Sprouts Cure-all

[3piggles]

I was reading some articles by guinea pig owners about using sprouts(broccoli, pea, bean, etc.) to cure Urinary Tract Infections (UTIs). I have never heard of this, but not being one to ignore the power of foods in maintaining good health, I'm not totally dismissing the value of sprouts.

One owner said his sow kept getting UTIs until he fed her sprouts, and she stopped getting them. That's a greatly reduced version, but that's the point.

Another owner said her sows got chronic UTIs, and once she started feeding them bean sprouts, they didn't get another one.

I'm interested because first, I've had sows with chronic UTIs, and the vet told me the bedding must be dirty. Since I had them on hospital bedding, meaning white, washed in bleach, and changed several times a day, I knew that wasn't right.

I've also found a bit of a connection between sows with UTIs later being found to have cists. None of the people commenting about using sprouts for UTIs said anything about cists developing. I don't know if the cists didn't develop, or if the owner didn't connect the cists with the chronic UTIs.

Have any of you heard anything about sprouts as a cure for UTI's? I've posted about it on Facebook, for my piggy parent friends to respond. I'm curious.

Also, looking for a serving size for sprouts for piggies, it was hard to figure out what made a good serving size. The people who commented on the sprout UTI cure didn't say how much they fed their pigs.

For now, we're going to eat the broccoli and pea sprouts we bought yesterday, and I'll try small amounts for the girls, just because being concentrated foods, I think a little may go a long way. I'm not trying any cures, just seeing if sprouts are anything the girls might like. Broccoli sprouts are the perfect size for one-sprout-per-piggy treats once in a while

[bazookagoof]

This is certainly news to me. I suppose I would see if the sources are credible, but there doesn't seem to be any harm in trying it out anyway. 

[misspiggy01]

That’s really interesting! I can’t help with whether it’s true or not sorry! But let’s hope it’s true! 😂

[3piggles]

Over the years I've heard about a lot of folk remedies(only because they're not vet prescribed), and some of them seem to work.

Barley water seems to help with stones, or with passing small stones. I tried it on my pigs, as it doesn't do them any harm, and it seemed to help. Plus they liked it.

Shi Lin Tong Pian has a proven track record at breaking up stones. Three friends have tried it. If anything, getting the right dose would be the most important.

Cranberry seems to help with UTIs. I used to give one pig just a bit of unsweetened cranberry juice, and it seemed to help with her UTIs.

Someone said water with baking soda in it helps prevent UTIs. Again, dosing would be a major issue. Sort of like getting the right ratio of salt:diuretic.

I'm not suggesting any of these things, just saying that some of these fold remedies really seem to work, so maybe sprouts will, too???

I googled "Can guinea pigs eat bean sprouts," and that's where I found the responses. I fed the girls a few pea and broccoli sprouts for dinner last night, and watched them closely for any sign of bloat. So far, so good, though I'm just feeding them good food, and not trying to stop a UTI.

My one main issue with the sprouts is, again, dosage. Too many could give pigs bloat, and very bad bloat. How many does it take to cure or prevent UTIs? That wasn't listed in any of the comments about sprouts curing UTIs.

[amber89]

I haven't heard of any of those folk remedies.
The only exception are the cranberries. I know that they are used also for humans, also for treating UTIs.

I was reading some time ago on German webpage about some other folk remedies for bloating. Suggested were fennel tea, Caraway seed tea, peppermint tea and dry herbs (peppermint, dill, chamomile, lemon balm, yarrow).

[Bean]

I've not heard of that either, but I don't think I've ever had a pig with a UTI, so it's not a condition I know anything about, either causes or treatments. (I wasn't aware of there being a link with UTIs and cysts either.)

I don't generally take too much stock from anecdotal evidence, but where it's a remedy that is cheap and also healthy (as long as you avoid so much they could get bloated) then I'd consider it well worth a try should I have a guinea pig with a UTI.

[3piggles]

I've had three girls prone to chronic UTIs, who were later diagnosed with cysts, so that's my connection more than a medically valid one.

I think the rules of eating are pretty much the same for all animals, as long as we check that the foods we're feeding them are safe for them.

My girls get a small blueberry every day, as blueberries are a super food, so loaded with nutrients and other good stuff.

They also get fennel every day, as I found it totally stopped bloat, even in old Zippy, who used to blow up something wicked. If I'm going to feed something like broccoli or cabbage, I give them fennel at the same time (they eat when we eat, with a bowl of fruits and veggies, though they do get individual treats sometimes during the day). They get radishes when we have those, small amounts of carrot, bell pepper, celery, broccoli, now broccoli and pea sprouts, and a whole lot of other things. This is a great link to check on the best foods to feed guinea pigs, and to understand what's in those foods, so which ones should be fed in moderation: www.guinealynx.info/diet.html But any superfood that's acceptable in guinea pig diets is bound to make them healthier.

I was amazed at the response on Facebook, which was basically broccoli is gassy, so I don't eat it, and won't feed it to my pigs. Broccoli has strong anti-inflammatory properties, and I eat a lot of it. May give me gas, but it's that or worse arthritis pain. I happen to love peas, so no brainer to add pea sprouts to my salads and wraps.

[Bean]

That's odd about people not feeding their guinea pigs broccoli because it gives the owner gas!

I must admit I rarely buy in any type of veggies especially for the guineas. They get enough with bits of what we're eating and scraps (although now I'm up to six, they're taking a bigger share of what's in the fridge!). But if they were experiencing particular health problems that could be alleviated by a bit of something that was healthy, I'd be all for giving it a go. I think both they and I are very happy when health problems can be remedied without a vet!

[jolovespiggies]

Mine love broccoli and cauliflower, I love to see their little mouths eating so eagerly.

hugs jo xx

[amber89]

I also feed my piggies broccoli on a regular basis, though I admit, since Muffin died, I have reduced their weekly intake of such veggies. They receive cruciferous veggies just twice a week, each time at most one floriet per pig.

I also feed them veggies that are in season (peas, Swiss chard, spinach) even though some forums recommend cutting them completely.

[3piggles]

Amber, consider giving them smaller pieces of crucifers, every day, instead of larger pieces twice a week. I think piggies, like humans, build up a tolerance to foods. We eat a lot of summer veggies when the season arrives, and get diarrhea. That stops after we eat those foods a few times, and we're fine. Just a thought, not a criticism.

I also don't understand people who get notions about things like that. One woman who said that is a sweet, sweet person, but a bit unrealistic. She's a great guinea pig mom in general, but her boys could probably do with a few more really healthy veggies. I don't argue with her, as she has her ways, and since her boys are healthy and happy, I just smile and agree. The other woman surprised me, as she's an intelligent, educated woman, who should realize that just because she may react badly to something doesn't mean her piggies will?

Anyway, the girls have been getting a few sprouts a night with dinner, and they are doing great, so I'm going to continue giving them sprouts. I do give them fennel with each meal, even if only a few small pieces, and I'm sure that helps settle their digestive systems. I keep saying I'm going to start eating it, but never do.

[Bean]

I don't know how I'd react if I had a day on the lawn eating loads of grass, but I'm guessing my gut might complain - I won't stop the guinea pigs doing it though!

I really don't like fennel so I'd struggle to sneak it into something that I'd enjoy.

[3piggles]

I don't think a day on our lawn would overdo the grass intake At the condo, with fabulous lawns, I used to give them an hour, then take the back inside. Since it was a condo complex, I sat outside with them, and I was only up to an hour, so they had to come back inside, too.

We both pick dandelions and other things for them, and before I put them out to graze, I started clipping grass for them a bit at a time, so their systems got used to it. They still left a lot of fertilizer behind, which I scooped up and put in my plants

[Bean]

I always build up to a full day out in the runs (for the pigs, not me!), but I can't remember the last time I had a pig who ate too much grass and got a bit of an upset tum. Probably when I was a kid, and that was likely to do with the lack of good information around about their dietary needs, so their entire diet was probably a bit off.

[3piggles]

Dietary needs are becoming better known, that's for sure. We still have a lot of misinformation, or partial information.

The idea that we have to feed western timothy hay is wrong. It's the most efficient type of hay to feed them, but it's also expensive. I used to buy it, but when we had financial problems, had to buy something less expensive, and found their poos were just as good with hay from local fields, at $6/bale. The bale lasted me a few months, while a $10 bag of western timothy only lasted a week or two.

We discussed the food ratio of hay/pellets/greens. That's changed radically since I started caring for guinea pigs. I noticed the latest bag of Cavy Cuisine had veggies/greens actually listed in the pie chart of food ratios, which never used to be the case.

While the Ginealynx diet list is fabulous, not every fruit and veggie is on the list, so I still need to research certain ones, as I come across them. There are so much different advise, it's hard to know which is right. If most people agree it's not a dangerous food for guinea pigs, I start off with very small amounts, and watch for signs of problems. The girls love the sprouts. I don't give them a whole lot, but I know they're getting some super food in them.

It's like low FODMAP. There's an approved list of tested foods, but not all foods have been tested, and not all brands of all foods have been tested. On the FODMAP Facebook page, there are endless questions showing the list of ingredients, and asking if it's an okay food to eat.

We really need some updated information. I'd like to see someone like a vet provide the background to what's good and what's not.

[Bean]

The stages of the FODMAP diet where you have to really watch what you eat should only last a few months, so although they're testing more foods all the time, it shouldn't matter that not all foods are yet there. After that you can try what you like and just test your own personal tolerances to individual foods.

The problem is that people still want to eat all the processed gubbins that has got them in that mess to start with, instead of just eating nutritious and freshly prepared meals where they know exactly what the're eating (and that will probably help their gut become healthier)!

There's still a lot of mixed advice about how to feed your guinea pigs, and I guess some of it will always be a matter of opinion. But I agree, it'd be good to see some more up to date and uniform advice.

[amber89]

tell me about mixed info about feeding guinea pigs. Before we got ours i was reading a lot on the internet about food, housing, illness and so on. If on the illness topics there is a bit more consensus, the food topic is like no-mans-land. I thought that i will get crazy: feed them broccoli - don't feed them broccoli, feed them spinach - don't feed them spinach, give them just 50g of veggies daily - give them 150g of veggies daily - give them at least 10-15% of their body weight in veggies daily, give them coriander daily - give them coriander only rarely, give them vit C supplements - it's not necessary to give them if they get enough via veggies and the list can go on
In the end i came to the conclusion that i choose an option that seems logical to me, keep an eye on vit C and Ca intake, don't feed them veggies that might kill them and if i simply experiment what they can eat (if they get soft poops i simply cut that particular veggie, if they seem to get bloated or in pain from a veggie i reduce the intake). I am feeding them veggies bought directly from the farmer's market and only what's in season...
I am sure that in someones's opinion i am doing something wrong, but honestly, as long as my pigs seem full of life, are happy and healthy i continue with my current diet.

What is actually timothy hay? I never really understood what is so special about it.
In Germany and Austria is not even existing...the best quality hay here is considered the mountain meadow hay, preferably gotten directly from a local farmer and not from the pet shop
This is what my pig are getting right now.

[3piggles]

Timothy hay is a variety of hay, like bluegrass. It's the name of a variety. I guess tests have been done on the different hays, but I've never seen the results of any tests, just the recommendation to use western timothy. There is regular timothy hay, and I'm not sure what the difference is nutritionally to western. My first vet just always corrected me when I just said timothy, to western timothy.

It sounds as if you got the best of the information out of all you read, and that's all you need

Bean, it's more about once we find what foods have to be eliminated, we can still get recipes that won't hurt us, like you getting recipes that don't include onions and garlic. The recipes can be used during the elimination phases, or for as long as we want, if we need to keep certain foods out of our diets. Any recipe with all low FODMAP foods should be okay for any of us, whatever foods give us trouble.