Protozoa in Bladder/Urine and Metronidazole

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Lynx
Celebrate!!!

Post   » Mon May 16, 2022 10:36 pm


Sounds like pine bedding really worked for you, Catie Cavy. Certainly worth a try.

DevoutHaruhiist
Supporter in '22

Post   » Wed May 18, 2022 10:19 am


I will have to look into that. I am hopeful maybe her poops are starting to get back in balance-- I saw a few more normal oval ones today (though a bit small). Will have to keep monitoring it. Also her tooth seemed to break off without incident so will be watching how that grows back. A bit concerned she may be starting to lose some weight again but it's very slight at this point so it's more "wait and see."

DevoutHaruhiist
Supporter in '22

Post   » Wed May 18, 2022 7:19 pm


Margaret giving me some scares today. In the last 1-2 hours I heard her squeaking in pain more intensely and more often than before. Even in her cage which I rarely heard. I took her out for some syringe feeding and she peed a few times within like 30-40 minutes each with pain/straining, getting up on her haunches, and then after peeing trying to reach down with her mouth to her private parts (with varying levels of success). I gave her a little extra metacam. She is still eating and everything but is having these more frequent bouts of pain.

I am hoping maybe it's just she is trying to pass another one of those weird mucus things (see earlier in the thread) that she passed when she beat the infection the first time. Last time I didn't remember this much pain but since she doesn't have a stone I am not sure what else it could be. I will say the pee has little to no blood visible in it.

DevoutHaruhiist
Supporter in '22

Post   » Wed May 18, 2022 7:35 pm


I shared two videos of what is happening on my Google drive here. She is also rubbing her parts on the ground more.

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1vauQq6 ... 60NwE/view



https://drive.google.com/file/d/1vcL7Cb ... b8bIL/view

User avatar
Lynx
Celebrate!!!

Post   » Wed May 18, 2022 10:42 pm


(sorry I can't see the videos)

I imagine you are continuing to give her pain medication? Let us know if she passes something. I'm sorry she is in such discomfort.

User avatar
Sef
I dissent.

Post   » Thu May 19, 2022 6:41 am


In that second video, she is lifting her butt when she defecates, and it looks like what's she's doing is reaching down to retrieve a cecal pellet (they eat this type of poop; I imagine you know this, but just in case). I can't hear her vocalize; is it very loud? Does she cry while peeing or while lifting her bottom and reaching her head down?

This could be a long shot, but I wonder if she could have arthritis in her back or neck that is making it very uncomfortable for her to reach those cecals. I do notice that she seems to have a hard time with that. It's just a thought.

DevoutHaruhiist
Supporter in '22

Post   » Thu May 19, 2022 10:28 pm


It seems to have passed after she passed another one of those grit crystals (similar to earlier in the thread). Now she is back to just lesser pain when peeing. The squeaking was definitely during the peeing rather than the attempted bending, though I agree she was having trouble reaching that area.

Later yesterday night she was acting much more normally (for her current normal anyway) and even her poops stopped being so soft (instead were back to slightly small ovals), but before I took her out for her first feeding I found a large clump of poo (kind of half soft, half not, but in one huge clump) and while she was out and soon after I did not find any poops for awhile. She also dropped another ~20g of weight on average to the 790s (was previously holding around 810s), but not really for lack of eating. Definitely concerning. I also notice her passing a decent amount of gas and just generally having kind of a noisy stomach if I am really listening for it. Been doing some massages just in case -- sometimes that distended bulge she has can feel quite firm, other times not. Mostly concerned about the continued weight loss though at this stage.

EDIT: Also found another such clumpy poo around the same time this evening. Also has a slightly stronger smell. I guess it's better than outright soft poo? Not sure. Not sure if it's a case of too much or too little probiotic either, or something else entirely.

DevoutHaruhiist
Supporter in '22

Post   » Fri May 20, 2022 7:35 pm


And... on top of all that I noticed on one of her hands the start of some pododermatitis. Will have to figure out how to treat/forestall this before it gets any worse. I have already been soaking her in water every other day or so due to the poop issues. Likely it's on this side due to her weight imbalance potentially.

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1w7RxSf ... gpgdZ/view

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Lynx
Celebrate!!!

Post   » Fri May 20, 2022 11:23 pm


That looks painful! I think you are right that the poops have something to do with this. I have directions for how to wrap a foot to protect it (you have to air it for a while - skin should not be kept moist).
https://www.guinealynx.info/bandaging.html

I did this for my guinea pig, Nina, some years back.

You may be able to apply a protectant (there is even something called "liquid bandage") to prevent deterioration after it has healed.

DevoutHaruhiist
Supporter in '22

Post   » Mon May 23, 2022 7:27 pm


Thanks! I haven't wrapped it yet but did start with some antiseptic soaks that I think are helping stabilize it. I sent some pictures to my vet and have a follow up next week for all of her things, this included. Luckily her poops are also back to normal now so she is less messy on her hands now.

Unfortunately I noticed yet another strange thing last night into today. I thought I was imagining it at first but now I know for sure after some tests. She seems like she "lost her voice." When I was rattling some veggie bags this evening she got excited like normal, ran around, climbed her cage bars, etc. but when I saw her try to wheek it seemed like just a kind of exhale sound. And even when I was probing/cleaning under her belly she would normally squeak some complaints but nothing came out.

Her weight and appetite are still the same as they have been. I was thinking this was some kind of URI thing but she shows no other symptoms that I can pinpoint: no (further) weight loss, no discharge, no sneezing/coughing, and even her coat looks decent. And honestly if it was a URI she is already on 2 antibiotics which I hope would forestall it (Bactrim and Orbax). Unsure what else this could be and open to any thoughts.

Thanks to everyone as always.

User avatar
Lynx
Celebrate!!!

Post   » Mon May 23, 2022 10:22 pm


Glad to hear her poops are better. I hope her foot heals well.

DevoutHaruhiist
Supporter in '22

Post   » Sat Jun 04, 2022 10:37 pm


Thought I would give another update on Margaret since it has been a little while.

She went to the vet for another check-in last Tuesday. The vet did an ultrasound and it seems like her bladder is clearing up nicely again from her infection. We did decide to continue her on the antibiotics for longer since last time as soon as she came off them the infection reappeared. Jury is still out on her tooth. Seems to be growing back ok but hard to tell at the moment since it's fairly short. Her foot pad seemed to mostly heal and at this stage it is just about keeping it clean. While at the vet, aside from her low weight, everything else seemed ok (heart, lungs, poops, etc.). The soft poop bouts she was having seemed to pass and we are back to mostly solid small to medium poops. Still grit in the pee but I have not noticed pain any more.

That said her weight has still been an issue. Previously when I posted she had dropped from being in the 810s on average to the 790s. Since then the new average has been around 775 for the last week or so. That said it was originally down in the 760s and then bounced back the low 780s the last few days so I was hopeful. Appetite remains decent enough and she is still getting 3-4 syringe feedings a day with critical care. I have noticed she is a little less interested in the Critical Care recently. Whereas before she would take the whole 8-10 mL serving without really any coaxing, now she will take about half and then need a little coaxing. That said I guess if her weight is not dropping she is getting "enough."

She is still very lopsided at times. Still a mystery here for both the vet and me. She seems to be able to walk fine but when she does settle she always favors the distended side and can really flop onto it, kind of folding that leg inward to do so. Not sure what is going on there. That said she does seem to be in ok spirits. Excited for veggies, stands up on her cage bars, etc.

Biggest concern, which just popped up literally in the last hour or two, is I thought I noticed some crackling breathing. I am not 100% sure yet since I haven't taken her out (she was eating and I did not want to interrupt her) but it sounds different from the stomach/gassy noises I have heard from her the past few months. I am not sure if this could be caused by something temporary or if it's a definite sign of URI which I am dreading. I have not really seen other symptoms yet (like coughing/sneezing, discharge, etc.). I also cannot talk to the vet or see him again until Monday because everything is closed Sunday here. And furthermore, not sure what the vet might do given she is already on 2 antibiotics (Bactrim and Orbax) for her UTI.

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