Kidneys
The kidneys are multi-functional organs, they're kind of
'all singing all dancing' filters which deal with the body's
waste products and water, regulate the blood and electrolytes
and keep the acid balance correct in the body.
As I stated in the heart section, the heart and kidney functions
are so interrelated that it can sometimes be difficult to
correctly diagnose just where the problem lies.
If there is a problem with the heart and it is not pushing
the blood through the kidneys at the normal pressure this
can seriously reduce their effectiveness. On the other hand,
if there is a problem in the kidney which makes the heart
work harder to pump the blood through, this is not good news
for the heart.
The symptoms for both heart and kidney ailments can be very
similar. The one big difference is that blood in the urine
is seldom indicative of a heart problem but can often be of
one in the kidneys. The blood is more likely to come from
the bladder or the urinary tract which has become infected
by bacteria. Sometimes this is the result of the kidneys failing
to function as well as they should.
The use of diuretic drugs, particularly Frusemide, can be
as helpful to deal with kidney problems as they are with heart
problems. In many cases they only need to be used for a very
short time and can cure the problem by the effect of flushing
out the kidneys.
If it is determined that the guinea pig has a chronic problem,
it can be controlled with very low doses of Frusmide but it
is far better to find a herbal alternative which is less likely
to deplete the body's potassium. Cleavers, couch grass, dandelion
and bearberry are the most commonly used. Upping the intake
of diuretic foods such as celery and particularly parsley
is another way to deal with the problem without using conventional
drugs.
Kidney and ureteral stones are as common in guinea pigs as
they are in human beings. The prognosis for sows with this
problem is far better than it can be for boars. Blood in the
urine can also be a symptom of these.
More often than not, when a sow has this problem the stone
will travel down the urethral tube when it is very small and
be flushed out. However, it can sometimes lodge near the opening
where it will grow as more mineral crystals are flushed around
it in the urine.
If the sow is seen to strain a little more than she was wont
to do, lifting herself high on her back legs as she crouches
and sometimes squeaking in pain, when she is passing urine,
palpate just above the opening of the urethra. You can sometimes
detect a very small stone, and even see part of it, chalky
white in the opening. At this early stage, with the help of
some K.Y. jelly as a lubricant, it can be gently expressed
out.
Once these stones get to about the size of a small pea then
surgery may be required. This is a relatively easy procedure,
even if the stone has become much larger.
If upon first examination there is no stone, rub your finger
around the urethral opening to try and find out if the urine
is at all gritty. If it is then this as an early warning that
trouble could be brewing and anti lithic drugs or herbs should
be considered.
The reason stones are more of a problem for boars is because
when they are very small they do not pass down the urethra
as easily as those that form in a sow's bladder. Consequently
those that stay and grow in the bladder are much harder to
remove surgically.
Sometimes, when the penis is extruded, the whole of the shaft
is coated with what appears to be the kind of lime scale that
is found on the inside of a kettle.
There are several drugs that can be used to break these stones
down but they are not always successful. The success rate
of veterinary surgeons who specialise in small animal surgery,
in removing these stones is usually very good, but the big
problem is how to stop these stones reoccurring.
The only sure way to prevent the stones reoccurring is to
get the stone that was removed analysed to find out the main
substance it is made of. If it appears that it got there via
the diet, then a change in diet may help. However there is
a theory that the calcium oxalate ones, and these are what
most of those found in guinea pigs are formed of, could actually
be caused by a lack of calcium in the diet!. The theory goes
that calcium is needed in the filtering process of the kidneys
and if there is not enough in the diet it will come from the
bones.
What I am trying to say is that preventing reoccurrence of
stones is not an easy matter for there are so many factors
to be considered, and what will work on one animal will prove
negative on another.
All in all I prefer to stick to the herbal methods. I choose
them because most anti-lithic herbs are also diuretics and
as keeping up a good flow of urine is also helpful in dealing
with this problem which makes them a kind of double wammy!.
Hydrangea, cornsilk, gravel root and parsley piert in varying
combinations can prove effective. I do not have a set formula,
because there simply isn't one, such is the variation between
individual cases. However, the two herbs I always use in equal
amounts are cornsilk and hydrangea.
If the tinctures are used, one ml night and morning for the
first couple of weeks is the dose which can then be reduced
to a ml a day from then on.
