am still weighing her daily.. Although she has lost weight, they said her weight is ok... I mushed up some pellets for her last few days and she licks it off the spoon!

I feel relieved and it's been such a roller coaster of emotions.... Thanks to you all for your support!
 
oh and it could be ' Sterile Interstitial Cystitis '...... so any advise on that would be good...
 
I’ve had two piggies with sterile interstitial cystitis (IC) There is no cure but it can be managed. We treated with metacam and one cystease tablet daily. Cystease is a cat supplement and can be brought online. You mix the powder with 1-2 ml of water and syringe x
 
artcasper said:
Tuesday.... well I am sat outside waiting for the vet to call me...she has examined Brownie and does not agree with the other vet..... she thinks it is her bladder.... and is doing a conscious xray as I type.

I have bumped into @pig in the city hubby in the car park too!
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Yes he mentioned it! I hope Brownie does well. Ellie is a fantastic vet and will do her very best for her xx
 
Claire W said:
I’ve had two piggies with sterile interstitial cystitis (IC) There is no cure but it can be managed. We treated with metacam and one cystease tablet daily. Cystease is a cat supplement and can be brought online. You mix the powder with 1-2 ml of water and syringe x
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Thanks .. thats good to know... Is there a particular diet that can help? Obviously I don't want to start giving those tablets until the vet advises me and she wants an update in 2 weeks but i like to plan if needed!
 
pig in the city said:
Yes he mentioned it! I hope Brownie does well. Ellie is a fantastic vet and will do her very best for her xx
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Gosh if only she wasn't an hour away but your hubby had a long journey also from Sheffield! I was very impressed today with Ellie - so knowledgeable and I was so glad i went over for a 2nd opinion! Hope your piggies are ok too! x
 
artcasper said:
Gosh if only she wasn't an hour away but your hubby had a long journey also from Sheffield! I was very impressed today with Ellie - so knowledgeable and I was so glad i went over for a 2nd opinion! Hope your piggies are ok too! x
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It's not too bad, about 40 mins and a scenic drive through the peak District. She is very good and a lovely person too. I have a lot of piggies with this problem, they do well on Metacam and cystophan (or equivalent) usually, but often need treatment long term. Restricting pellets definitely helps.
My piggies are fine thanks, one had a review ( Chloe who has recurring bladder stones) and Oscar is being neutered so he can get a girlfriend. I've just heard that he is recovering well so l am picking him up later xx
 
artcasper said:
Thanks .. thats good to know... Is there a particular diet that can help? Obviously I don't want to start giving those tablets until the vet advises me and she wants an update in 2 weeks but i like to plan if needed!
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I feed a low calcium diet and filter the drinking water. I use a brita water jug x
 
Claire W said:
I feed a low calcium diet and filter the drinking water. I use a brita water jug x
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thanks... i will have a look, i think theirs is low calcium anyway but will double check the guide .. they get filtered water as our fridge has a water dispenser so it gets filtered... i have recently changed their nuggets to grain free science selective ones and they only get a few and not every day ( cos I sometimes forget )... x
 
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