Calcium

[mls18]

Hi, does anyone know how long calcium stones can form in? I've been getting hay from a farm with a small percentage of alfalfa, I wasent worried about it before becouse I looked through it and could barely find any alfalfa. But now my guinea pigs appear to be acting weird so I'm worried it could be that. Obviously I won't be giving them that hay anymore but I'm not sure if I'm just imagining them acting weird or not. I've only been giving them the hay for a bit over a month, and ive been mixing it with a different kind. Also, what are the symptoms of stones from access calcium in a diet? I tried checking online but I can't tell if the symptoms that I found are from bladder stones or from calcium(or are they the same thing?).

 

[Wiebke]

Hi, does anyone know how long calcium stones can form in? I've been getting hay from a farm with a small percentage of alfalfa, I wasent worried about it before becouse I looked through it and could barely find any alfalfa. But now my guinea pigs appear to be acting weird so I'm worried it could be that. Obviously I won't be giving them that hay anymore but I'm not sure if I'm just imagining them acting weird or not. I've only been giving them the hay for a bit over a month, and ive been mixing it with a different kind. Also, what are the symptoms of stones from access calcium in a diet? I tried checking online but I can't tell if the symptoms that I found are from bladder stones or from calcium(or are they the same thing?).

Hi

Can you please take a video of your boys acting 'weird', upload it on youtube (or any other media that does not require a sign-up to view it) on a public setting and copy across. We are entirely run by voluntary member donations and do not have a video upload.

Can you also please give us more general background information. Keep in mind that we are jumping between lots of threads on daily basis and cannot be expected to read or necessarily remember everything, so it wouild really help us to get something get a foot on deck.
- how long have you had your boys and how old are they now? I.e. how long have they been on their current diet?
- what are the exact symptoms that you are worried about? 'Weird' is kind of a very wide field.
- is only one boy having unusual behaviours/symptoms or have both started having them at the same time?

Please note that all problems in the urinary tract - whether that is a urine infection (UTI), a bacterial or sterile cystitis (bladder infection), sludge or stones (kidney, ureter, bladder or urethra) - present with very similar symptoms; especially initially.

Unfortunately, we cannot even start telling you what could be going on due to lack of any relevant information.
However, if both are starting to show symptoms at the same time, it is far more likely that you are dealing with an infection rather than stones.

Please book a vet appointment for the coming week if you have any concerns; they can assess the symptoms and the bladder and give you the appropriate medication. There is no DIY home cure for any urinary tract issues.

 

[mls18]

Hi

Can you please take a video of your boys acting 'weird', upload it on youtube (or any other media that does not require a sign-up to view it) on a public setting and copy across. We are entirely run by voluntary member donations and do not have a video upload.
Can you also please give us more general background information:
- how long have you had your boys and how old are they?
- what are the symptoms that you are worried about?
- is only one boy having them or have both started displaying them at the same time?

Please note that all problems in the urinary tract, whether that is a urine infection (UTI), a bacterial or sterile cystitis (bladder infection), sludge or stones present with very similar symptoms. Unfortunately, we cannot even start telling you what could be going on due to lack of any relevant information; including how long they have been on their current diet in the first place...
However, if both are starting to show symptoms at the same time, it is far more likely that you are dealing with an infection rather than stones.

Please book a vet appointment for the coming week if you have any concerns; they can assess the symptoms and the bladder and give you the appropriate medication. There is no DIY home cure for any urinary tract issues.

Brownie is 6 years old and Oreo is 9 months.
Their not acting weird anymore. Its really hard to explain but it looked like their heart was beating really strongly, making them jump. However I looked it up and i think it was more of their intestinal area. I saw brownie doing it in the middle of the night, then I saw oreo doing it this morning( oreo was chirping, it sounded like it was out of pain, brownie didn't do that though). They've also been twitching alot. I'm not sure whether to bring them to the vet becouse I'm constantly thinking their sick when they aren't. Has anyone had that happen before? I was so confused when I first saw brownie doing it. I'm sure I've never seen that before but I have no idea what it could be.

 

[Wiebke]

Brownie is 6 years old and Oreo is 9 months.
Their not acting weird anymore. Its really hard to explain but it looked like their heart was beating really strongly, making them jump. However I looked it up and i think it was more of their intestinal area. I saw brownie doing it in the middle of the night, then I saw oreo doing it this morning( oreo was chirping, it sounded like it was out of pain, brownie didn't do that though). They've also been twitching alot. I'm not sure whether to bring them to the vet becouse I'm constantly thinking their sick when they aren't. Has anyone had that happen before? I was so confused when I first saw brownie doing it. I'm sure I've never seen that before but I have no idea what it could be.

Well, it is most definitely NOT bladder stones or any issue in the urinary tract; and as long as they are not showing any obvious other discomfort, also not an obvious problem with the gut.

Are you sure that they are not popcorning and just happy to be with each other?
'Popcorning' (jumping) and 'zooming' (running) - joy and exuberance (videos)

This is chirping: Chirping

Right now, I suspect strongly that you are overthinking again. If there really is a problem, it will eventually become much clearer but if I were you, I would ask somebody else to keep an eye on your piggies' health for you. What you are telling me is not adding up to anything significant.
A guinea pig's heartbeat is much faster than our human one; once you notice it, it will also look a lot stronger compared to our own but - crucially - you haven't mentioned any symptom that rings alarm bells with me - not that you would expect both piggies to present with them at once anyway.

You may find the very practical common sense advice in this link here helpful when dealing with your anxiety and how to best work around it. It is an article I have written for Guinea Pig Magazine last year: Human Pet Anxiety - Practical Tips For Sufferers and For Supporters

Please take a deep breath and do something simple but fun with your boys to get your mind off!
Enrichment Ideas for Guinea Pigs

 

[mls18]

Well, it is most definitely NOT bladder stones or any issue in the urinary tract; and as long as they are not showing any obvious other discomfort, also not an obvious problem with the gut.

Are you sure that they are not popcorning and just happy to be with each other?
'Popcorning' (jumping) and 'zooming' (running) - joy and exuberance (videos)

This is chirping: Chirping

Right now, I suspect strongly that you are overthinking again. If there really is a problem, it will eventually become much clearer but if I were you, I would ask somebody else to keep an eye on your piggies' health for you. What you are telling me is not adding up to anything significant.
A guinea pig's heartbeat is much faster than our human one; once you notice it, it will also look a lot stronger compared to our own but - crucially - you haven't mentioned any symptom that rings alarm bells with me - not that you would expect both piggies to present with them at once anyway.

You may find the very practical common sense advice in this link here helpful when dealing with your anxiety and how to best work around it. It is an article I have written for Guinea Pig Magazine last year: Human Pet Anxiety - Practical Tips For Sufferers and For Supporters

Please take a deep breath and do something simple but fun with your boys to get your mind off!
Enrichment Ideas for Guinea Pigs

Ok, thank you SO much! I don't think it was popcorning since I know what that looks like, but it could be. I'll let you know if anything else changes, thanks so much for replying! I feel a bit less nervous now