Potassium citrate

[Samxox]

Hello,

I'm wondering if anyone could help me with the dose of potassium citrate? The sum my vet gave me is, The calculation would be weight x dose (10mg) divided by concentration (most liquid seems to be 300mg/ml so divide by 300). This will give you the mls to administer 2-3 times a day.

So I did 1300 x 10 divide by 1.5(the concentration) and got 8.7. Is this correct? Mt vet isn't back in till Tuesday.

Thann you

 

[Wiebke]

Sorry, having never been prescibed it myself (although it is a safe med) I am not personally familiar with the regular dosage range.
@Piggies&buns @PigglePuggle

 

[PigglePuggle]

I'm a bit confused by your calculation...
Potassium citrate is used to balance urine pH and prevent kidney stone formation, I am not seeing a dosage for piggies but in rabbits 10mg per kg body weight 2 or 3 times per day is recommended. Aporoximate piggy doses are quite easy to calculate as they usually weigh around 1kg... unless they are very small or very big!

So you would be aiming for 20-30mg per day. If the concentration of the solution is as you say 300mg per ml, that would be 0.1mls to give the full daily dose? Quite a small amount to measure and give, I would draw the 0.1ml up in a 1ml syringe then add water to increase the volume and spread it out through the day as at least 2 doses perhaps 3? Extra water will be a good thing if there are kidney/bladder issues...

 

[Samxox]

Hi, thanks for your reply! I have 2 pigs that had suspected bladders stones but following xrays its bladder sludge so we wondered if the potassium citrate would help. I'll attach what I found online about dosage and sent to the vet who then gave me the above sum to work our dosage. Raven weighs 1300 so I worked out 8.7ml twice daily and Dixie is 1100 which worked out as 7.8ml twice daily.

I feel both doses worked out quite a lot?

 

[Samxox]

The stuff I bought from the chemist is 1.5 concentration per 5ml so going by the sum the vet gave me that's how i got the 8.7 for raven by 1300 x 10 divide by 1.5.
Sorry new to this forum and still finding my way about, I should have made my first post more clear

 

[Wiebke]

@PigglePuggle

All the best! Firmly packed sludge requires an operation; loose sludge can be very gently flushed, provided your vet is experienced with that procedure because if too much water is pushed in too forcefully, it can back up urine into the kidneys with fatal results. When done correctly, it really helps with removing the sludge. In most cases, medication is unfortunately not enough.

Please read our diet recommendations re. filtered or bottled low calcium water (the biggest calcium contributor to the diet), limiting pellets to max. 1 tablespoon per piggy per day (the second largest calcium contributor to the diet, even the no added calcium pellets), veg advice and information on glucosamine in order to protect the badly scratched natural glucosamine coating of the urinary tract that prevents the very corrosive urine from coming into contact with raw tissue.
Please note that both dietary changes and glucosamine supplement take several weeks to work their way through the body/build but they are vital for the long term and to prevent a repeat.
Here is the link (see chapter special needs diets): Long Term Balanced General And Special Needs Guinea Pig Diets

 

[Samxox]

@PigglePuggle

All the best! Firmly packed sludge requires an operation; loose sludge can flushed, provided your vet experienced with that procedure because if too much water is pushed in too forcefully, it can back up urine into the kidneys, with fatal results. When done correctly, it really helps. In most cases, medication is unfortunately not enough.

Please read our diet recommendations re. filtered or bottled low calcium water (the biggest calcium contributor to the diet), limiting pellets to max. 1 tablespoon per piggy per day (the second largest calcium contributor to the diet, even the no added calcium pellets), veg advice and information on glucosamine in order to protect the badly scratched natural glucosamine coating of the urinary tract that prevents the very corrosive urine from coming into contact with raw tissue.
Please note that both dietary changes and glucosamine supplement take several weeks to work their way through the body/build but they are vital for the long term and to prevent a repeat.
Here is the link (see chapter special needs diets): Long Term Balanced General And Special Needs Guinea Pig Diets

Thank you! Unfortunately my vets are not piggy savvy and I have no other option as I live on an island so majority of the time I do a lot fo research and go back to the vet with my findings.
I looked at their diet and cut out anything high in calcium and I checked out if I lived in a hard water area but as I'm in the outer hebrides of Scotland our water is very soft so I've ruled that out. I have 14 who all live together and are currently on haybox pellets as that's the best I could find but again have cut these right back. I'll also have them on one cat cytease capsule daily to help line their bladder wall.. I'm not sure if this dose could go up?

I'll have a look through the link, thank you!

 

[Bluebell]

I'm so jealous, a Scottish island! But that wasn't what I meant to say, I've never used potassium citrate in guineas as (touch wood)I have never had any problems like that with them, BUT I used to have an elderly bitch boarding with cystitis and other bladder issues, and potassium citrate was marvellous for her. So I do now swear by it for that type of thing and I gather it's pretty successful with humans too. I'd certainly be happy to try it on a guinea if I ever needed to.

 

[Wiebke]

Thank you! Unfortunately my vets are not piggy savvy and I have no other option as I live on an island so majority of the time I do a lot fo research and go back to the vet with my findings.
I looked at their diet and cut out anything high in calcium and I checked out if I lived in a hard water area but as I'm in the outer hebrides of Scotland our water is very soft so I've ruled that out. I have 14 who all live together and are currently on haybox pellets as that's the best I could find but again have cut these right back. I'll also have them on one cat cytease capsule daily to help line their bladder wall.. I'm not sure if this dose could go up?

I'll have a look through the link, thank you!

Hi!

Could you please put 'Hebrides' in location in your account details (accessed via clicking on your username on the top bar); this will make it appear with every post you make and allow us to factor in your issue with exotics vet access straight away. We are dealing with members and enquiries from literally all over the world and from very different backgrounds and climates.

Encourage your piggies to have at least one or two large pees to help flush out any loose sludge by offering filtered water from a syringe, as much as they will drink willingly from the syringe in one go. Never force any water on them; that can cause more problems than it solves! Many bladder piggies are not naturally good drinkers; that is one of the more common contributing factors to sludge and stones (there are more) but not one you can change.

You can double the glucosamine dose (i.e. two capsules) during the first week.

If the potassium citrate doesn't work, would your vet be willing to speak to Simon or Kim Maddock at the Cat&Rabbit Care Clinic in Northampton? They are general vets but they see only cats, rabbits and guinea pigs in about equal measure, which means lots of piggies every week; very often ones where local vets have been struggling. The Maddocks are generally happy to help other vets with their own experiences.
Cat and Rabbit Care Clinic | Northlands Vets

My Cariad needed regular flushing back in 2012-14 after something suddenly flipped in her own (complex) calcium absorption and she made a large stone in a matter of weeks. After that, we could keep it to sludge with dietary changes with gradually lengthening intervals but she needed flushes every few months for the rest of her life until she grew to frail for them. But this was an extreme case. Anyway, she was seen at the Cat&Rabbit and had those two extra years of life to live a normal life span which she would not have had with just my local vets.

 

[Samxox]

Hi!

Could you please put 'Hebrides' in location in your account details (accessed via clicking on your username on the top bar); this will make it appear with every post you make and allow us to factor in your issue with exotics vet access straight away. We are dealing with members and enquiries from literally all over the world and from very different backgrounds and climates.

Encourage your piggies to have at least one or two large pees to help flush out any loose sludge by offering filtered water from a syringe, as much as they will drink willingly from the syringe in one go. Never force any water on them; that can cause more problems than it solves! Many bladder piggies are not naturally good drinkers; that is one of the more common contributing factors to sludge and stones (there are more) but not one you can change.

You can double the glucosamine dose (i.e. two capsules) during the first week.

If the potassium citrate doesn't work, would your vet be willing to speak to Simon or Kim Maddock at the Cat&Rabbit Care Clinic in Northampton? They are general vets but they see only cats, rabbits and guinea pigs in about equal measure, which means lots of piggies every week; very often ones where local vets have been struggling. The Maddocks are generally happy to help other vets with their own experiences.
Cat and Rabbit Care Clinic | Northlands Vets

My Cariad needed regular flushing back in 2012-14 after something suddenly flipped in her own (complex) calcium absorption and she made a large stone in a matter of weeks. After that, we could keep it to sludge with dietary changes with gradually lengthening intervals but she needed flushes every few months for the rest of her life until she grew to frail for them. But this was an extreme case. Anyway, she was seen at the Cat&Rabbit and had those two extra years of life to live a normal life span which she would not have had with just my local vets.

I think I have changed it to hebrides! I am so not tech savvy lol, although I firgure out how to change my profile pic !

Yes I can always ask if they would be willing to speak to Simon and Kim maddock.

I personally had a zoom consultation with Ellie Whitehead the Guinea pig vet based at Derwent Valley Vets as she specialises in guinea pigs and found her very helpful. This was last year while Dixie was squeaking when pooing as my vets tried various things but I wanted a second opinion.

Dixie and Raven are currently on 0.8ml of dog metacam twice a day, I asked about the antibiotic septrin and she said in theory the baytril should have covered the UTI.

Aw that's so lovely! I'm glad she was able to have a comfortable 2 years. The vet did mention flushing in her email, however I'm not sure how comfortable I'd feel with that given they aren't piggy savvy.

 

[Samxox]

I'm so jealous, a Scottish island! But that wasn't what I meant to say, I've never used potassium citrate in guineas as (touch wood)I have never had any problems like that with them, BUT I used to have an elderly bitch boarding with cystitis and other bladder issues, and potassium citrate was marvellous for her. So I do now swear by it for that type of thing and I gather it's pretty successful with humans too. I'd certainly be happy to try it on a guinea if I ever needed to.

It is lovely up here, only downside is no small animal vet. Yes as soon as I'm able to confirm the dose I'll get them on it and fingers crossed they show some improvement

 

[Pet_Palace13]

Hello, could someone give me advice on where to get potassium citrate from as my vet says it would be good to use but she’s never used it so she doesn’t what one to use on my boys ?

 

[Swissgreys]

Hello, could someone give me advice on where to get potassium citrate from as my vet says it would be good to use but she’s never used it so she doesn’t what one to use on my boys ?

This is quite an old thread so you would be better starting a new one of your own.
However the best place to get these things is through your vet after a consultation to properly diagnose the issue.
We don't advocate home treatments in the first instance as they can often do more harm than good.