Blood on genitals, been to vet multiple times

[the_bhive]

Hi all! (Sorry for the long post)

I am hoping that someone else may have experienced this and can provide some guidance. My eldest pig (6 years old), Bear, has been presenting with blood around her vulva for the last month or so. The first time we noticed it, we took her to the vet and she was diagnosed with a UTI. The vet ran a urinalysis on the urine Bear left on the examination table and it had blood and leukocytes in it. So they prescribed her Baytril and told us to call if the blood came back after the 10 days of medication. There was no blood while we were giving her medication. The day after her last dose, the blood showed back up. We took her into another cavy savy vet and he said that it probably wasn't a UTI. He took x-rays, but couldn't see any stones in her bladder or kidneys just a little bit of air in her intestines. So he prescribed meloxicam and metoclopramide (Reglan) to help with the gut motility. The vet also said that she exhibited a little pain when he pushed on her stomach near her genital area. We took her back into to this vet after she was on the medication for 10 days. The vet was happy with her examination and we hadn't see anymore blood. We have been checking her daily and there hasn't been anymore blood until this morning. Bear is eating hay and pellets and drinking water like normal. Her feces are normal in size and color. She isn't lethargic and it doesn't seem to be bothering her. Has anyone else experienced this? The one vet has said the next step is to spay her but at her age I don't like the odds. Any advice you can give would be greatly appreciated! Thanks!

 

[Livia Rabideau]

One of my girls had a bladder tumor and another has cystitis. There is occasional blood drops from both. They are completely fine other than that. Acting totally normal. I had x Ray's and ultrasounds done. Several rounds of antibiotics.

 

[Wiebke]

Hi all! (Sorry for the long post)

I am hoping that someone else may have experienced this and can provide some guidance. My eldest pig (6 years old), Bear, has been presenting with blood around her vulva for the last month or so. The first time we noticed it, we took her to the vet and she was diagnosed with a UTI. The vet ran a urinalysis on the urine Bear left on the examination table and it had blood and leukocytes in it. So they prescribed her Baytril and told us to call if the blood came back after the 10 days of medication. There was no blood while we were giving her medication. The day after her last dose, the blood showed back up. We took her into another cavy savy vet and he said that it probably wasn't a UTI. He took x-rays, but couldn't see any stones in her bladder or kidneys just a little bit of air in her intestines. So he prescribed meloxicam and metoclopramide (Reglan) to help with the gut motility. The vet also said that she exhibited a little pain when he pushed on her stomach near her genital area. We took her back into to this vet after she was on the medication for 10 days. The vet was happy with her examination and we hadn't see anymore blood. We have been checking her daily and there hasn't been anymore blood until this morning. Bear is eating hay and pellets and drinking water like normal. Her feces are normal in size and color. She isn't lethargic and it doesn't seem to be bothering her. Has anyone else experienced this? The one vet has said the next step is to spay her but at her age I don't like the odds. Any advice you can give would be greatly appreciated! Thanks!

Hi and welcome!

I am very sorry; what a worrying time for you!

Blood around the genitalia in sows is more typically coming from the reproductive tract rather than the urinary tract; especially after stones have been eliminated.
Has your vet investigated for potentially cancerous ovarian cysts? They often turn up at this age. Any spay would be in this case in the way of a make or break operation unless you decide to let your older sow live out her life and have her put to sleep when the time has come.
Sows: Behaviour and female health problems (including ovarian cysts)

I have had to have a sister pair spayed this year; Morwenna in early summer for a hard ovarian cyst that would have most likely turned cancerous later and her sister Mererid last month as an emergency for suddenly fast growing non-hormonal fluid filled large cysts that were at risk of bursting or getting stuck to the gut. The sisters are turning 6 years in February; they have both made a full recovery.
The oldests sows operated have been 6 and nearly 7 years old, one for an infected burst sebaceous cyst right next to the genitalia and the older one for a burst large sebaceous cyst with fleshy bits in it that caused some heavy bleeding. Again, the operations were successful, if less invasive. But it very much depends on how experienced your vet is.

Any issue in the urinary or reproductive tract can impact on the gut as they are all packed closely next to each other.

 

[the_bhive]

Hi and welcome!

I am very sorry; what a worrying time for you!

Blood around the genitalia in sows is more typically coming from the reproductive tract rather than the urinary tract; especially after stones have been eliminated.
Has your vet investigated for potentially cancerous ovarian cysts? They often turn up at this age. Any spay would be in this case in the way of a make or break operation unless you decide to let your older sow live out her life and have her put to sleep when the time has come.
Sows: Behaviour and female health problems (including ovarian cysts)

I have had to have a sister pair spayed this year; Morwenna in early summer for a hard ovarian cyst that would have most likely turned cancerous later and her sister Mererid last month as an emergency for suddenly fast growing non-hormonal fluid filled large cysts that were at risk of bursting or getting stuck to the gut. The sisters are turning 6 years in February; they have both made a full recovery.
The oldests sows operated have been 6 and nearly 7 years old, one for an infected burst sebaceous cyst right next to the genitalia and the older one for a burst large sebaceous cyst with fleshy bits in it that caused some heavy bleeding. Again, the operations were successful, if less invasive. But it very much depends on how experienced your vet is.

Any issue in the urinary or reproductive tract can impact on the gut as they are all packed closely next to each other.

Thank you so much for your insight! We will definitely keep an eye on her and follow up with the vet about the potential for cyst. I am happy to hear about the success with your older pigs!