Specialist Need advice regarding possible prostate problems

[Boarmom]

Hi all,

You might have read my previous thread about my piggy Bear who has blood in his urine without having a clear cause. We have done several x-rays and ultrasounds but nothing showed up. During our latest trip to the vet she noticed that his prostate was a bit enlarged and she gave us some medicine to see if this would help to make the prostate shrink again. Unfortunately Bear is still bleeding and squeaking when going to the bathroom. The vet told us that the only option left is to neuter him and also to remove his seminal vesicles. I can't find much information about prostate problems with Guinea Pigs and was wondering whether someone has some information/experience with this type of illness?

Any information is welcome

 

[Siikibam]

Sorry to hear your piggy isn’t well. I’ve not heard about an enlarged prostate in piggies, nor neutering to cure that. Did they look for stones and all was still clear? Did they prescribe any pain killer (metacam) or any other medication?
@Wiebke @Piggies&buns @VickiA

 

[Boarmom]

Sorry to hear your piggy isn’t well. I’ve not heard about an enlarged prostate in piggies, nor neutering to cure that. Did they look for stones and all was still clear? Did they prescribe any pain killer (metacam) or any other medication?
@Wiebke @Piggies&buns @VickiA

Thank you for your reply

Yes, they looked several times for stones, but nothing was found. They also checked his kidneys and they were (thank god) okay. He had a lot of medication in the last couple of weeks. Two times antibiotics (each time a different one), metacam, Ypozane, Novaminsulfon and Rodicare uro. He also gets extra vitamin c. He dropped in the last couple of weeks from 1300 to 1100, despite giving critical care. The last two weeks he has been able to keep his weight stable at around 1130-40 without getting critical care.

Today we will finish his last antibiotic treatment, but since there is still blood in his urine and he is still squeaking I don't believe it was of any help. Since none of the medicine really helped him since the beginning of April I'm reluctant to put even more medicine in his small body. Therefore, I'm leaning towards the op..

 

[Wiebke]

Hi and welcome

I am very sorry for your problems. It is not an area that has come up on here; but as veterinary knowledge even in small animals is constantly expanding, we do incresingly see new and more complex diagnoses. However, this means that any treatment is generally on an empiric and not established or research basis.

However, has your vet considered a sterile interstitial cystitis (a non-bacterial recurring bladder infection), similar to feline sterile cystitis (FSC)? Sterile IC has become a lot more common over the last decade but is not much known outside vets that are frequently seeing guinea pigs; symptoms are very similar to those of a UTI, a bacterial cystitis or bladder stones/sludge. We see quite a bit of that on here. I have currently got IC in a couple of my own piggies.
Because it it non-bacterial, it cannot be cured by an antibiotic and can only managed. It is usually diagnosed by eliminating any other potential issue. Treatment follows broadly that of cats with the same problem. Key is glucosamine to support the affected natural glucosamine coating of the walls of the urinary tract in combination with metacam. Some vets also prescribe potassium citrate.
Glucosamine based cat bladder food supplements like cystease capsules (which you mix one with 2 ml of water, shake well and syringe once absorbed) are also used to treat sterile IC in guinea pigs.
Here is some more information if you want to discuss it with your vet: Links - Interstitial Cystitis - Guinea Lynx Records

I am linking in some members with more medical specialist knowledge than me: @Abi_nurse @furryfriends (TEAS) @PigglePuggle

 

[Boarmom]

Hi and welcome

I am very sorry for your problems. It is not an area that has come up on here; but as veterinary knowledge even in small animals is constantly expanding, we do incresingly see new and more complex diagnoses. However, this means that any treatment is generally on an empiric and not established or research basis.

However, has your vet considered a sterile interstitial cystitis (a non-bacterial recurring bladder infection), similar to feline sterile cystitis (FSC)? Sterile IC has become a lot more common over the last decade but is not much known outside vets that are frequently seeing guinea pigs; symptoms are very similar to those of a UTI, a bacterial cystitis or bladder stones/sludge. We see quite a bit of that on here. I have currently got IC in a couple of my own piggies.
Because it it non-bacterial, it cannot be cured by an antibiotic and can only managed. It is usually diagnosed by eliminating any other potential issue. Treatment follows broadly that of cats with the same problem. Key is glucosamine to support the affected natural glucosamine coating of the walls of the urinary tract in combination with metacam. Some vets also prescribe potassium citrate.
Glucosamine based cat bladder food supplements like cystease capsules (which you mix one with 2 ml of water, shake well and syringe once absorbed) are also used to treat sterile IC in guinea pigs.
Here is some more information if you want to discuss it with your vet: Links - Interstitial Cystitis - Guinea Lynx Records

I am linking in some members with more medical specialist knowledge than me: @Abi_nurse @furryfriends (TEAS) @PigglePuggle

Hi Wiebke,

Thanks for your response, much appreciated. I discussed the cystease option with my vet and she said that she never heard of it as a treatment for piggies. She went through the ingredient list and concluded that it was save to use/try, but she does not believe it will be of any help for his prostate. Right now Bear is in an okay condition and that's why I think I will move forward with the op. I'm scared that if we wait a couple of weeks to see if the cystease is working and his condition is getting worse that he needs the op in a bad condition (with all the extra risks).

However, I do have another bladder piggy*, his condition is stable, so we will try the cystease with him to see if it is of any help
*He also had several exams with no clear cause. However, he does not have blood in his urine. So far the low calcium diet together with Rodicare Uro seems to pay off. But since he does squeak from time to time I want to give the cystease a try to see if we can eliminate it completely!

 

[Wiebke]

Hi Wiebke,

Thanks for your response, much appreciated. I discussed the cystease option with my vet and she said that she never heard of it as a treatment for piggies. She went through the ingredient list and concluded that it was save to use/try, but she does not believe it will be of any help for his prostate. Right now Bear is in an okay condition and that's why I think I will move forward with the op. I'm scared that if we wait a couple of weeks to see if the cystease is working and his condition is getting worse that he needs the op in a bad condition (with all the extra risks).

However, I do have another bladder piggy*, his condition is stable, so we will try the cystease with him to see if it is of any help
*He also had several exams with no clear cause. However, he does not have blood in his urine. So far the low calcium diet together with Rodicare Uro seems to pay off. But since he does squeak from time to time I want to give the cystease a try to see if we can eliminate it completely!

Glucosamine won't hurt with any problem in the urinary tract, but it may be worth a try.

 

[immabeleesh]

Did you ever figure out what the issue was? I’m going through something similar with my boar. Was it an enlarged prostate, and were you able to treat?

 

[Wiebke]

Did you ever figure out what the issue was? I’m going through something similar with my boar. Was it an enlarged prostate, and were you able to treat?

Hi

Please accept that this thread is nearly 3 years old and that the poster has never come back.

If you have questions, please start your own threat in this section and follow our 1 thread for 1 case rule because reviving old threads can cause quite a bit of confusion. Thank you.