Urine Specific Gravity

User avatar
melcvt00

Post   » Mon Sep 29, 2003 10:04 pm


Specific Gravity (SG) is the term used to describe how concentrated urine is. Normal SG in dogs and cats is a minimum of 1.030. I believe this is the number that is used to determine how low/normal a guinea pig's SQ is.

Considering how much more fluids that a guinea pig needs to take in to maintain hydration compared to a dog or cat, in my mind, their SG should be lower.

So the big question is, what really is normal for a guinea pig?

The big favor I'm asking of everyone that takes their pig to the vet is this: ask your vet if he/she can check urine SG just to aid in the research of what really is normal. They might not charge for it because of that. Even if your pig is not sick, and you don't have a long drive to the vet, maybe even call and find out if you can have your baby's SG checked just for research purposes.

After you find out, please post age and if the pig was sick or not at the time. If the pig is receiving SQ fluids on a routine basis, that is important as well.

I'll start:

CP's SG (when I first checked it) was 1.013. I believe that was low, and that his lymphosarcoma was beginning in his kidneys.

Everyone's help will be greatly appreciated! Thanks!

User avatar
melcvt00

Post   » Mon Sep 29, 2003 10:05 pm


Oops. I forgot to add that he was ~4 at the time.

User avatar
Bonnie

Post   » Mon Sep 29, 2003 10:21 pm


Dumb question: how do we get urine to the vet to test?

User avatar
lisam

Post   » Mon Sep 29, 2003 10:22 pm


Darth Vader's was 1.014. He had a bladder stone at the time.

GP Lover
My home, ruled by pigs!

Post   » Mon Sep 29, 2003 10:24 pm


I put mine into a plastic container that is clean and with not a thing in it. They stay in there until they pee. Then I syringe it up from the container. The container is small enough that they end up peeing in a corner where it's easy to collect the urine.

User avatar
Cara

Post   » Mon Sep 29, 2003 10:49 pm


Oscar's was exactly 1.0 today at the vets, he has a bladder stone and a small amount of sludge as well.

User avatar
melcvt00

Post   » Tue Sep 30, 2003 7:48 am


1.0? Oh, wow....that's exactly the concentration of water!

kleenmama
I GAVE, dammit!

Post   » Tue Sep 30, 2003 9:41 am


Shouldn't there be 4 numbers? Ollie's was 1.004. He will be 4 next week.

User avatar
Cara

Post   » Tue Sep 30, 2003 12:16 pm


Well, when I looked over Oscar's chart when Dr. Fisher was massaging his belly it said 1.0. Apparently it was incomplete but that's what it said. I didn't ask about it b/c it it'd been a problem he'd have said something.

GP Lover
My home, ruled by pigs!

Post   » Tue Sep 30, 2003 4:20 pm


Elsie had two samples tested today.

One was 1.010
One was 1.008

My vet said this is very dilute but normal for a pig that's drinking a lot of water.

She said 1.012 - 1.018 would be more of a range for a pig in kidney failure.

1.020 would an SG for a pig that is actively concentrating urine but does not drink a lot of water.

User avatar
lisam

Post   » Tue Sep 30, 2003 4:44 pm


I'm not sure what this means--"actively concentrating urine"

GP Lover
My home, ruled by pigs!

Post   » Tue Sep 30, 2003 4:46 pm


Perhaps Mel can give us a good explanation.

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