Shirley has Cystitis... Advice

[Mabel&Shirley]

Hi Everyone, I am after some advice. Shirley is 3 years old and always been healthy. About 2 months ago I noticed blood coming from her when she was on the grass in her run. I took her to the emergency vet who prescribed a 7 day course of baytril and said it was probably a UTI. It cleared up but yesterday it was back. She has been to the vet again today and had an x ray to check for stones which came back clear and been given an antibiotic and anti inflammatory injection and a 5 day course of baytril. She is eating, drinking, running around absolutely fine and not hunching or squeaking when she wees. I give them filtered water, plenty of hay, nuggets, and slightly more diuretic veg to help flush out. Tried cranberry juice but she refuses to drink it. Is there anything else I can do to help it clear up and not come back?

 

[rudent]

I'm not sure that the course of antibiotics she's been prescribed will be long enough to fully clear up the UTI -- if it went away while she was taking antibiotics and then returned, that's a sign that the course needed to be longer. Might be worth ringing the vets to ask about that. Sounds like you're doing everything else fine.

 

[Siikibam]

@Wiebke @Piggies&buns @PigglePuggle

 

[Wiebke]

Hi Everyone, I am after some advice. Shirley is 3 years old and always been healthy. About 2 months ago I noticed blood coming from her when she was on the grass in her run. I took her to the emergency vet who prescribed a 7 day course of baytril and said it was probably a UTI. It cleared up but yesterday it was back. She has been to the vet again today and had an x ray to check for stones which came back clear and been given an antibiotic and anti inflammatory injection and a 5 day course of baytril. She is eating, drinking, running around absolutely fine and not hunching or squeaking when she wees. I give them filtered water, plenty of hay, nuggets, and slightly more diuretic veg to help flush out. Tried cranberry juice but she refuses to drink it. Is there anything else I can do to help it clear up and not come back?

Hi!

See how it goes. Please be aware that there are several infections in the urinary tract that present with very similar symptoms.
The easiest to deal with UTI, a bacterial urine infection that is caused by faecal bacteria getting into the urinary tract. Putting a piggy on a damp cold lawn can trigger it through lowering the immune system.
A bacterial cystitis (bladder infection) is often the result of stones or sludge banging against the bladder walls.

If you are dealing with a recurring infection but no stones, then Shirley is most likely having a sterile (i.e. non-bacterial) intersitial (i.e. recurring) cystitis. It is a condition that has become a lot more common over the last decade but is not much known by vets who do not see guinea pigs very regularly.

Sterile IC cannot be healed by an antibiotic; it will either not react or come back once the antibiotic course has stopped. It can't be medically healed, only managed until is hopefully going away on its own some years down the line. Treatment follows roughly that of cats with feline sterile cystitis (FSC) with plenty of glucosamine (cat bladder supplements like cystease capsules are best) in connection with metacam, which addresses the pain and inflammation. The walls of the urinary tract are coated by glucosamine to prevent the corrosive urine attacking the tissue; this natural coating is affected.
Guinea Lynx :: UTI
Long Term Balanced General And Special Needs Guinea Pig Diets (see special diets)

Right now, please finish the course of baytril and then wait and see what happens. Speak to your vet about sterile IC if the infection recurs.
PS: In our experience cranberry juice doesn't seem to make any difference for guinea pigs. For that reason we no longer recommend it. If you wish, you can give a little for added vitamin C but you can get that from fresh grass or other veg just as easily.