Recurring UTI's

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winniepig

Post   » Fri Jul 19, 2019 8:05 pm


My oldest piggy Winnie has gotten 5 UTI's in the past 8 months.
We have seen several different vets, she has done many rounds of antibiotics, and she has been fed probiotics (her son's mushed up poo mixed with Critical Care - yum!) The vets are telling me that it is nothing I am doing wrong, she is just prone to UTI's. Any advice on prevention??

Winnie is a pet store pig who I brought home 2 years ago yesterday, so I don't know how old she is but I estimate 3 or 4. We had no problems with UTI's for the first year and a half, but since December she has been getting them pretty often. She lives with her nearly 2 year old daughter and her two sons are next door. They eat a diet of LOTS of timothy hay, Kaytee pellets, and dandelion greens. I know dandelion greens can cause red urine, but the vet did a urinalysis and does not believe that to be the case.

PLEASE let me know if you have any thoughts or suggestions!!

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Sef
I dissent.

Post   » Fri Jul 19, 2019 8:35 pm


In the urinalysis, was bacteria present? Any blood? What antibiotic was used? Have bladder stones been ruled out via x-ray? What size cage does she live in with the other pig, and what kind of bedding do you use? Is she generally active or does she lay around quite a bit in the same place?

I have not heard of dandelion greens causing red urine.

winniepig

Post   » Fri Jul 19, 2019 8:48 pm


yes bacteria and blood were present in the last urinalysis, we used Baytril and the probiotic mixture every time and it seems to work successfully for a few months. The cages are each something like 2.5'x3' with fleece/towels for bedding. She's generally pretty active, though it has been hot so she mostly lays on her frozen water bottles lately as do the others. Stones were ruled out via 3 separate x-rays and an ultrasound.

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Lynx
Celebrate!!!

Post   » Fri Jul 19, 2019 11:27 pm


It may be the Baytril is not completely knocking out the UTI. Have you tried Bactrim?
www.guinealynx.info/uti.html

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Sef
I dissent.

Post   » Sat Jul 20, 2019 10:07 am


Bactrim would likely more effective at knocking it out. I'd ask to switch.

Svh

Post   » Sat Jul 20, 2019 11:00 am


I would definitely try a different antibiotic and potentially a longer course of them.

I had a female many years ago who was also prone to UTI's, stones and sludge. Our theory was she would frequently get UTI's because she would often excrete a lot of gritty sludge which would irritate her urinary tract and open it up to infection.

She was always put on bactrim (can also be called sulfatrim, TMS, ect.) and usually for at least 3 weeks. There was one time she had to be on it for 8 weeks before my vet and I were confident it was gone.

winniepig

Post   » Sat Jul 20, 2019 11:15 am


Svh wrote: Sat Jul 20, 2019 11:00 am I would definitely try a different antibiotic and potentially a longer course of them.

I had a female many years ago who was also prone to UTI's, stones and sludge. Our theory was she would frequently get UTI's because she would often excrete a lot of gritty sludge which would irritate her urinary tract and open it up to infection.

She was always put on bactrim (can also be called sulfatrim, TMS, ect.) and usually for at least 3 weeks. There was one time she had to be on it for 8 weeks before my vet and I were confident it was gone.
This sounds like exactly what is happening. They keep telling me she has a small amount of sludge, but that it is nothing to worry about. But if it is always gritty and sludgy, maybe that's why she keeps getting the infections. I will definitely bring that up. Thanks so much everyone for your help. Looking into different flooring as well.

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Sef
I dissent.

Post   » Sun Jul 21, 2019 8:56 am


Inactivity can cause sludge in the bladder, which in turn can form crystals that can irritate the bladder lining and promote an environment for inflammation and infection. Your cage size is a little small for two adult pigs; do you have any way to expand it? As an alternative, can you offer floor time to increase exercise? You mentioned that it has been warm lately...guinea pigs don't tolerate heat very well. Would there be a way to cool the room so that Winnie spends less time lying on a water bottle (where she likely pees more in one spot) and more time moving around and exploring? Increased activity could also help promote increased water intake, which would help flush the bladder. Just a thought.

winniepig

Post   » Sun Oct 27, 2019 12:13 pm


Can someone please explain to me the difference between good and bad gut noises? Winnie often sounds a bit gassy. I know that loud stomach growling is bad, but what about bubbly, digestive noises?

When I search online I see that absence of digestive noises is a sign of bloat... so I'm just trying to figure out the difference between good and bad tummy noises.

I also do not really know how to tell if her gut is "distended". When I tap on her belly from the bottom it does not sound hollow. When I tap from the top it sort of does? She is pooping, eating, drinking, and behaving normally. I lost a piggy to bloat (I think), and I do not want to miss any signs in others. I'm just having trouble understanding.

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Lynx
Celebrate!!!

Post   » Sun Oct 27, 2019 12:28 pm


Personally, I would review diet. Diarrhea can cause issues with the gut. If you are not seeing a distended abdomen, it is likely she is not bloated. If you lost one to bloat, perhaps you know what to look for.

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Sef
I dissent.

Post   » Sun Oct 27, 2019 12:41 pm


"Bloat" in the strictest sense of the word is a condition marked by stasis or lack of gut motility. It is an emergency when a guinea pig is gassy/distended and also stops producing poops. This can be caused by a variety of things including an intestinal blockage.

Some foods can make a guinea pig gassy and cause increased stomach gurgling. Fruits, gassy veggies such as broccoli, etc. are notorious for producing gas or causing stomach upset. As Lynx suggested, I would review diet. What foods do you regularly feed and in what quantity?

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