# Bladder infection or something else?



## Pringles12 (Apr 6, 2013)

I'm at a loss here. I have no idea what to do with Mr.Pringles.  

Stats:
Mr.Pringles
Male (100%)
About 2 - 2 1/2 years old
Rescue hedgehog -- got him 1 year ago May 2012
Currently eating - Medi-cal Urinary SO - crunchy & soft 
Room Temp - 74* 
He is litter trained but I took away the litter afew months ago -- he was making a big mess with it, kicking it all over the place, getting it in his food, getting it stuck in his spines. Now, he just goes to the bathroom in one spot in his cage and I clean it out everyday. 

STORY:

I took him into the vets on April 6th for blood -- I wasn't sure where it was coming from at first because it wasn't on his body, it would just be in his cage, around poop and in one spot of the cage only. The vet did a test strip on his urine when he peed on the table (urine was brownish/reddish) and it was confirmed that he had a nasty bladder infection. The vet put him on Baytril (5mg/ml) - give 1 ml every 12 hours for 10 days. Within 24 hours, the blood in his urine was gone. His eating habits, pooping/peeing never changed, just blood in the urine. Within 72 hours of those meds ending, the blood was back -- I called the vet back ASAP!!! On the phone, the vet said that maybe it wasn't a strong enough dose and unlike a cat/dog, a hedgehog is harder to treat medically and maybe he's just not responding to the meds. I asked if maybe there was another medication we could try and he said that Baytril was the best for him. So, he ordered a 2nd round of the medication but a stronger dose. The 2nd dose was again Baytril (10mg/ml) -- give 1 ml every 12 hours for 15 days. Again, within 24 hours, the blood was gone. I also went ahead and changed his diet when he started the new round of medication. I put him on Medi-cal Urinary SO (feline) and also bought the canned soft food as well. This food is made for lower urinary tract disease/stones/crystals in the urine but it also makes him drink more water to flush out the blood/infection. I noticed that he's very quiet during the day, he doesn't come out much if at all to drink/eat during the day, so he's not flushing his bladder out. He loves the new food. I give him 1 tbsp of the soft canned stuff every night before bed and he eats it all. He also loves the crunchy food and I have noticed that he comes out during the day now to drink from his water bottle - this new food makes him thirsty. He was done the 2nd round of medication on Thursday. Now, it's Sunday (72 hours later) and the bleeding has returned again!! What is going on? 

The vet is dumbfounded, he has no idea what is up because the urine test strips are showing an infection but he's been treated twice now on Baytril. He most likely will end up having to go back to the vet again tomorrow (when they are open). I'd hate to switch between vets because he's been going to this one and being treated by this vet for the past 6 weeks, so they know his history now -- but I am open to a 2nd opinion by another vet if I can get an appointment. I've already spent over $255 and unfortunately, I can't really afford expensive tests and treatments but I will do my best to make sure he's not suffering or in pain. I'm just at a loss here. While on the meds, the blood in his urine is gone -- if it was cancer or a tumor, wouldn't the bleeding just continue, the meds wouldn't have an affect at all? What about stones, would the meds stop the bleeding then too? It's just scary to see blood in his cage when I wake up in the morning, I don't know if he's in pain or uncomfortable -- he doesn't squeal in pain and he's already a huffy hedgie (being a rescue, he wasn't handled very much for the first 1 1/2 years of his life). 

Any opinions? Suggestions? Things to ask the vet tomorrow? 

Thank you,
~ Shannon & Mr.Pringles


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## Nancy (Aug 22, 2008)

How much blood are you seeing? Is it light pink, dark pink or red? When he is bleeding, do you see the blood every time he pees? 

My first suggestion was going to be adding a urinary health food, but you are already doing that. 

Stones and crystals will encourage infection as they irritate the urinary track which makes it easier to become infected. The urinary health foods will change the ph of the urine to make it less hospitable to infection and will help with certain types of crystals but not stones. 

With an infection, often the urine will show increasing pink to red as time goes on, or the urine can be brownish which usually means old blood. My experience with stones was normal urine to full on RED with no pink leading up to the red. Also, we knew when she was passing a stone as she'd sit in the middle of her cage and huff up a storm. 

I would suggest getting a sterile urine sample and send it away for urinalysis and have a culture and sensitivity done. It will say which antibiotic to use to get rid of the infection. Although baytril is a strong broad spectrum antibiotic, it seems like its not completely getting rid of the infection. To save on money, I'd certainly give it a good try to collect the urine yourself then the only charge would be the lab fee. Get the urine sample before he goes on antibiotics again. 

They can have cranberry juice so you can try giving him some. It won't hurt.


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## Pringles12 (Apr 6, 2013)

Thank you, Nancy for your quick reply, I truly appreciate it. 

With Mr.Pringles, it's not full on red right away. This morning, it was a light pink with red streaks, though it could've just been the way the urine dried on the liner, but there was red. Are the stones noticable, would I beable to see them if he passes any? What about crystals? Are they noticable? 

The first time, it started out like that (light pink with red streaks) and I waited a day or two to see if it would go away and it didn't. He didn't even bother to go to the bathroom one night in his normal spot, he just peed all over the little blankie he had and it was alot darker of a red, that's when I called the vet and brought him in (April 6th). 

I've been changing his cage liner every night before bed because I want to beable to see the shade of pink or red the urine is in the morning (if it's there). I wish he'd drink more water during the day, so that the urine isn't sitting in his bladder all day, this new food is said to change the ph of his urine and break down any crystals or stones, so I'm hoping that's what it's doing by the red in his urine. He's been on the new food for almost 3 weeks now. 

He doesn't seem to be any more huffy than he normally is. He isn't the most affectionate, cuddly guy (always rolled tight in a ball), though he tries to open up to me. He gets a lot of attention and free roaming in the house when I am home. 

I'm going to try to get a sterile urine sample from him if he'll let me, but I'm also going to call the vet and see what my options are tomorrow morning. I don't like seeing the red and knowning he's possibly in pain and uncomfortable.


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## Nancy (Aug 22, 2008)

We found one of Kenya's stones on the paper towel in her litter box. Poor girl, it's no wonder she was in such pain. She passed numerous stones but we only found the one.

Sometimes crystals are visible. Hold the liner up to the light and move it around and see if you notice it sparkle. Dried urine can sparkle anyway, but if it's still wet and sparkles, it's probably the crystals. 

What fabric and colour of liners are you using? I've always found that white fleece can distort the colour sometimes making even normal urine look pinkish. It depends on the fleece. What I like to use is white flannel or paper towels. I have some flannel baby receiving blankets with a predominantly white background that I use specifically to tell urine colour. Pinkish urine can show darker spots or streaks. 

I'd add a bowl of water as well as the bottle just because a bowl is easier for them to drink from. 

Peeing in bed or not in the normal spot is typical with a UTI or any illness as they don't feel like getting up to potty. 

Somewhere on here is a tutorial on how to get a urine sample but I'm not finding it. Maybe someone else knows where it is.


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