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Gilbert continuously bleeding

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Julesie

Julesie

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I'm getting extremely worried about Gilbert. He's been squeaking when peeing and occasionally I see him bleeding.

I've tried him on so much the vet has suggested, including lots of different medications. I found out he has two types of crystals from tests but today when walking into his freshly cleaned cage from yesterday, I've noticed so much blood all around the cage and witnissed him bleeding when peeing, too.

I'm extremely worried. My vet's don't seem to be good enough with helping me and as much as I'm personally trying and how much I've spent on him, I just don't know how to stop him being in pain and bleeding.

The vet is trying hard to help me but as she's not experienced in rodent care I don't now what to do. :( She's given me some bad advice I later found out definitely NOT to do and I'm just not sure what to do.

I've given him cranberry juice, cat tablets that they get for the same condition (forget the exact name, it was reccomended by a user on here), a strictly controlled diet, some other medication and nothing seems to be helping. He's suffered this twice in the past but I've never seen his cage so bloody.

I'm extremely worried that he might die and he's just so young so I really don't want him to.

I also caught him eating the blood, is this strange?

Here's a picture of him next to some of his blood.
30kd9xy.jpg
 
If you can get some pearl barley and use the water it's boiled in to feed to him, that's meant to be very good. If you have a look on some of Flinstones threads on Patrick it will mention the pearl barley water. He needs to be on antibiotics (baytril or septrin, I can't remember which is better for UTI's) and some metacam for pain relief. Whereabouts do you live? Someone may be able to suggest a better vet. Yours does seem like she doesn't know much about guinea pigs. That blood doesn't look like it's diluted at all either, so it hasn't come out with pee, it's just pure blood. He needs to be seen ASAP by a cavy savvy vet.

I hope he is ok.
 
I remember reading your other thread on Gilbert, did he get an x-ray done at all?
 
Shellza said:
If you can get some pearl barley and use the water it's boiled in to feed to him, that's meant to be very good. If you have a look on some of Flinstones threads on Patrick it will mention the pearl barley water. He needs to be on antibiotics (baytril or septrin, I can't remember which is better for UTI's) and some metacam for pain relief. Whereabouts do you live? Someone may be able to suggest a better vet. Yours does seem like she doesn't know much about guinea pigs. That blood doesn't look like it's diluted at all either, so it hasn't come out with pee, it's just pure blood. He needs to be seen ASAP by a cavy savvy vet.

I hope he is ok.
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Thank you. I haven't tried the pearl barley, I was trying cranberry first as I was reccomended that.

Helen has sent me a PM about a cavy savy vet so I'm working on hopefully taking Gilbert there.

Thank you. :)
 
Take him to another vet for a second opinion. Poor pig suffering due to lack of knowledge by a so calles vet, piggys are such a commen pet nowdays i cannot understand why they have so little training on pig health and illness?! ...
 
Julesie said:
Thank you. I haven't tried the pearl barley, I was trying cranberry first as I was reccomended that.

Helen has sent me a PM about a cavy savy vet so I'm working on hopefully taking Gilbert there.

Thank you. :)
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Think that's a great idea, very good of Helen. Take urine sample to the vets with you and I'd possibly look at getting an x-ray sorted to rule out stones and ask for some metacam to help with any inflammation and help with the pain.
Try not to panic, bright red blood is scary, we've had it with Treacle and her cystitis occasionally. Hope you can get Gilbert sorted soon x
 
Lil-Ninnibig said:
Take him to another vet for a second opinion. Poor pig suffering due to lack of knowledge by a so calles vet, piggys are such a commen pet nowdays i cannot understand why they have so little training on pig health and illness?! ...
Click to expand...

I've taken him to quite a few. All of them are useless. One even told me to split my boys up because they would try and bite each others balls off?! They've been together for a year. He looked down on me when I tried to correct him too.

I agree with you, guinea pigs aren't really a rare creature and vets should know more about them by now.
 
Poor Gilbert, sorry I am new guinea owner so I don't know what to suggest but I am send him my love and get well wishes. Hope he gets better ASAP

x
 
sport_billy said:
Think that's a great idea, very good of Helen. Take urine sample to the vets with you and I'd possibly look at getting an x-ray sorted to rule out stones and ask for some metacam to help with any inflammation and help with the pain.
Try not to panic, bright red blood is scary, we've had it with Treacle and her cystitis occasionally. Hope you can get Gilbert sorted soon x
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Do you know any good ways to get a urine sample with him?

I tried not long ago by putting him in a bowl but the good little boy he is, lifted his bum out, placed it over the edge and went on the cushion. xD;;

Yeah, all of the blood today is bright red which is why I'm extremely worried.
 
Yes, get yourself these things

1. A large Tupperware or clean washing up bowl
2. A syringe for collecting sample
3. A small bowl of water
4. A sterile specimen pot from chemists
5. A Gilbert pig

Syringe Gilbert some water or feed him lots of wet veg like cucumber. Pop him in washing up bowl or Tupperware and wait for him to wee. Suck up wee with syringe and decant it into specimen bottle, store the bottle in fridge till you get to vets.
 
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Julesie said:
I tried not long ago by putting him in a bowl but the good little boy he is, lifted his bum out, placed it over the edge and went on the cushion. xD;;
.
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Yes, this is typical of piggies :)) that's why we've got a washing up bowl especially for pig wee collecting....
 
Oh poor baby. No wonder you are worried. Now you have advice on a better vet I hope they are able to help your little one. Good luck.
 
sport_billy said:
Yes, get yourself these things

1. A large Tupperware or clean washing up bowl
2. A syringe for collecting sample
3. A small bowl of water
4. A sterile specimen pot from chemists
5. A Gilbert pig

Syringe Gilbert some water or feed him lots of wet veg like cucumber. Pop him in washing up bowl or Tupperware and wait for him to wee. Suck up wee with syringe and decant it into specimen bottle, store the bottle in fridge till you get to vets.
Click to expand...

Thank you so much. Last time I tried the sample had so much poo in it was hard for the vet. He poops for England. A washing up bowl should be easier. Should I just wash a current one with hot water or buy a new one?
 
piggyfan said:
Oh poor baby. No wonder you are worried. Now you have advice on a better vet I hope they are able to help your little one. Good luck.
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Thank you so much. He's just too precious to me to lose so young. :(
 
Should I split him up from his cage mate in the mean time or will they be okay to leave together?
 
:... Hi could you take him to another vet? I dont mean to frighten you but my syrian hamster had this last year,everytime he peed he lost blood and squeeked in pain,like you i was given antibiotics to clear up urinery infection,but it turned out to be a tumor on his bladder, i sadly lost him several wks ago aged 20 mths which all my syrians have lived around 29mths and even 36mths! So i felt i lost him early at just 20 mths he wasnt even two years old!
I'm not saying your piggy has this but i think its very important that if hes not getting any better with the medication and hes still loosing blood then please take him for a second opinion,a diffrent vet could make all the diffrence....
I know its easier said than done but try not to worry and all the best if you get a second opinion and i hope your piggy gets better soon,
 
Julesie said:
Thank you so much. Last time I tried the sample had so much poo in it was hard for the vet. He poops for England. A washing up bowl should be easier. Should I just wash a current one with hot water or buy a new one?
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We got a new one, but boiling hot water in the one you have would sterilise it as long as it is clean, that's the main thing.
Sucking up the wee with a syringe will mean you don't get any poo in it, to be honest it should be a problem for a vet to test even if it has, they can you a syringe to drop it on their dipsticks... Keep us updated on Gilbert, got everything crossed for him x
 
Julesie said:
Should I split him up from his cage mate in the mean time or will they be okay to leave together?
Click to expand...

I would leave them together, it's likely to upset him being separated , if he has a UTI they can transfer but it is rare in my experience.
 
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Yvo@21 said:
:... Hi could you take him to another vet? I dont mean to frighten you but my syrian hamster had this last year,everytime he peed he lost blood and squeeked in pain,like you i was given antibiotics to clear up urinery infection,but it turned out to be a tumor on his bladder, i sadly lost him several wks ago aged 20 mths which all my syrians have lived around 29mths and even 36mths! So i felt i lost him early at just 20 mths he wasnt even two years old!
I'm not saying your piggy has this but i think its very important that if hes not getting any better with the medication and hes still loosing blood then please take him for a second opinion,a diffrent vet could make all the diffrence....
I know its easier said than done but try not to worry and all the best if you get a second opinion and i hope your piggy gets better soon,
Click to expand...

I'm making plans to take him to a cavy savy vet thanks to Helen. Sorry about your hamster :( RIP little guy.

sport_billy said:
We got a new one, but boiling hot water in the one you have would sterilise it as long as it is clean, that's the main thing.
Sucking up the wee with a syringe will mean you don't get any poo in it, to be honest it should be a problem for a vet to test even if it has, they can you a syringe to drop it on their dipsticks... Keep us updated on Gilbert, got everything crossed for him x
Click to expand...

Thank you so much. I'll do that then. :)
 
sport_billy said:
I would leave them together, it's likely to upset him being separated , if he has a UTI they can transfer but it is rare in my experience.
Click to expand...

Thank you. :) I just worry as Ludwig keeps eating Gilberts medication. I have to sprinkle it over the food and I try and put Gils with him but Ludwig goes and eats it along with him anyway.
 
Is it possible to syring his meds into him? what is he on?
 
helen105281 said:
Is it possible to syring his meds into him? what is he on?
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I tried but he put up a right fight. Using his front paws to swipe and shove it away and squirming nonstop.

He's currently on something called Cystaid which is a powder stuff.
 
Have heard of that.

If you come to clinic we may be able to help you with syringing, Karen can get meds into any pig, and has taught us how to deal with our dificult ones (yes that's you I'm talking about Terk).
 
That would be fantastic!

I struggle with feeding Gilbert it so much. I felt guilty when the last time we ended up getting it over his face. :(
 
We currently have Buzz on his ongoing meds plus Phoebe skinny and Maddie pew on Cystease and then Star on heart meds so should be able to help.
 
So I thought I'd just give a little update.

Gilbert went to the vet on Tuesday and had an operation because they found stones inside him.

They are no longer there now and he's back at home with me and slowly healing. I've changed his bedding to fleece for now and he's slowly looking brighter by the day.

He'll be going back to the vet on Saturday along with my other piggies for a checkup.

:)
 
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