[GPDD] Health: bladder stones

[Renee Roszkowski]

Hello Erica and Mocha,
	I'm so glad to hear that you are so concerned for the well-being
of your pet. Guinea pigs have a usual lifespan of 5-7 years. That's
pretty long for a smaller animal. Guinea pigs are more prone to bladder
stones. There are a few other factors that are involved though. The
first one is genetics. Some guinea pig individuals are more prone to
bladder stones than others simply because it may run in their breeding
(family). Diet also plays an important role in bladder stones. If the
piggie is over 6 months old they should have a pellet that is timothy
hay based, rather than alfalfa based. You can find this in the
ingredients list. They should also have free access (have all the time)
to timothy or another grass hay, rather than alfalfa. The reason for
this is because alfalfa has much more calcium in it than timothy and
other grass hays. This extra calcium can contribute to the formation of
bladder stones. Also, piggies should have about a cup of dark green
leafy vegetables a day. This is to make sure that they get enough
vitamin c. They can't produce vitamin c on their own (we humans can't
either). They depend on getting it from their diet. Some good vegetables
are parsley, romaine lettuce (cut off the mostly white part), and
certain other vegetables. Piggies can have some fruit as well, but try
to keep that to a minimum. Mine love bananas. If you are able to follow
a diet like this, your piggies should remain healthy and shouldn't need
extra supplementation. One note, try not to add supplements to their
water. They are generally ineffective because chlorine in the water
causes them to deteriorate, piggies may not drink enough of it, and they
may cause the water to taste bad and the piggies won't drink at all,
which is a very bad thing. Unfortunately, there is only so much we can
do to keep our pets healthy. We can do the best we can. Things to watch
for would be an increase in drinking water, squeaking or straining while
trying to pee, and blood in the urine. If you see these types of
symptoms, you should take your piggie to a knowledgeable vet that has
experience treating piggies right away. Guinea pigs have antibiotic
sensitivities and other issues that require special consideration when
being treated by a veterinarian. I hope this helps give you an idea of
how to help prevent bladder stones in your piggie. There is no magical
formula. Sometimes, even when you follow the best diet, piggies get
bladder stones. We can only try. Good luck!!

Renee, Mary and Molly, Patches, Kate and Dora, Flash