Hi all! my guinea pig has had bladder sludge for the last six months and recently just passed a bladder stone. I’ve tried doing everything to reduce for calcium so that the sludge stops but nothing seems to be working (bottled water; low calcium pellets; veggies - escarole, lettuce, bell pepper, cucumber; lots of timothy hay).
I recently heard about something called Methigel that is used for cats and dogs who have bladder sludge/crystals and it seems to work for them. has anyone ever heard of using this for guinea pigs? I think the point of it is to lower the pH level of the bladder.
Here are the ingredients listed in the product. I’m not sure if these are safe for guinea pigs.
Active ingredient: DL-Methionine, 480mg
Inactive ingredients: Cane Molasses, Citric Acid, Corn Syrup, Fish Oil, Gelatin By-Products, Malt Syrup, Silicon Dioxide, Sodium Propionate (a preservative), Soybean Oil, Water, Xanthan Gum
thank you!!
Methigel for guinea pigs
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bpatters
- And got the T-shirt
I wouldn't think it would help.
The manufacturer says it "helps maintain a slightly acidic urine pH to promote healthy urinary tract conditions in dogs and cats." The problem is, guinea pigs are herbivores, and as such, they have naturally basic urine. It would take an awful lot of Methigel to acidify their urine, and their bodies would be working against that the whole time.
The best thing you can do is keep the pig active. That keeps the sludge suspended in the urine and it can be easily passed. If the pig doesn't move much, the sludge concentrates in the bottom of the bladder and forms stones.
That said, there's apparently a strong genetic component to stones. Some pigs will have them no matter what they're fed. Others will never have them no matter what they're fed. Some will have stones reform within just a couple of weeks after a stone removal.
Good luck with your pig.
The manufacturer says it "helps maintain a slightly acidic urine pH to promote healthy urinary tract conditions in dogs and cats." The problem is, guinea pigs are herbivores, and as such, they have naturally basic urine. It would take an awful lot of Methigel to acidify their urine, and their bodies would be working against that the whole time.
The best thing you can do is keep the pig active. That keeps the sludge suspended in the urine and it can be easily passed. If the pig doesn't move much, the sludge concentrates in the bottom of the bladder and forms stones.
That said, there's apparently a strong genetic component to stones. Some pigs will have them no matter what they're fed. Others will never have them no matter what they're fed. Some will have stones reform within just a couple of weeks after a stone removal.
Good luck with your pig.
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Lynx
- Resist!!!
Ditto bpatters. And increase fluids.
I imagine you've read this page and other pages linked to from it?
https://www.guinealynx.info/stones.html
I imagine you've read this page and other pages linked to from it?
https://www.guinealynx.info/stones.html
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Sef
- I dissent.
What kind of lettuce are you feeding? I did notice that romaine seemed to produce chalky urine residue in the urine, and I no longer feed it (they all get green leaf instead).
You also mention bottled water. Are you using mineral water, purified, or distilled?
On the pellets, what is the amount of calcium in them? Do they contain calcium carbonate? Some of us who have had issues with sludge and stones with our guinea pigs have come to suspect a possible link between that ingredient (also sometimes listed as Limestone) and stone formation in certain pigs. But as bpatters said, genetics also seems to play a role.
I agree that Methigel is unlikely to help.
You also mention bottled water. Are you using mineral water, purified, or distilled?
On the pellets, what is the amount of calcium in them? Do they contain calcium carbonate? Some of us who have had issues with sludge and stones with our guinea pigs have come to suspect a possible link between that ingredient (also sometimes listed as Limestone) and stone formation in certain pigs. But as bpatters said, genetics also seems to play a role.
I agree that Methigel is unlikely to help.
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