Cystitis

Cytitis is inflammation of the urinary bladder. It is often caused by infection and is usually accompanied by frequent painful urination. The cause can be due to a bacterial infection or often caused by bladder calculi (stones).

Causes of cystitis include a poor diet and hygiene; however some individuals seem more prone than others. Ensure your guinea pig is fed a lot of hay, has a good variety of fresh food and a good quality guinea pig pellet. Most guinea pigs do not need supplements in their diet, although as Guinea Pigs cannot synthesise vitamin C it is important that fresh vegetables are given daily.

Any guinea pig can suffer from cystitis, but the condition is more common in older females, although males can also be affected. It is caused when the inner lining of the bladder becomes infected with bacteria. Sows are more prone to this condition due to their shorter urethra.

Your guinea pig may show any of, and sometimes more than one of, the following signs:

• Painful urination – they may squeak when they pass urine.
• Hematuria (blood in the urine).
• Straining to urinate.
• Abdominal discomfort.
• Weight loss.
• Anorexia.
• Lethargy.
• Being constantly wet around their back end.
• Licking around their back end more than normal.
• In boars, if a stone blocks the urethra the guinea pig is unable to urinate, which is an emergency and must be seen by a vet straight away, day or night.
• Some guinea pigs may show very subtle signs and the signs can come and go and vary in severity.

Your vet will perform a clinical examination and may request that you collect a urine sample so this can be looked at under a microscope.

X-rays are likely to be required to rule out any signs of bladder stones which may be irritating the bladder lining causing the cystitis. It may be possible to take the x-rays with the guinea pig conscious, but if they are very nervous then it is safer to sedate them for the x-rays.

If bladder stones are found then these will need to be surgically removed. Sometimes the guinea pig may pass them naturally, but this is painful and there is no guarantee that they will be passed; whilst they are still present in the bladder the cystitis will continue, causing further damage to the bladder lining.

If your guinea pig is poorly, then your vet will want to stabilise them first with fluid therapy, pain relief and syringe feeding to try and ensure the general anaesthetic and surgery is as safe as possible. The only time this may not be recommended is with male guinea pigs who have a stone blocking their urethra, making urination impossible. In these cases surgery may need to be performed as a matter of urgency.

If there are no signs of bladder stones, and a bacterial infection is the cause, then antibiotics will be required to try and cure the problem. Stress can play a factor in the recurrence of cystitis so it is important to try and keep your guinea pig as stress free as possible, in a clean environment and fed a good quality diet, high in fibre.