Skinny Pig with Broken Leg - Convenia??

chukshewchuk · Post » Sat Apr 15, 2017 2:37 pm

My poor little piggy. She's lost her appetite again. I noticed earlier that her pee was kind of pinkish but she was on a pink fabric, so I put her on some white fabric to monitor it better and while it's not pink on that, it's a lot darker than usual and it's got an orange tint to it. My initial reaction was thinking that, with all the vitamins and things in the CC she's been having, that could be the cause of it, since when humans take extra vitamins it can result in darker urine, but I'm not positive this is the case. Going to phone the vet and see if they think it's cause for concern but, I'd like to hear your folks' take on it as well. She doesn't seem to be straining to go or anything but she's very lethargic again all of a sudden and I'm pretty worried.

Post » Sat Apr 15, 2017 8:21 pm

It might also be porphyrins. You would be worried about clear signs of blood (it can be red or pink and dries brown).
normal.html#urine

bpatters · Post » Sat Apr 15, 2017 8:31 pm

I'm not sure the pedialyte needs to be increased. If the poop is soft enough to stick together, the pig is pretty well hydrated.

chukshewchuk · Post » Sat Apr 15, 2017 8:48 pm

Both good points. Thank you. Her urine is magically back to normal again.

chukshewchuk · Post » Mon Apr 17, 2017 9:55 am

Update:
Her weight has been floating between 500g and 520g for the last couple days. Obviously this is way too skinny so I got her some alfalfa hay to bulk her up a bit, and I've been continuing giving ~30mL of CC to her daily, but she's just not keeping the weight on. Any suggestions for what I can do to get her weight up?
It's also really worrying me that there's an incredibly strong coppery smell coming from her cage, we think it's from her urine. Could that be from the alfalfa? Or the critical care? Or is there something else going on?
Thank you...

bpatters · Post » Mon Apr 17, 2017 10:53 am

I'd think it's more likely a urinary infection. Neither alfalfa nor CC should cause the urine to have an odor.

An infection could also be why she's not gaining weight. I didn't read back to see how old she is, but it's incredibly hard to get an adult guinea pig to gain weight. If she can just maintain her weight until she's back on her feet, I'd consider that a win. Then you can slowly try to get her to regain some, but high-calcium foods like alfalfa and CC aren't necessarily the way to go about. Some people have had good results with a few dried oats sprinkled over the veggies.

chukshewchuk · Post » Mon Apr 17, 2017 11:14 am

That's what I was afraid of, but it doesn't really make sense for her to get a UTI while she's on antibiotics, does it? The Convenia shot lasts up to 2 weeks and it's only been like 5 days. Should I call my vet again? She's eating hay and drinking on her own but still isn't touching her pellets.

bpatters · Post » Mon Apr 17, 2017 12:07 pm

Totally depends on whether the organism is sensitive to the antibiotic. If it's not, the antibiotic is useless against it.

chukshewchuk · Post » Mon Apr 17, 2017 12:31 pm

That makes sense. Convenia is broad spectrum but it's possible it doesn't cover everything. Thank you. I'll get in contact with my vet and see what they think we should do moving forward.

Post » Mon Apr 17, 2017 2:50 pm

Read over uti.html

I strongly recommend Bactrim. I am guessing it could be given concurrently. I doubt a "one shot" thing would treat a UTI anyway.

PinkRufus · Post » Mon Apr 17, 2017 3:38 pm

Our cat was treated for a UTI with Convenia. It took a while to work, but it did work. Since Convenia stays in the system for at least two weeks and continues to work that long, I would be extra cautious about adding another antibiotic yet. Of course, ask your vet about this. You may want to have a urine culture and sensitivity test done, before taking any action. And possibly an x-ray to screen for stones.

chukshewchuk · Post » Mon Apr 17, 2017 4:29 pm

Yeah, I've read that Convenia can be and is used for UTIs so that's why I was confused. I stopped the alfalfa and haven't noticed the smell since so idk. Definitely going to keep an eye on it.
I'm hesitant to put her on another antibiotic mostly because her tummy is just finally starting to get back to normal since her Convenia shot.
Of course if I notice any other symptoms or find the smell is back I'll consult my vet.