UTI/Urinary Tract Infection Vet wait: how long is too long?

[Cavia Appia]

Pippy has a UTI, I'm sure of it. She's been peeing and drinking TWICE the amount she did when I first got her (about a month ago--she had a URI then, which was treated with Baytril). At first, I assumed she was just getting back to feeling better after the respiratory infection cleared up--but then she started making a higher-pitched squeak with almost a shrill tone to it. I didn't notice her urinating when doing this, but she may have been straining to do so, as she'd often throw her head up in the air while doing it. I also noticed her chattering her teeth/kind of grinding them...not angry, just like she's nervous or uncomfortable.

I thought I saw blood and put her on a lighter colored fleece--didn't see more for a day. Then, over the last 2 days, I've seen a bright red spot in her urine spots. But I've heard that urine in blood wouldn't just be in a spot--that his could be her uterus?

At any rate, I've been working a lot of hours and couldn't get her to the vet over the last 2-3 days. I called and they said I have to wait until Wednesday when their exotics vet will be in. Is this too long? Will my piggy survive? How long can a pig survive with a UTI? I want to go to this vet because the other option is going to be Banfield or a non-exotics vet. Also, this vet treated her with antibiotics which we just finished 2 weeks ago. They have her records.

I'm very worried about the poor baby!

 

[Kota12]

I don't think two more days will be bad but more than that is pushing it. If Banfield is the only vet you can go to, I think they treat the sick animals that people buy from the store. I hope you find one in time! Best of luck!

 

[bpatters]

Please DON'T go to a Banfield vet. They're the worst in the country, as a group, and know nothing about guinea pigs.

You can have bright red spots in urine -- fresh tiny blood clots can cause them. But you're right, most often urine with blood in it will just be tinged pink.

Would the vet you saw before restart her antibiotics until you can get in on Wednesday? Chances are high that she's got an UTI or a stone, most likely a stone from your description. The A/B would keep any further infection from developing, but she does need to be seen very soon.

You'll have to decide here, and if she gets really bad you may have to hunt up an ER vet, but if I had a choice of waiting until Wednesday for a good vet or seeing a Banfield vet, I'd wait.

 

[Kota12]

[MENTION=13820]bpatters[/MENTION] Oh my! Really? I never knew they were the worst in the country!

 

[bpatters]

Google Banfield reviews sometime and see what you find. I'm not saying there's never a competent vet there, but boy! do they get a lot of complaints.

 

[Kota12]

Those reviews are horrible! [MENTION=23741]Cavia Appia[/MENTION] Ignore what I said about Banfield!

 

[Cavia Appia]

Guys, I'm so worried. She's obviously taken a downhill turn. By the time I got home from work today, she was huddled up in her hidey house and for the first time, she didn't run around when I came in the room. She let me pick her up and didn't run away or really fight--that's INSANELY unusual. She usually runs a marathon before I can capture her.

I noticed when I changed her fleece and towels that there's a creamy white discharge where she urinated, in addition to some of her bloody spots. It's like there's the imprint of her vulva there, like she just sat and let this come out of her and puddle around her, then left it. I don't know if it's urine or discharge, probably thick urine (it's soft and creamy on my fingers), but it's also coming out of her vaginal opening.

I hope she can recover from this. The vet visit is tomorrow at noon. No one's open now, except the emergency vet, and I don't even know if they take exotics. I guess we wait for tomorrow. I don't wanna lose her! I've only had her a month! A URI and a UTI (or something else?!) in a month! :-'( I'm devastated.

She is eating some, pooping...it seems like she's drinking less and peeing less than the 2x amount she has been this week.

 

[bpatters]

You need an ER vet. We hope they've got some exotic experience, but maybe they can call someone for a referral or for information if they don't.

 

[pinky]

Guys, I'm so worried. She's obviously taken a downhill turn. By the time I got home from work today, she was huddled up in her hidey house and for the first time, she didn't run around when I came in the room. She let me pick her up and didn't run away or really fight--that's INSANELY unusual. She usually runs a marathon before I can capture her.

I noticed when I changed her fleece and towels that there's a creamy white discharge where she urinated, in addition to some of her bloody spots. It's like there's the imprint of her vulva there, like she just sat and let this come out of her and puddle around her, then left it. I don't know if it's urine or discharge, probably thick urine (it's soft and creamy on my fingers), but it's also coming out of her vaginal opening.

I hope she can recover from this. The vet visit is tomorrow at noon. No one's open now, except the emergency vet, and I don't even know if they take exotics. I guess we wait for tomorrow. I don't wanna lose her! I've only had her a month! A URI and a UTI (or something else?!) in a month! :-'( I'm devastated.

She is eating some, pooping...it seems like she's drinking less and peeing less than the 2x amount she has been this week.

She might have stones and not just a UTI and it sounds like she's in a lot of pain. Can you call the vet and ask it they can refer you to an exotic vet that will get her in sooner? She needs to be on an antibiotic and pain meds while they figure out what's going on.

 

[Cavia Appia]

She got into the vet today and definitely has blood in her urine. They put her on Baytril again, this time for 3 weeks, and the Benebac again. Also, she's on Metacam anti-inflammatory/pain medicine. The vet said we may need to treat her with antibiotics one week out of every month to keep her healthy.

I couldn't afford the radiographs (x-rays) and I told the vet that, even if I could afford those, I couldn't really afford the surgery even if it is stones. I told her I was more than willing to medicate for infection and pain for as long as my pig can have a good quality of life. The vet said that was reasonable, since even if she performed surgery, chances are that the stones would recur and that you have to look at the quality of life of constant surgery.

She thinks the pig will get better and that Lemon Pipsqueak and I will share a long and happy life together, though. She said it's good that her bowel isn't blocked and she's urinating and defecating and eating/drinking. I'm going to start her on human Vitamin C drops, too. The vet also recommended feeding consistent amount of vegetables daily to try to keep the calcium and oxalate levels low, and she approved of the low-calcium, low-oxalate veggie choices I've been feeding.

We go back to re-check for blood in her urine in 3 weeks, after the antibiotics are finished.

The vet visit was $158 and the re-check will be around $63-$70. I make just above minimum wage, so please don't tell me I'm being inhumane. I'm doing the best job I can.

 

[Zuidy]

She got into the vet today and definitely has blood in her urine. They put her on Baytril again, this time for 3 weeks, and the Benebac again. Also, she's on Metacam anti-inflammatory/pain medicine. The vet said we may need to treat her with antibiotics one week out of every month to keep her healthy.

I couldn't afford the radiographs (x-rays) and I told the vet that, even if I could afford those, I couldn't really afford the surgery even if it is stones. I told her I was more than willing to medicate for infection and pain for as long as my pig can have a good quality of life. The vet said that was reasonable, since even if she performed surgery, chances are that the stones would recur and that you have to look at the quality of life of constant surgery.

She thinks the pig will get better and that Lemon Pipsqueak and I will share a long and happy life together, though. She said it's good that her bowel isn't blocked and she's urinating and defecating and eating/drinking. I'm going to start her on human Vitamin C drops, too. The vet also recommended feeding consistent amount of vegetables daily to try to keep the calcium and oxalate levels low, and she approved of the low-calcium, low-oxalate veggie choices I've been feeding.

We go back to re-check for blood in her urine in 3 weeks, after the antibiotics are finished.

The vet visit was $158 and the re-check will be around $63-$70. I make just above minimum wage, so please don't tell me I'm being inhumane. I'm doing the best job I can.

I don't see you being inhumane at all. Many people wouldn't even notice if their pig was sick, and if they did, wouldn't take the time to research what could be wrong and get them into a vet.

I can't think of anything else you could do right now. An X-Ray would be just about the only other thing to confirm if she has stones, I believe.

Also, don't give her drops. They dilute in water and often aren't as potent to start with on the shelves of a store. And they might make her water taste funny. Half of an adult Vitamin C tablet crushed over her pellets would work better (please correct me if I am wrong on the tablet size)

But firstly, fresh Veggies with high Vitamin C content would be best-- Things like Yellow or Green Bell Peppers daily, and maybe an Orange slice 2 times a week-- because they are fresh Veggies that are part of a Pig's natural diet rather than a pill.

Good luck!

 

[PiBee]

You're so sweet for doing all you can for this pig. My personal opinion would be that it would be easier and safer to medicate her for however long she may need it. Surgery can be dangerous and expensive (at least medication is drawn out over a long period of time) and if this is likely to be a recurrent problem, it seems you are making the best decision

 

[Cavia Appia]

Thank you, [MENTION=20670]Zuidy[/MENTION] and [MENTION=24269]PiBee[/MENTION]. I so wish I did have the money for the x-rays right now. I keep thinking about it, wondering if she's got stones forming and how much longer I'll have with her. It's my sincerest hope that it will be years and years. If she can just hang in there (she's only about 3-4 months old), my hope is that, with careful attention to her diet, this will pass as only an infection and then hopefully in the next year or so, I'll be able to find a job in my field (biology) that will pay enough to afford a full set of x-rays and surgical care, if needed.

I'm having to keep the vet visit a secret from my father. When she was on Baytril the last time, he found it in the fridge and shouted at me for "spending money on that rodent!" and being "very, very foolish!". So he can never know that she went in to the vet again. My mother sent me an email to ask about the pig today, though--she was concerned for her, too. She noticed last night that I was depressed over it.

I bought some organic cranberry juice that I'm going to dilute 50/50 with water and give about half a milliliter twice a day. Hopefully, that'll help prevent any future infections. I've read reports that cranberry juice makes bladder cells "slippery" so that bacteria can't take hold so easily and spread the infection from the urethra to the bladder. Let's hope it works!

Pippy's already acting more like herself--she was bounding around the cage when I walked in tonight, and she's now chowing down on some pellets and drinking some water. She's been wheeking up a storm, too. Back to her old self, thanks to some painkillers. Now, if those antibiotics will do their job, I think she'll be sitting pretty. She hasn't made those painful squeaks again--I have to wonder if she maybe passed a small stone.

Thanks for all the support, everyone. I consider you all my piggy-people family.