[Gpdd] MISC Caroles's piggy with wet bottom.

[Penny Charlesworth]

Carole,

If one of my sows had a wet bottom and was crying when she peed, I would suspect that she had cystitis (UTI), which is not uncommon in sows. My Gingerbread sometimes has this condition, which is readily cured with a course of antibiotics.

The urine can scald the skin and make it very sore, so bathe Ginger2 carefully and dry her gently on a soft towel every day until the condition has cleared up.

Unless your piggy has had an Xray to confirm the presence of a stone, try the antibiotics first. I use Septrin ( oral antibiotic) for my piggies but your vet may prescribe something different. Complete the course and follow it up with a probiotic, to put the good bugs back into her system. If, as I suspect, you are in England, your vet should have Septrin, the dosage of which is 1ml. twice daily. Piggies enjoy the flavour so it is not hard to administer with a little syringe

If she does, indeed prove to have a stone, your vet should be able to "milk" it out without the need for surgery. I have seen my rodentologist perform this removal on several piggies ( not mine ) without undue stress to the piggy and no anaesthetic and, therefore, no huge bill afterwards. It is usually boars who need surgery for a stone as their urethra is narrow and the stone will not pass through it.

I'm so sorry that your piggy, Shadow, didn't make it. I have always had lots of piggies and some years are very hard when a group reach old age together but I always remember all the fun that I have had with them and hope that I gave them a better home than they would otherwise have had. There are always more piggies needing a home.

Without casting aspersions on your vet, not all vets know much about guinea pigs and it might be worth your while asking around to see if there is a vet in your area with more piggy expertise.

I hope that Shadow's mum is not grieving for her lost daughter.

With our condolences,

Penny and the Piggyfriends.