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UTI/Urinary Tract Infection UTI test strips

guineapiggiepie

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Will the outcome of the strips be the same outcome as if a human urinated? Do I need a special pH to follow?
 

bpatters

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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?
 

guineapiggiepie

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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'm trying to deduce which one of my guinea pigs out of the four has a bladder infection...or even IF they're having one. They ate red and orange peppers last week and it freaked me out since I'm using white CareFresh at the moment. The one I suspected of a UTI doesn't. Her collected sample looked good and the strip came up normal. Today I found a calcium spot on their fleece. :(
 

bpatters

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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.
 

guineapiggiepie

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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.


The spot I found dried like paste. :\ Their diet is already low calcium. I don't know what could be causing sludge. Should I get them started on Oxbow Urinary Health?
 

bpatters

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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.
 

guineapiggiepie

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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.

well shit... all four of mine are related.
 

bpatters

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That doesn't necessarily mean anything. I had two sows that were litter mates. One had stones, and eventually died of complications of them. The other never had a problem.
 
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