Piggy urinary infection

[Miellez]

Hello ! I'm seeking help here today for my male guinea pig. He is 1 and a half years old. Last satruday (5 october) I noticed he peed blood and was squeaking while doing so. I rushed to a vet, who gave him metacam and buprenorphine, with some digestive support. Then I went and see two others vets (I live in countryside, I need to see 3 of them so he can have all the exams done) and the result was that there was indeed blood in pee, but absolutely no track of stone bladder anywhere.
He lost some weight (I mean he needed to but still lose some) and has stabilized since some days, eating and moving more, but yesterday I noticed very weird pee : almost like grey mud. It was really weird and all I could find as explanation was bladder stone, except he got all checked up for this and definitively doesn't have them (blood check, pee check, X rays etc).
Today I noticed he wasn't really much moving : his poops are very small and dry, and he stays a lot listless, eyes closed.
So now I wonder what I can do ? I am supposed to stop the medicines on tuesday but I don't really understand what is the problem now...

Edit : here is a pic I took of the "weird pee"

 

[Piggies&buns]

Was an infection ruled out? I ask as you don’t mention antibiotics.

The pee looks like it might be a calcium deposit to me.
Excess calcium is excreted in the urine. The occasional chalky pee is normal.
However a large amount or if the deposit feels gritty, then that suggests it may be bladder sludge. (Can be a precursor to stones).

Sludge needs to come out and which method depends on how much and how tightly packed it is.

If you do determine that it is a calcium, then check his diet.
Most calcium comes into the diet via water and pellets. Ensure water is filtered and that pellets are kept to no more than one tablespoon per day.
Ensure you don’t overfeed high calcium veg such as kale, spinach or parsley.
Do also note that cutting calcium too low can also produce issues with calcium. Too low is as bad as too high as the balance is still knocked in the wrong direction.
There is no magic ratio here though as it depends on local variations and finding your own balance.

Thread 'Wiebke's Guide to Pees and Stones'

May 29, 2024

1 The Urinary Tract
2 Pees
- Water intake changes
- Pee discoloration
3 Infections
- Bacterial urine infection (UTI)
- Bacterial cystitis
- Sterile cystitis (interstitial cystitis or IC)
4 Stones, Sludge and Crystals
- Crystals, stones and sludge
- Stone and sludge removal
5 Kidneys and Bladder Cancer
-...

• Wiebke
• Replies: 3
• Forum: Wiebke's Home Care Support Guides

 

[Miellez]

Was an infection ruled out? I ask as you don’t mention antibiotics.

The pee looks like it might be a calcium deposit to me.
Excess calcium is excreted in the urine. The occasional chalky pee is normal.
However a large amount or if the deposit feels gritty, then that suggests it may be bladder sludge. (Can be a precursor to stones).

Sludge needs to come out and which method depends on how much and how tightly packed it is.

If you do determine that it is a calcium, then check his diet.
Most calcium comes into the diet via water and pellets. Ensure water is filtered and that pellets are kept to no more than one tablespoon per day.
Ensure you don’t overfeed high calcium veg such as kale, spinach or parsley.
Do also note that cutting calcium too low can also produce issues with calcium. Too low is as bad as too high as the balance is still knocked in the wrong direction.
There is no magic ratio here though as it depends on local variations and finding your own balance.

Thread 'Wiebke's Guide to Pees and Stones'

May 29, 2024

1 The Urinary Tract
2 Pees
- Water intake changes
- Pee discoloration
3 Infections
- Bacterial urine infection (UTI)
- Bacterial cystitis
- Sterile cystitis (interstitial cystitis or IC)
4 Stones, Sludge and Crystals
- Crystals, stones and sludge
- Stone and sludge removal
5 Kidneys and Bladder Cancer
-...

• Wiebke
• Replies: 3
• Forum: Wiebke's Home Care Support Guides

Sorry I got confused, it is not buprenorphine but diaminopyrimidines (name is a bit similar in my language). He got that at the first vet but she couldnt do any check up on his pee as she wasn't really qualified to do so. Then later on they couldnt do any check up because of the antibiotics.

For the rest I don't think he eats too much calcium, I lost a piggy because of bladders and try to be very careful since then.

 

[Piggies&buns]

What is his diet? As I say, cutting out too much calcium can also cause bladder problems.

It does look like a calcium deposit.
Does it feel chalky, or sandy or gritty?

 

[Miellez]

What is his diet? As I say, cutting out too much calcium can also cause bladder problems.

It does look like a calcium deposit.
Does it feel chalky, or sandy or gritty?

TImothy hay, pellets of science selective, and some veggies : pepper bell, cucumber, fennel, celery. Do you think thats too low ?
Tho he got a check up on blood and the vet did tell me that his bladders were fine.

 

[Piggies&buns]

Does the deposit feel chalky, gritty or sandy?
This is vital information as it will help to determine if it is indeed sludge which has come out.

Has it only been this one deposit so far?

If infection is ruled out and all other bladder issues are ruled out, then the other possibility is the start of sterile cystitis.

 

[Miellez]

Does the deposit feel chalky, gritty or sandy?
This is vital information as it will help to determine if it is indeed sludge which has come out.

Has it only been this one deposit so far?

If infection is ruled out and all other bladder issues are ruled out, then the other possibility is the start of sterile cystitis.

Ow sorry ! Deposit was weirdly muddy and then dried to be solid. It really didn't feel like when my other piggy had bladder problem, it was really weird. There was 3 deposit only yesterday, and today his pees are normal.

 

[Piggies&buns]

Ok. So no more deposits today but he is lethargic?

Have you been weighing him daily?
If so, what are they telling you?
How much weight has he lost?

I don’t think celery and fennel are suitable for daily feeding - their oxalate levels are higher if I remember rightly.
The pees guide I linked in explains a lot more about it

 

[Miellez]

Ok. So no more deposits today but he is lethargic?

Have you been weighing him daily?
If so, what are they telling you?
How much weight has he lost?

I don’t think celery and fennel are suitable for daily feeding - their oxalate levels are higher if I remember rightly.
The pees guide I linked in explains a lot more about it

He lost about 140g in a week. He is stabilized for 4 days now.
No more deposit but I have him on my lap for some time and noticed he didn't pee and would squeak. I tried helping him and this weird thing came out of pee place (not poo place I really saw). I might rush to a sunday vet because that is really weird...