Intermittent Pink Stained Bedding

[PembsGP]

Hi Everyone, I am concerned about one of my son's two female guinea pigs. Yesterday evening I noticed several dark pink areas of wet bedding (they are on woodchip). His GPs are 9 weeks old and we have only had them for 3 weeks. 4 days ago there was one spot of pink bedding which my 10 year old son assured me was in the woodchip when he changed their bedding. To be on the safe side I have temporarily taken over cleaning them out so I can monitor what is happening, so now I know it isn't simply the colour of the woodchip. I don't know which GP it is. It is intermittent and so far today it hasn't happened. I have put a small amount of cranberry juice in their water as I have read this is OK, just in case it is a urinary tract infection, which they are drinking (I know if it is UTI antibiotics is required. The cranberry juice is just to relieve symptoms). I have not heard them squeaking/squealing when they urinate. They are drinking, eating, playing and talking normally. Although they are sisters, despite consistent handling, one is shy and one is more confident, and that hasn't changed. Could it be one of them is in heat? I have had GP's before 20 years ago and never experienced this so am at a loss. I am gradually changing them over from museli style food to nuggets. They have plenty of fresh hay every day, freshly cut grass and forages daily, a mix of either broccoli stalks, cabbage leaves etc, parsley, the occasional dandelion leaf (which I am withholding until I know for sure it isn't a UTI), and water changed daily. Any advice will be greatly appreciated because I am at a loss. Thank you

 

[Wiebke]

Hi Everyone, I am concerned about one of my son's two female guinea pigs. Yesterday evening I noticed several dark pink areas of wet bedding (they are on woodchip). His GPs are 9 weeks old and we have only had them for 3 weeks. 4 days ago there was one spot of pink bedding which my 10 year old son assured me was in the woodchip when he changed their bedding. To be on the safe side I have temporarily taken over cleaning them out so I can monitor what is happening, so now I know it isn't simply the colour of the woodchip. I don't know which GP it is. It is intermittent and so far today it hasn't happened. I have put a small amount of cranberry juice in their water as I have read this is OK, just in case it is a urinary tract infection, which they are drinking (I know if it is UTI antibiotics is required. The cranberry juice is just to relieve symptoms). I have not heard them squeaking/squealing when they urinate. They are drinking, eating, playing and talking normally. Although they are sisters, despite consistent handling, one is shy and one is more confident, and that hasn't changed. Could it be one of them is in heat? I have had GP's before 20 years ago and never experienced this so am at a loss. I am gradually changing them over from museli style food to nuggets. They have plenty of fresh hay every day, freshly cut grass and forages daily, a mix of either broccoli stalks, cabbage leaves etc, parsley, the occasional dandelion leaf (which I am withholding until I know for sure it isn't a UTI), and water changed daily. Any advice will be greatly appreciated because I am at a loss. Thank you

Please leave off the cranberry juice and see whether that makes a difference in the colouring of the pees.
It can be the very early stages of a UTI in which symptoms are not quite consistent and clear. Sows in season don't usually bleed, and if at all, it is generally a small bloody pee or drop just as a mysterious one-off. See a vet if these symptoms persist.

 

[PembsGP]

Thank you. Will do

 

[PembsGP]

No pink stains in the girls bedding for over 24 hours. Will monitor and take to the vets if it happens again. I have ordered a corner litter tray from my local pet shop. The girls mostly use one area of their cage for urinating, a corner, so I think they could be quite easy to train. I have been moving their toilet to that area for 2 days and have already noticed less around the cage. Hoping it may help if they are susceptible to UTI's.

 

[Freela]

Guinea pigs don't have any bleeding as part of their heat cycle. It's possibly an early UTI, so keep an eye on it. If it becomes more consistent, you can separate the pigs out so you can see whose pee has blood in it. It's the only way I've been able to tell a couple of times with more than one pig! Hopefully it's just a minor thing that resolves itself, though.

 

[PembsGP]

Thank you for replying. Thank you. I will do that if it happens again. So obvious & I hadn't thought of it!

 

[PembsGP]

I wasn't convinced the girls has a UTI, so whilst keeping an eye on them for symptoms/pain etc, I have been experimenting with food. It turns out their urine is mildly discoloured after eating dandelion leaves and very discoloured after eating carrots. I backed this up with a bit of research, and found that this does happen in some guinea pigs. I cannot describe how relieved I am. I'd never had that happen with my guinea pigs when I've had them before.

 

[Adelle]

Hi! Great that u seemed to have found the problem.

However, to er on the side of caution, carrots and particularly dandelions can trigger bladder flares if a piggy is having bladder issues. Keep them off those 2 treats for now; and continue to monitor. Any further episodes of pink wee- see the vet.

All the best x

 

[PembsGP]

Thank you. Thankfully they do only get them as occasional treats. I kept them off of them both for a full week before reintroducing dandelion, monitored them and then left it a few days before giving them carrot. I will now hold off of both for a while and will only give sparingly on rare occasions for a bit of variety