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Blood in boar's urine

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Bertbean

Hi all, my first post on this forum! One of my three piggies has been making a high pitched tiny eek(not v.loud) for a while. I thought they were just arguing(three boys so they have their disagreements rolleyes) but I was watching them last Tuesday and noticed the eek was coming from the one pig Bert whilst he peed. Then I noticed a few spots of blood around the cage on the sawdust so scooped him up and noticed a tiny spec of blood by his bum.

I took Bert to the vets on Wednesday and he got given an antibiotic injection and prescribed a course of antibiotics to see if it clears things up. It is currently a suspected urine infection. It is now 4 days on and he hasn't improved at all. I am very worried as there seems to be quite a lot of red tinged sawdust wherever he goes and the blood sometimes looks very fresh. Is there usually this much blood? I can take a photo to give you all an idea of how much if that helps?

I last weighed him a fortnight ago and in a fortnight he has lost about 80grams. He is still eating and drinking per norm and is noisy and alert and pretty active although he seems to be hiding in the house more than usual.

I am mainly worried because if this turns out to be bladder stones and he has to have surgery it will be risky because he is now three years old!

Sorry I've written an essay!
 
Welcome to the forum. The more information you give us, the better we can help you - so essays are good!

What antibiotics is he on? Baytril is the most common, but it's not actually the best one for urinary infections - Septrin (Trimethoprin Sulpha / Bactrim) is the better one. Also Rimadyl should be used in conjunction with this to calm the inflammation and ease the pain caused by the infection. If you can get a change in ABs and get the Rimadyl too, this will be able to combat the problem much quicker.

Surgery isn't too major a problem if the vet is highly experienced and competent in guinea pig care, and knows the correct surgical procedures - like only Isoflurane or Servoflurane anesthetic. Many risks associated with anesthetic are brought about simply because the vet uses the wrong anesthetic, and post-surgical reactions (like infection) are minimised if the vet knows what suture thread to use or avoid.
 
Bertbean said:
I am mainly worried because if this turns out to be bladder stones and he has to have surgery it will be risky because he is now three years old!
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My boar is about the same sort of age as yours (we're not 100% sure as he was a rescue with no information, but he was estimated to be about a year old when we got him nearly two years ago) and had surgery to remove a bladder stone yesterday. He was fine with the anaesthetic and surgery, and is in the process fo recovery right now. I'm still worried about him obviously, but I was worried about his age initially so I just wanted to put your mind at rest a little. :)
 
Thankyou both for replies. I have three pigs called Bert,Ernie and Louis.

Bert has lost another 40grams today. :(
Luckily I have a couple of days off work so have been feeding him extra veg and fruit in a bid to get him to gain some weight or at least stop losing. He still has a greedy appetite!

Bert lives with the other two but really only 'hangs out' with louis. They really do love each other its quite sweet. I've noticed he has been trying to avoid Louis in the cage now and has been sleeping on his own rather than next to Lou. Maybe this has something to do with the pain.

Bo.jangles-thanks that really helps to know your pig has had the surgery at three, hope he gets well soon! Did he have similar symptoms ie blood in urine/pain when peeing?

CCC4-I've just had a look, I'm not sure what they are but on the little bottle of AB it says 'Marbocyl'. He is having 0.3mls of this a day. My vet is a small animals specialist and quite recently neutered one of my other piggies Ernie. Even so, the worrying I had over that operation has made me anxious to put any other pig through surgery. Can't help but worry!

Just another thing- I had a small cushioned bed that I bought from Pets At Home which Bert would sleep in all the time (with Louis curled round the edge as a pillow under his chin x)) and even though I kept washing it, it was always damp and dirty on the cushion. Wondering if this may have given him the infection?

And one more thing (lol now I really have written an essay!)-would Cranberry juice help Bert at all?
 
My sow had blood in her urine and ended up having 3 bladder stones removed. The surgery went well and she fully recovered.
 
Bertbean said:
Bo.jangles-thanks that really helps to know your pig has had the surgery at three, hope he gets well soon! Did he have similar symptoms ie blood in urine/pain when peeing?
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He did. i noticed the pain initially last Wednesday, and there was first blood in his urine on saturday. It was initially diagnosed as a bladder infection and treated with antibiotics and anti inflammatary. Two vets both felt his bladder and said they couldn't feel any stones but that they can't always feel them.

When he wasn't getting any better, if anything worse, by Monday morning that's when I took him for a an x-ray, and from there a stone was diagnosed.

If Bert's not getting any better then an x-ray or scan would confirm if he has any stones at all, and from there you can discuss with your vet appropriate treatment. I know it's scary, I was so worried for William yesterday, but if you know for definate what's wrong with him then you can be sure that the treatment is the most effective for the illness.

Hope that helps :)
Hayley :)
 
Thanks it really does help to hear other people have been through this!

The vet couldn't feel any stones in Bert's bladder either so an x-ray may well be the next course. He has a few more days of his antibiotics left so,providing he doesn't get any worse, I'll take him back to the vets when those are finished.

Today he has had extra bundles of fresh hay placed under his nose wherever he is in the cage which he has munched on, plus some romaine lettuce, apple, satsuma and a few bits of carrot with the AB. Then he'll have his main portion of veggies before I go to bed. I don't want anymore weightloss!
 
Hi Bertbean and welcome to the forum.

You have certainly come to the right place for support and information ... there are lots of members on here with lots of piggy knowledge.

In the past I have had two pigs who have had bladder stones removed. Joey and Poppy. Joey had more invasive surgery, I guess because of the position of his stone. Poppy's was just extracted ... the size of an acorn! X-ray or scan is the only way to be sure, unless the vet can feel actually feel the stone, usually when it is low down and has passed through the bladder.

Three years old isn't old for a guinea pig that is a good weight and well looked after. Fingers crossed that it isn't a stone, but if your vet is experienced with piggies, then hopefully all should be fine.

Anyway, have you noticed if he is drinking more? Also, can I ask out of interest, as I am doing a survey type-of-thing, what dried mix you feed him on?
 
It's hard to tell if he is drinking more because they all drink a lot anyway, they tend to get through one massive bunny size bottle of water at least every 48 hours!
They are fed on 'Burgess Supa Guinea Excel' which are nuggets.

He is the eldest pig at three and I suppose it's because I've had him since tiny (295grams-he was very ill with a resp.infection when I got him) that I now think of him as being old.

I'm very glad I found this forum!

Just wondered if I can give him cranberry juice to help if it's an infection as I have some in my fridge at the moment?

ps:those 4 piggies in a row in your avatar, are they rexes? Very cute! I have a similar quite fuzzy haired pig and always wondered what he was!
 
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I have had Marbocyl (Marbofloxacin) prescribed for urinary infections, it worked okay. Septrin is far better and more effective though.

Pure cranberry juice (no additives, no added sugar etc.) can help in some cases, though personally my pigs didn't like it so it was of no use anyway! You could try him on some and see if he likes it, but obviously not too much - plenty of water is key.
 
Bertbean said:
ps:those 4 piggies in a row in your avatar, are they rexes? Very cute! I have a similar quite fuzzy haired pig and always wondered what he was!
Click to expand...

No, they are not Rex's as they are long-haired curlies like mum. Could be Texel or Merino crosses but I don't know the father.
It is only the two on the right of the photo though, the other two another type of mixture with possibe long-hair but straight.

I said to the two curlies last night that they look like Angora sheep :)) and I will have to give them a haircut soon if they want to get rehomed!

Anyway, how are things today?
 
Hi all, little update. Bert has lost yet more weight, another 30 grams.:( Booking him in for an appointment tomorrow. He is still active, noisy, eating and drinking although he looks a little hunched up and his fur is more puffed than usual. I think maybe the puffed fur is him wanting to look bigger, he is the boss in the cage and now he is ill the other two have been getting a bit feisty, the little swines.
He is now down to just over 1000 grams from 1180/1200 norm.

Poor Bert!

Goldie-I am so ignoring the bit about those two pigs being up for rehoming, they are gorgeous lol. I will have to put a pic up of Louis, he is quite similar and was very curly when a baby, now he's older he is more fuzzy! Maybe I meant Texel rather than Rex :{
 
How's Bert today? How did his appointment go?

Thinking of the little man
x
 
Sorry I haven't updated in a while. Anyway, bert had an operation to remove a bladder stone yesterday. It went well and he is now home recovering! The bladder stone was very very big, about 3/4 of a malteser! The vet showed me the xray and it is so obvious to see on there!

So now bert is home he has got a small course of antibiotics then he has to go back for a check up next week.

At the moment he has been sat hunched up in the corner looking very sorry for himself. Last night he nibbled a bit of lettuce, carrot, cucumber and apple but after a while he wasnt interested. He hasn't touched any hay or nuggets and I left him with a whole leaf of cos under his nose which he hasn't touched and now this morning he is turning his nose up at everything.

I'm just watching him now and he can't seem to get comfortable in his cage, he keeps trying to lie on his side which is how he often sleeps but then getting up a few secs later and shuffling around again. I thin he must be very tired!

He also hasn't drunk anything so I've syringe fed him some water. Is there anything else I can give him via the syringe? When he was ill with a uri in the past I mushed up some nuggets but he didnt eat them, I also tried baby food but he wasn't interested. Such a picky piggy!

Any advise on what to feed at the mo would be great! :(
 
I'm sorry to hear he had to have such surgery yesterday, but at least you got to the bottom of the blood in the urine.

Can you get hold of any Oxbow Critical Care? (www.sphsupplies.co.uk sell it, as do Thistle Cavies Rescue Fundraising Shop. Other places also sell it but my internet is playing up and I can't get a proper link for you at the moment!) Sometimes you do have to be firm when feeding. Pigs digestive systems start to shut down with (I think) 12 hours of no food, so it is essential to keep food moving through him. Is he on any painkillers? I think they may help, as pigs are known to stop eating because of pain.
 
I couldn't find any critical care last time he was ill but that was a couple of years ago. I'm just about to try him on some mashed pellets. He is looking so puffed up and hunched in the corner. Then I may give the vet a ring to see if they have any in stock. They also didnt give me any painkillers.

I am sorry he had to have the surgery too but I am so relieved we got that massive stone out, it must have been so painful with that in his bladder!
 
Well I've been sat with bert since my last post, he finally managed to get comfy enough to sleep in the crook of my arm sort of twisted with one foot pushed against my finger so his little belly wound wasnt touching anything x)

I've mashed up some pellets with boiled water, so far I've managed to get about 4 syringe fulls down him at about 1ml per syringe. He has done 2 wees but I've not seen him do a poop since this morning....

He just wants to rest all the time in the blanket on my lap. I actually have a lot of work to do today so tried putting him back in the recovery cage with a towel but he just wouldn't settle so my work will have to go on hold! bert is more important! saying that I am going to have send him out to earn a living when he recovers-the op was expensive!

I just want him better and back to normal its so weird him being so quiet and sleepy and he has even turned his nose up at a bit of carrot. I've never known him to do that, they don't get carrot often so when they do have some they usually go a bit crazy for it!
 
Further to my last post my little bert has deteriorated quite rapidly. I took him back to the vet this morning as he just wasn't right and the vet wasn't happy with how he was progressing. Bert was given two injections, one was to promote his gut contractions because he still hadn't done a poop and I'm not sure what the other was for, I was given some bio lapis to give and then I managed to pick up some critical care from a different vet.

Since then I have been feeding him the critical care, mashed pellets etc. He has managed (with help) two poops but he is just not good. He is extremely weak and wobbly and since this morning he now doesn't even want to swallow the pellets etc, I am putting the syringe right in his mouth and he doesn't even seem to be chewing or lapping anything, it just sits in his mouth or dribbles out.

I can barely see the keys to type this I am so upset, I am feeling his isn't long for this world! I just don't know what else to give him/do! my poor bertie.......

he also now ways 925grams.
 
I'm so sorry to hear that Bert isn't improving, it sounds as if you are doing everything you possible can for him.

As Laura (CCC4) mentioned before pain relief would help this little guy - ? if this was the second injection that your vet gave. If a piggy is in pain they very quickly give up and will not eat. You do sometimes have to be firm with them when it comes to syringe feeding, get the syringe as far back into the mouth as you can. Although small, I always find 1ml syringes are best, I cut off the little point at the end so that the food flows more freely and it's easier to suck it up (remove the black plastic stopper if there is one).

I hope Bert begins to pick up, keep us posted.
 
Poor you and Bert! I know that I had trouble syringe feeding William at first, keep perservering and trying with it, he may realise that it's a good thing and start taking it soon.

Am thinking of you both
x
 
The infection could have worked its way higher up in the urinary tract. Basically you start with a bladder infection, then it can climb into the tubes that go to the kidneys, then it can arrive in the kidneys themselves.
The higher it goes, the longer it will take for the antibiotics to work. But they will work.
Cranberrys will do a lot of good. You can also thaw out the frozen ones to feed as an extra fruit serving.
Blood in the urine means the infection has been going on for some time, so it will take a bit longer for the meds to kick in. It's not something you can really diagnose with a guinea pig unless there are obvious signs.
So don't worry too much. Keep on with the antibiotics. Make sure he always has plenty of water, and feed him cranberrys daily. (Cranberries have natural chemicals which stop the bacteria from sticking to the cells lining the urinary tract. So it's not an old wives tale!). Chamomile is also helpful, although finding it this time of the year isn't that easy. Give him large amounts of vitamin C, because this increases acidity in the urinary tract and makes it more difficult for the bacteria to live there.
And keep him warm. Those of us who have had bladder infections know how soothing it is to have a hot water bottle on your tummy. Maybe wrap one in a towel and let him rest on it.
Sarah
 
Oops. Sorry. I only read the first page...so I never got to the bit about the stone.
It's probably pain making him so weak. So the hot water bottle trick will make a difference. If he's started pooing then that's a good sign. It means his intenstines are working again (during anaesthesia the intestines stop working, and sometimes need a kick start after the op). But he's probably not eating as much as usual, and therefore not pooing as much, either.
Has the vet given anything against bladder spasms? Buscopan, for example? That can relieve the pain. It relaxes the muscles around the bladder. (I'm a theatre nurse, so I'm comparing with post-op pain experienced by urology patients. The pain they have sometimes can't be helped by analgesics, but can be quickly helped with anti spasmodic drugs).
Sarah
 
I'm sorry to have to tell you all that bert has just passed away in my arms. I have had him next to me in bed on a hot water bottle and towel all night and was trying to get him to feed, nothing I could do would make him swallow anything and I'm afraid in the end he was just too weak to take anything.

At the moment I just don't really know what to do, I'm beside myself. It doesn't really feel real. I have placed my baby in the cage with the other two so they can say their goodbyes. I didn't expect it to feel so awful.

This is exactly the reason I didn't want him to have surgery, I had a terrible feeling and now I feel so incredibly guilty even though I know it was really my only option. I just keep thinking back to the morning i picked him up to take to the vets which is the last time he was his normal self, I really didn't make enough of a fuss of him before he went in for the op! I also feel I didn't force him to eat enough on that first recovery night and that it was because of this he began to deteriorate. It has been such a rough couple of days for the both of us and now I just can't believe hes gone! I already miss him so much, I just want to give him one last cuddle and hear him purr again, he was a true purrer and if you tickled him in the right place he would stretch out flat whilst purring and sort of snuggle down. I can't believe how awful his last few days have been!

Can't stop crying!
 
I'm so sorry for your loss... you did everything you could do, and I'm sure he knows that he was loved very much. Run free over the Bridge, darling.
 
I'm so sorry for your loss, this is such a difficult time. You did everything that you possibly could have doen for Bert, and I'm sure that he knows that.

Am thinking of you,
Hayley
x
 
Thankyou both for the kind words it means a lot. I am still in shock at the moment. I'm glad I was with him for his final moments but I wish they weren't so traumatic. He was my first piggy and as a pup was very ill so i had to nurse him back to health during which time he became very tame and we bonded so much, he subsequently lived on his own for a little while in my student room at uni with just me for company and has always been an indoors pig so I'm sure you can imagine how almost human he was and what a character he developed.
We have just buried him at the foot of our garden under a tree next to some scattered crocuses. Rest in peace little man.

I now have the tough job of trying to bond with my other two pigs. I know it sounds mean but I only adopted Ernie as a companion for Bert. Ernie has never been a people pig and he and bert tolerated each other but were never the best of friends, he is very sweet and I am fond of him but not in the way I was of Bert. I later accquired louie in an attempt to find bert a friendly cheery pigmate and he proved to be a real sweetheart for bert. So you see it has always been Bert and his two companions in my head, having never had much solo time with either lou or ern I've not really got to know them at all. I have just had a little cuddle with Lou as I think he is feeling a little confused right now, I showed him bert and he had a little sniff then went and hid. It is just so hard to cuddle him now when I am really missing the familarness and friendly easyness of my Bert. :...

sorry I've waffled on so much, thanks to all of you who have helped me out with berts dilema!
 
I am so sad to read this news. You did everything you could for Bert, the best you could. Everyone has regrets about things they wished they had done differently. What matters, and what honours the piggie's life is learning and correcting the things you wished you had done different, if you are ever in that situation again. Nothing is a better tribute to your passed ones than learning from your experiences with them.

Bladder stones do require surgery, you did absolutely the right thing with putting him through the operation as it really is the only way to get rid of the stone in males. It would have required surgery at some point, and it is better to get it done sooner rather than later due to the more dangerous complications of leaving the stone in the bladder. Sadly sometimes there are problems post-op, and most of the time it is just bad luck.

Bert knows he was very much loved, that you did all you could and all you knew how. The fact that you were with him as he passed will have given him enormous comfort and reminded him how much love he had to take with him as he passed.

Take care. Rest well, darling Bert. xx
 
I am so sorry that despite all your very best efforts Bert has passed away, sleep well little guy.

Laura is spot on, with boars you really do have to go down the surgery route when they have a large bladder stone, it is almost impossible for them to pass it so you did absolutely the right thing.

I really sympathise because I had exactly the same experience with my boar Tetley. He was suddenly showing signs of a stone, had to have surgery, perked up for a couple of days and then went down hill very quickly. He was found to have crystals and sludge forming another stone only a matter of weeks post surgery. Unfortunately he wasn't strong enough for another op and we decided on our vets advice to have him PTS - an awful decision.

Sending hugs and take comfort in knowing you did everything you possibly could for Bert and he was with you at the end.
 
Thankyou CCC4 and Caviesgalore. I've been trying to concentrate on other things and keep myself busy but suddenly something will remind me of bert and I will get upset. I can't believe how much this hurts, I've lost family pets in the past but this feels as if I've lost a close friend! Bert had so many human fans and it has been quite hard having to tell everybody he has died because I am finding it hard to believe and writing it down in an email/text message or saying it to someone makes it horribly real.

I'm just going to try and remember the good memories and forget these last few days although thats proving to be quite hard so far.

I really really miss him so much already.....

Thankyou all again for all your help and support it's nice to know there is a group of people who understand what I'm going through xx
 
I'm so sorry to hear about little Bert. You did everything you could for him xx
 
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