guineapiggiepie
Well-known Member
Cavy Slave
- Joined
- Feb 8, 2018
- Posts
- 51
- Joined
- Feb 8, 2018
- Messages
- 51
Will the outcome of the strips be the same outcome as if a human urinated? Do I need a special pH to follow?
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There are differing opinions about that. While the strips will probably read accurately, the normal values will be different for humans and guinea pigs. Guinea pigs are herbivores, and as such, their urine is basic while human urine is acidic. This may throw the other values off as well.
What are you trying to measure?
I don't think you can identify a UTI in a guinea pig with a test strip unless there's frank blood in the urine and the strip tests for that. And seeing colored urine after eating colored foods is totally normal.
Calcium spots are a fact of life with guinea pigs. They excrete excess calcium in their urine. What you have to watch for are the size and frequency of the spots and whether they're powdery or gritty. Larger gritty spots can indicate a problem with sludge, and possible stone formation.
No, the urinary health tablets are useless as far as I'm concerned, having had a pig develop two stones in spite of being on them.
Guinea pigs will excrete excess calcium no matter what you do or what their diet is. Just keep the calcium down, but don't cut it completely out of the diet.
Sludge/stones have a LOT to do with the genetics of the pig, and the mechanism isn't well understood.