Rusty urine / mis-diagnosis of UTI?

[KHBz]

Ophelia's urine has become rusty coloured and, worried that it must be mixed with blood, we took her to the vet. Suspecting a UTI, the vet has prescribed "enrocare oral sol 25mg/mml 10ml p", with 0.36 ml to be given twice daily, as well as metacam for inflammation. In herself, Ophelia is fine and the vet could not feel anything such as stones. There has been no change to her diet.

I have since read all the threads about orange/rusty/brown urine and so now realise that it may well not be a UTI after all. However, we did see it come out of Ophelia that colour and so presumably before it had a chance to oxidise (?) I haven't seen any bright red flecks of blood as I have since seen pictured on this forum. This is what we found on her fleece this morning.

My question is, given that this is may well be a mis-diagnosis based on my error of assuming there must be blood, do I stop giving her the antibiotics and metacam? She has been on the medication for three days, and the antibiotics course is for seven. I can't go back to the vet to have her urine tested (as I have read on the forum) as we are spending a fortune on vet bills.

 

[Piggies&buns]

You should never stop an antibiotic course without consulting a vet, so I would give them a call and explain your concerns.

 

[Princess Dustmop]

If you've started a course of antibiotics, unless you're absolutely sure that there isn't an infection (urinalysis says there isn't one), then you'll need to finish the course so long as the piggy is tolerating it okay. Partial courses of antibiotics are how resistance forms. If you cannot afford the urinalysis (you might ask about just brining the urine sample if it's vet appointment that's too much but the test itself would be doable)., then I would say you're going to need tofinish the antibiotic course. Metcam can be stopped whenever, if you think it is not serving a purpose any longer.
The color of blood in urine varies by how high in the system the source is, and how much it dilutes in coming out. Bright specks indicate coming from pretty close to the outlet, where there isn't time to dilute to a pink; not every case will have these, but it's hard to give any certainty as to what's in the urine (blood, bacteria, etc.) without a test showing what's in the urine.

 

[KHBz]

Thank you very much to both of you for your replies. It is really helpful. @Princess Dustmop, I really appreciate the detailed and interesting information. We will therefore finish the course, with the metacam just in case, and I’ll contact the vet to have her urine checked if nothing has changed once the course is over. I’m just putting some Pro-C in the water for the next few days. (Her companion doesn’t drink much so she’ll be getting most of it.)

 

[Piggies&buns]

Thank you very much to both of you for your replies. It is really helpful. @Princess Dustmop, I really appreciate the detailed and interesting information. We will therefore finish the course, with the metacam just in case, and I’ll contact the vet to have her urine checked if nothing has changed once the course is over. I’m just putting some Pro-C in the water for the next few days. (Her companion doesn’t drink much so she’ll be getting most of it.)

Its still better to directly give the pro-c to piggy. Adding anything to the water can stop them from drinking enough
as it can change the taste of the water, plus it can encourage algae growth in the bottle

 

[KHBz]

Its still better to directly give the pro-c to piggy. Adding anything to the water can stop them from drinking enough
as it can change the taste of the water, plus it can encourage algae growth in the bottle

Do you sprinkle it on the food? I could do that as well. Both piggies love pro-c flavoured water and it always amuses us because it’s the only time they pretty much drain the bottle within a day. We also put in ordinary water in another bottle and bowl, just in case, but they don’t get touched.

 

[Piggies&buns]

Yes it can be sprinkled on food