Suspected recurring UTI

[Diane H]

Evening all. My lovely female rescue Izzy had a suspected UTI in Feb which cleared up nicely with antibiotics. However, recently the wet back end reoccurred so we saw the vet straight away. She seemed to be recovering well on Batryl but then I noticed wetness again and a new symptom - not running away from me (she is usually v fast!). So we we’ve been back at the vets who noticed that her her bladder felt a little thick (bladder stone suspected). She underwent an x ray this week (no stone was seen) and is now on antibiotics (0.5 ml twice a day) and and cat metacam (0.5 ml once a day). She’s come round from the x ray OK but I’ve noticed this evening a larger white deposit on a towel I put down and some brown around her under carriage. I haven’t seen any blood, just a brownish stain on a puppy pad which could just be wee oxidising I guess. The vet plans to try get a sample of urine to culture but any advice from some guinea experts as to the best course of action would be appreciated. Thanks in advance.

 

[Siikibam]

I’m sorry your girl is unwell. I’m afraid I don’t have any advice but wanted to offer support.

 

[annachristina_piggies]

Could it be interstitial cystitis? Antibiotics did not help my boars peeing pain and there was no stone on the X-ray so he was diagnosed with cystitis

 

[Wiebke]

Evening all. My lovely female rescue Izzy had a suspected UTI in Feb which cleared up nicely with antibiotics. However, recently the wet back end reoccurred so we saw the vet straight away. She seemed to be recovering well on Batryl but then I noticed wetness again and a new symptom - not running away from me (she is usually v fast!). So we we’ve been back at the vets who noticed that her her bladder felt a little thick (bladder stone suspected). She underwent an x ray this week (no stone was seen) and is now on antibiotics (0.5 ml twice a day) and and cat metacam (0.5 ml once a day). She’s come round from the x ray OK but I’ve noticed this evening a larger white deposit on a towel I put down and some brown around her under carriage. I haven’t seen any blood, just a brownish stain on a puppy pad which could just be wee oxidising I guess. The vet plans to try get a sample of urine to culture but any advice from some guinea experts as to the best course of action would be appreciated. Thanks in advance.

Hi!

There is a not well known but increasingly common condition called sterile interstitial cystitis - i.e. a non-bacterial recurring bladder infection, which cannot be healed by an antibiotic and at the best be only temporarily suppressed by them.

Sterile IC seems to specifically affect the natural glucosamine coating of the walls of the urinary tract, which prevents the corrosive urine coming into contact with raw tissue. Typically for the onset of a flare is either intensely red, bloody-looking porphyrine coloured urine (which may or may not test for the presence of blood), but it can be preceded by calcium pees that can be a bit sludgy in my own experience.
Sterile IC can only be managed but not healed and it is usually more a matter of years than months. Crucial in the treatment seems to be glucosamine (which is classed as a food supplement and not as a medication) plus metacam/meloxicam for the inflammation and pain especially during the occasional flares.

Sterile IC in cavies is similar to that of FSC (feline sterile cystitis) in cats and treatment does follow similar lines. It is usually diagnosed by default after all other potential urinary tract problems have been excluded.

For milder cases, we recommend cystease cat capsules for ease of application. Empty the contents of 1 capsule into 2 ml of water and shake until fully absorbed. Then give either 1 ml of the solution twice a day or give 2 ml every 24 hours. For strong sterile IC there is now cartrofen being increasingly used, mostly in injection form.

You may want to raise the issue with your vet. Please be aware that a vet may not prescribe oral glucosamine (like cystease or comparable products) because they are not a prescription-only medication and can be easily got online. We can only show up potential avenues for your vet to pursue based on our own experience but we cannot diagnose nor do we support home treatment on spec.

Links - Interstitial Cystitis - Guinea Lynx Records

 

[Diane H]

Thank you for pointing out sterile IC, I have never heard of this before and I think it’s definitely worth me discussing this avenue with my vet, and doing some further research myself. Very much appreciated. I shall let you know how Busy Izzy gets on

 

[Diane H]

I’m sorry your girl is unwell. I’m afraid I don’t have any advice but wanted to offer support.

Appreciated

 

[Diane H]

Could it be interstitial cystitis? Antibiotics did not help my boars peeing pain and there was no stone on the X-ray so he was diagnosed with cystitis

I hope your boar is doing well now, it’s such a worry when they’re not well.

 

[Diane H]

Hi!

There is a not well known but increasingly common condition called sterile interstitial cystitis - i.e. a non-bacterial recurring bladder infection, which cannot be healed by an antibiotic and at the best be only temporarily suppressed by them.

Sterile IC seems to specifically affect the natural glucosamine coating of the walls of the urinary tract, which prevents the corrosive urine coming into contact with raw tissue. Typically for the onset of a flare is either intensely red, bloody-looking porphyrine coloured urine (which may or may not test for the presence of blood), but it can be preceded by calcium pees that can be a bit sludgy in my own experience.
Sterile IC can only be managed but not healed and it is usually more a matter of years than months. Crucial in the treatment seems to be glucosamine (which is classed as a food supplement and not as a medication) plus metacam/meloxicam for the inflammation and pain especially during the occasional flares.

Sterile IC in cavies is similar to that of FSC (feline sterile cystitis) in cats and treatment does follow similar lines. It is usually diagnosed by default after all other potential urinary tract problems have been excluded.

For milder cases, we recommend cystease cat capsules for ease of application. Empty the contents of 1 capsule into 2 ml of water and shake until fully absorbed. Then give either 1 ml of the solution twice a day or give 2 ml every 24 hours. For strong sterile IC there is now cartrofen being increasingly used, mostly in injection form.

You may want to raise the issue with your vet. Please be aware that a vet may not prescribe oral glucosamine (like cystease or comparable products) because they are not a prescription-only medication and can be easily got online. We can only show up potential avenues for your vet to pursue based on our own experience but we cannot diagnose nor do we support home treatment on spec.

Links - Interstitial Cystitis - Guinea Lynx Records

Thank you so much for taking the time to post this reply. I feel less in the dark now and will discuss with the vet this week

 

[Wiebke]

Thank you so much for taking the time to post this reply. I feel less in the dark now and will discuss with the vet this week

While UTI is actually rare in indoors piggies, we get several enquiries about what is in effect sterile IC every week. It is one of the most common health issues we are contacted about by owners at the end of their wits over persistent urinary tract problems but no stones or sludge.

I currently have an IC piggy myself again. The problem seems to typically affect piggies with a naturally nervous disposition in my own (and my vet's) experience. Unless you are confronted with the severe form and once you have got on top of the fully acute stage (which may take a few weeks as the glucosamine needs time to build up), it is mostly about learning what levels of glucosamine and metacam work best for your piggies on a daily management level between flares and how much to safely up the glucosamine and analgesic to get on top of a flare as soon as possible. Ideally, the flares will eventually become gradually less frequent and may go away completely, especially with the milder forms.

My Nerys (the large teddy in my avatar on the left) had sterile cystitis for 3 years but was totally free of it for another 3 years and passed away from old age at 8 years.

All the best!

PS: Sterile IC in cavies is unfortunately virtually unknown outside vet circles that see lots of piggies on a regular basis even though it has become a lot more common over the last dozen years or so due to the increasing commercial mass breeding of piggies whether for shops or by for-sale breeders.

 

[Diane H]

Spoke to the vets today, the plan is to keep Izzy on her medication this week and go for a check up on Friday. They chatted to me about IC and would like to do a referral to a more specialist exotics vets in Edinburgh for a second opinion if needed. Izzy is a really nervous little lady, she’s become much tamer with me but it wouldn’t surprise me if being nervous comes into it.

 

[Wiebke]

Spoke to the vets today, the plan is to keep Izzy on her medication this week and go for a check up on Friday. They chatted to me about IC and would like to do a referral to a more specialist exotics vets in Edinburgh for a second opinion if needed. Izzy is a really nervous little lady, she’s become much tamer with me but it wouldn’t surprise me if being nervous comes into it.

All the best!

 

[Diane H]

While UTI is actually rare in indoors piggies, we get several enquiries about what is in effect sterile IC every week. It is one of the most common health issues we are contacted about by owners at the end of their wits over persistent urinary tract problems but no stones or sludge.

I currently have an IC piggy myself again. The problem seems to typically affect piggies with a naturally nervous disposition in my own (and my vet's) experience. Unless you are confronted with the severe form and once you have got on top of the fully acute stage (which may take a few weeks as the glucosamine needs time to build up), it is mostly about learning what levels of glucosamine and metacam work best for your piggies on a daily management level between flares and how much to safely up the glucosamine and analgesic to get on top of a flare as soon as possible. Ideally, the flares will eventually become gradually less frequent and may go away completely, especially with the milder forms.

My Nerys (the large teddy in my avatar on the left) had sterile cystitis for 3 years but was totally free of it for another 3 years and passed away from old age at 8 years.

All the best!

PS: Sterile IC in cavies is unfortunately virtually unknown outside vet circles that see lots of piggies on a regular basis even though it has become a lot more common over the last dozen years or so due to the increasing commercial mass breeding of piggies whether for shops or by for-sale breeders.

Thank you, I think I’m on the right track now and it’s interesting to hear about the nerves side of things. Between the advice here and a very supportive vet I think we’ll get Izzy comfortable again, it’s just going to take some time and careful management.

 

[Diane H]

Just an update on Izzy: after some basic urine tests (and no stone to be seen) she was diagnosed with sterile IC. She was prescribed guineapig metacam, 500 ul twice a day at first and also a urinary support supplement that goes in with her food.We’ve now dropped the metacan to once a day but we can increase this if needed.

 

[Wiebke]

Just an update on Izzy: after some basic urine tests (and no stone to be seen) she was diagnosed with sterile IC. She was prescribed guineapig metacam, 500 ul twice a day at first and also a urinary support supplement that goes in with her food.We’ve now dropped the metacan to once a day but we can increase this if needed.

If she struggles, you'd better up the glucosamine supplement; it seems to do the trick more than the metacam.