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At A Loss...

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MommaPig

MommaPig

Junior Guinea Pig
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Need help... I am so confused. My Minnie is three years old and is having pee issues. I know that piggies pee often changes colors when it oxidizes.. But Minnie's looks like blood when it dries. I took her to the vet as soon as I noticed and brought a sample with me. Her pee is coming out completely clear and drying a red/brown/orange color. The vet tested the sample I brought and there was no blood in the pee (even though by this time it has started looking reddish). The vet also took a urine sample directly from her bladder and no blood or infection. He did an ultrasound and found no cysts on her ovaries either. I'm still waiting to hear back from him since her urine was sent out for an analysis yesterday. I have not changed her diet. She gets only oxbow Timothy hay and pellets. Since she had a urinary tract infection a year ago I have been giving her half of an oxbow urinary health tablet a day for the past 8 months. She gets a small amount of cucumber and carrot every day and has been for three years. Since this first started I started giving her bottled water to see if that changed anything.. But it has not. She is eating and drinking fine, moves around like normal, and still stands up to see me. But her pee still looks like this! The pictures are side by side shots of the pee when it comes out and then what it looks like 20 min to an hour later. I hope someone can give me an idea of what this could possibly be.
 

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That is strange! I have pig with bladder issue who would have urine that initially looked clear but then would dry reddish, but she also tested positive for blood in her urine so it made sense. Sometimes things that they eat can be passed in the urine... she does eat carrots, so could she be passing beta carotene or something like that? I'm sorry, I wish I had an idea to give you! It does sound encouraging that she is not passing blood and that her scans were clean, but it's not the same as getting a clear answer!
 
It doesn't look like blood to me, but very strong oxidisation (i.e. clear pee discolours once it leaves the body). Sometimes, bacteria that are always present in the bladder, but are normally kept in check, can flourish in the wake of urinary problems, leading to these intense colourations. They are not the same variety that cause urine infection.

You vet may consider a course of antibiotics. You also might like to help your piggy strengthen its immune system.
 
Could always get some urine dipsticks? I test my boys wee every month, as one of their urines stains very dark due to oxidisation and it scared me a bit! :)
 
We have witnessed wee oxidise to that dark colour also with one of our first piggies Putt. Let us know what the analysis says of her wee.
 
PS: There can be still a bit of blood be in the pee, but it is not the amount that you are thinking of!
 
Thanks for everyone's advice. The urine analysis came back from the lab.. Still no blood in the urine but there was a very high white blood cell count of course indicating infection in the bladder. So Minnie will be getting a 10 day round of antibiotics.
 
I usually give benebac when my pigs are on antibiotics... Does anyone a else do the same? And if so how often do you give it?
 
We don't have Benebac in the UK but we do have similar products. I always give a small amount at least an hour after each dose of antibiotics.
 
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