When to say goodbye? Reoccurring health problems.

[jadielin]

Hi everyone,

I’m just wondering if anyone has been through something similar.

My girl had a bladder infection and she was in quite a bit of pain. She was on antibiotics for a week and it seemed to resolve.

After a week after finishing her meds, it came back. She was on antibiotics for another two weeks.

Since then it’s been about three weeks. She had some blood in her urine for a day but also calcium deposits in her urine. I switched her veggies to low calcium and it seemed to resolve for a week.

This morning she has started peeing blood again and crying when urinating. Her stool is also quite soft (although she ate quite a bit of tomato yesterday so this could be why).

She’s about 4 yrs and 2 months ish. I don’t think she’s very old but I guess she is considered a senior. She’s eating and drinking normal, squeaking for her veggies.

I know Guinea pigs tend to hide how sick they really are, but I just don't think she will have any quality of life if this just keeps happening to her. She hates leaving the house to go to the vet and it really stresses her out, but that seems to be all that I am doing over the past two months.

Just looking to see if someone has had any similar experience and how they handled it.

Thank you,

 

[Piggies&buns]

I’m wondering as repeated courses of antibiotics haven’t worked (and presumably issues such as sludge and bladder stones have been ruled out), whether she may in fact have sterile cystitis. This is a manageable non-bacterial infection so antibiotics might suppress but won’t cure it as there isn’t the bacteria to kill.
It’s only diagnosed through process of eliminating every other possible bladder condition but in conjunction with bloody pee and recurrent symptoms of a UTI which returns once antibiotics are stopped.

It is managed through daily painkillers and glucosamine at a maintenance dose which is then increased during a flare to bring it back under control and then back to the maintenance dose.

It is similar to a condition seen in cats. It would be something worth discussing with a knowledgeable vet because if they conclude it is IC, then it is usually manageable.

While she does need a low calcium diet, it is more changes to the diet which seem to bring about a flare.
Also note that changes to the diet take several weeks to have an effect on the calcium levels in the body; plus that most calcium comes into the diet via pellets and drinking water that through veg; plus that a diet too low in calcium is as bad as a diet too high in calcium - the balance is still wrong, it’s just wrong on the other direction.
I would not recommend you feed tomato given it is very acidic.

In the meantime, the guide below explains more

Thread 'Wiebke's Guide to Pees and Stones'

May 29, 2024

1 The Urinary Tract
2 Pees
- Water intake changes
- Pee discoloration
3 Infections
- Bacterial urine infection (UTI)
- Bacterial cystitis
- Sterile cystitis (interstitial cystitis or IC)
4 Stones, Sludge and Crystals
- Crystals, stones and sludge
- Stone and sludge removal
5 Kidneys and Bladder Cancer
-...

• Wiebke
• Replies: 3
• Forum: Wiebke's Home Care Support Guides