Stones Old Guinea pig with multiple problems, advice please

[NeverWinter]

Hi everyone, I joined this website which I often come to for advice just to post this about one of my guinea pigs, so hope I'm doing this right!

I currently need some advice on one of my three guinea pigs, Cherry. Cherry is going to be 7 on august the 10th and is doing very well in herself but has her fair share of problems that I feel are just getting worse and I don't know what to do with them.

Her first problem that she's had for over a year now is..Bumblefoot. I've tried aboustely everything on the internet, what my vet has said and nothing does it. However this isn't really causing her much distress at all, only one foot is bad with slight swolleness and a small scab, and none of her feet hurt or effect her walking. I put a bandage with manuka honey on every morning and night, if I don't do this the foot gets worse.

However this isn't my main problem, a couple of months ago I found blood in her urine. Took her to the vets straight away and she had two very small bladder stones. I was prescirbed baytril 2.5% (I think) and was to give her this daily. For around a month there was no blood but in the last few days the blood has come back and around once a day she is peeing a very dark bloody urine. However the rest of the urine she does is normal, she also shows no pain what so ever when weeing the blood or normal urine. My vets also won't operate on her because of her age..She is still on baytril but at the moment it dosen't seem to be doing anything.

So really could I have some advice please on what to do to make her life better? I just want her to be as comfortable as possiable though she seems completely normal. Also it would be just amazing if anyone could offer a cure for her bumblefoot or maybe some home remedies to help keep stones away.

Thanks if you read this long post!

 

[PigPandemonium]

About the bumble foot, what kind of bedding is she one, and how often do you change it?

 

[NeverWinter]

She's on soft absorbent fleece and newspaper for their toilet and eating area. The newspaper is changed twice a day or more often if it needs it, and the fleece is changed and washed around every 5 days.

 

[PigPandemonium]

Newspaper isn't too good, try bedding, or just more fleece in those parts. Also I don't know what you mean by absorbent fleece, but fleece shouldn't absorb liquids, it should wick them away to an absorbent layer of towels of U-Haul pads underneath, so that their paws stay dry.

 

[NeverWinter]

Alright, I'll try your suggestion, thanks!
Ah sorry when I said absorbent I was referring to the U-haul pads underneath their fleece.

 

[bpatters]

Ditto the advice to take her off newspaper. I'd put her completely on fleece, and keep it very clean.

Here's the Guinea Lynx link on bumblefoot: https://www.guinealynx.info/pododermatitis.html. Several posters there have had good luck soaking with Epsom Salts, but you have to be very vigilant to keep the pig from getting it in her eyes.

If you and your vet think she is too old for surgery, and you want to try another remedy, several people have tried shilintong. The GL link is www.guinealynx.info/stones.html.

 

[NeverWinter]

Okay, I'll be changing that right away!

Ah, yes that is the only method that I haven't tried with after reading about what would happen if it got in her eyes. Though she is a very well behaved guinea pig, I shall see about trying that method out.

Also will definitely try and do that Shilintong method, thanks!

 

[bpatters]

@NeverWinter, I just remembered that there's a GL poster who has had very good luck with giving his problem pig barley water for urinary issues. Here's the link: https://www.guinealynx.info/forums/viewtopic.php?t=62698.

 

[NeverWinter]

Thanks bpatters!
Just reading over the link now.

 

[pinky]

Just like humans, as guinea pigs age, their skin gets thinner and more sensitive. My senior guinea pig had some issues with her feet, too. She lived on fleece and I kept the cage very clean. What helped was soaking her feet in warm water with a small amount of Chlorhexidine to turn the water a light blue in color. I'd use a low lipped dish and soak one foot at a time and feed her veggies while she soaked. I rub in some silver sulfadiazine and it kept her feet looking pretty good. Try and make sure she doesn't sleep in a pile of droppings because that will make it worse.

 

[BunanaBuns]

I would also get her some pain med from the vet. A maintanance dose, since this is recurring. She probably does have some discomfort from both.

 

[NeverWinter]

Okay, all their cage is now in fleece and getting some bedding tomorrow for the theit toilet area!
That sounds like a good idea to do, thanks Pinky!
And will also ask vet about pain meds.