UTI/cystitis

[Bay]

Hi all
My 5 year old girl guinea has a suspected UTI, the vet gave us Baytril and some pain relief/ anti inflammatory. She has had two days worth, but is still peeing blood and having some pain when peeing.
She is eating and drinking fine.

I was just wondering for experiences- how long does it take for the meds to start working and for us to see a difference?

Vet told us if after a week shes still in pain to get her back in for a urinalysis and possible xray.
I just want my girl to feel better soon

 

[Wiebke]

Hi all
My 5 year old girl guinea has a suspected UTI, the vet gave us Baytril and some pain relief/ anti inflammatory. She has had two days worth, but is still peeing blood and having some pain when peeing.
She is eating and drinking fine.

I was just wondering for experiences- how long does it take for the meds to start working and for us to see a difference?

Vet told us if after a week shes still in pain to get her back in for a urinalysis and possible xray.
I just want my girl to feel better soon

Antibiotics are not an instant fix. They take bout 5 days to build up to full efficiency and then work and then gradually fade over about 5 days after the end of the course. Once you have started a course you always need to finish it unless a vet tells you otherwise (really bad adverse reaction) in order to avoid contributing to the existing risk of growing resistancy.

Please see your vet promptly if your piggy deteriorates during the course, if there is no improvement within a week or if the symptoms come back after the end of the course. The pee colour in urinary tract infections is usually not blood (although it is often present but not in the quantities that would discolour the urine) but a natural dye called porphyrin.

There are two main different types of infection of the urinary tract, a bacterial urine infection that is caused by an overgrowth of faecal bacteria in the urinary tract (UTI) and a non-bacterial (i.e. sterile) cystitis that has become more common in recent years but that is not much known about in vet circles that do not see lots of guinea pigs. In the latter case antibiotics can in milder cases temporarily suppress symptoms but they cannot heal. If antibiotics don't work at all, then you are dealing with a stronger case of cavy sterile cystitis. Symptoms and treatment follow that of feline sterile cystitis, which may help you with a vet who is not well versed with guinea pigs. Sterile cystitis seems to mainly affect the insulating natural glucosamine coating of the urinary tract which prevents highly corrosive urine from coming into painful contact with raw tissue.

Management of sterile cystitis is with an analgesic like metacam and in milder cases oral glucosamine (which is not classed as a medication) and in stronger cases after fairly recent research into guinea pigs with cartrophen (which is classes as a prescription-only medication in the UK). One forum member's vet did push the boundary out a bit further with a combination of cartrophen and glucosamine. There is no treatment available for the extreme form at this stage, sadly. Sterile cystitis (you may find more information under its old name interstitial cystitis or IC) cannot be healed; in milder cases it will often go away eventually but you are looking more at a matter of years rather than a matter of months.

The first step is usually treating for the easiest and straight forward issue, UTI; next for any other urinary tract problems that can cause the same or very similar symptoms (stones or sludge) and generally only by default for sterile IC. This can be positively diagnosed by a urine test where signs of infection (high protein and generally the presence of some blood) are in contrast with a low bacterial count (it is rare that guinea pigs don't have any faecal bacteria at all in their urinary tract because of their scent marking) that is in any way not high enough to cause a UTI.

I hope that this helps you? You will need to be patient for a few days longer but please contact your vet next week if there is no improvement by the end of the course or very promptly if your piggy takes a sudden downturn.

 

[Bay]

That is fantastic help thank you so much. Its day 5 today of her being on the antibiotics and we have seen no improvement but also hasnt gotten any worse. Shes still eating and drinking. But is urinating what i assume is blood, in small amounts and its painful.
We dropped a urine sample at the vet early this morning and We have another vet appointment tomorrow afternoon for a follow up.
I feel so sad for my poor girl being in pain when weeing

 

[Scooter Pie]

You can suppliment with glucosamine (feline cystease capsules opened up and sprinkled on vegetables is my method) Our vets consider it a suppliment and it "can't hurt" even if it is a bacterial infection. I found out most of what I know about it by searching forum posts. I hope your piggie feels better soon. We've been through it with almost half of our girls

 

[Wiebke]

That is fantastic help thank you so much. Its day 5 today of her being on the antibiotics and we have seen no improvement but also hasnt gotten any worse. Shes still eating and drinking. But is urinating what i assume is blood, in small amounts and its painful.
We dropped a urine sample at the vet early this morning and We have another vet appointment tomorrow afternoon for a follow up.
I feel so sad for my poor girl being in pain when weeing

Red urine in urinary tract infection is usually porphyrin and not blood. It is is very disconcerting for new owners. There will be some blood in the urine but it is actually not showing.

All the best for the test.