Possible bladder stone?

[loisxx]

Hi I need some advice please

My male Sam is 1 year 6 months and he sounds like he’s grunting/straining sometimes when he’s pooping.
He is still pooping fine and they look normal, he’s also peeing normally. He’s not impacted as I checked but his bottom had a lot of what looked like calcium sludge!

He’s eating and drinking but he does seem to be drinking more than he used too, I’m just worried for him but I’ve spoken to my vets and they have said it’s nothing to worry about and won’t even look at him, I just want to know if he’s in pain or needs meds.

Has any one experienced this noise before? From what I’ve been reading it seems as though he could have bladder stones and that he needs to see a vet! I just want to know he’s okay

 

[Siikibam]

If he’s grunting or making noise it’s possible he’s in pain. I would see if you can find another vet to take him to. Hope he’s seen soon.
Recommended Guinea Pig Vets

 

[Wiebke]

Hi

Please see a different vet; if your piggy is grunting when pooping, then they have a pain issue.

Without an examination/x-ray it can be difficult to tell what exactly is causing the problem; it can be a bladder stone, a build of sludge in the bladder, several types of infection or an obstruction in the penis shaft, impaction or a pain issue impacting on the lower gut, like for instance (but by no means exclusively) arthritis in the lower spine in older piggies... the list is not conclusive. Wild guessing won't help you. Please make use of our vet locator if you have one of the recommended vets within your reach.

If you have a lot of calcium pees etc. please review your diet. Most people are not aware that the bulk of calcium comes with the water (especially hard water) and pellets (which should be used only sparingly as even no added calcium pellets are higher in calcium than the veg highest in it) and that ca. 80% of the daily food intake should be hay and fresh grass, whereas ca. 15% of fresh veg and herbs basically replace the role of supplementing wild forage in the mainly grass fibre based diet. But the body is basically laid out to process hay from the dental growth rate in the back teeth to having to break down the touch but nutritious grass fibre in two runs through the gut with the gut microbiome laid out for this process.

Please read up on our diet recommendations: Long Term Balanced General And Special Needs Guinea Pig Diets
Keep in mind that any dietary changes will take several weeks to come through. They are a long term health measure and cannot replace a vet trip.