Not Again...

[Pets Palace TV]

Unfortunately one of my guinea pigs named Rolo had to be put to sleep almost one week ago. We took him to the vets a while back as we found out that he had a lump and the vet discovered that he didn't just have one lump but several over his body. We were given medicine in case it was just an infection but if the lumps didn't go away, she said that it's likely he has lymph node cancer. Sadly, the lumps didn't go away. Rolo was fine for ages and he was acting completely normal despite the lumps however a few months later he noticed blood all over the cage and we realised he had been urinating blood. We took him to the vets and we were given more medicine which stopped the bleeding. Just after Christmas, we noticed Rolo had a huge lump on his chin making it uncomfortable for him to eat and drink - he was also very sleepy and only weighed 600g (he was only about 3 years old) and he used to weigh 1200g before be got poorly. Sadly, there was nothing we could do and he was too weak so I had to make a very difficult decision to get him put too sleep.
So I have another guinea pig called Badger; he is about 1 years old. Lately he has been acting really different. He has also lost lots of weight as he is around 700g but he used to weigh about 1100g. We took him to the vets and they said the only way they can rule out any illnesses or diagnose him is to get a blood sample from him but the vet said that would be very difficult as he is very fidgety and never sits still so it would be almost impossible. A few days ago I noticed blood in his urine - it was more of a pink colour but he drinks lots which could be why. Badger has no other symptoms other than being very hungry all the time. I am just beginning to worry that he may have a similar problem to what Rolo had as the symptoms are identical (big weight loss and blood in urine). It just seems strange that the same thing is happening to Badger. They always have unlimited hay and water and they have plenty of pellets. They also get veggies each day and occasionally fruit. Has anyone every experienced anything similar? I just don't know why the same thing is happening to Badger x

 

[Wiebke]

Could you please give us your location? How piggy savvy is your vet?

Bloody urine could indicate a kidney problem (especially coupled with an increased water intake) or another urinary tract infection or stones/sludge. Either can come with a weight loss.

@Elwickcavies @Pebble

 

[waughy123]

Sorry I can't help you with this but I just want to say sorry for the loss of Rolo and I really hope Badger gets better soon. Best of luck! x

 

[Freela]

Blood in urine would make me wonder about bladder infection, or possible bladder sludge or stones. Recurrent lumps in the neck and throat area would make me query cervical lymphadenitis (which is infection of the lymph nodes and often the affected nodes are surgically removed or drained and treated with antibiotics.)

Does your vet have a lot of experience with guinea pigs? I've never had to give blood to diagnose an issue with one of my pigs so it seems odd that the vet would tell you there is no other way. Urinary tract issues can generally be diagnosed via a urine sample and possibly x-rays to look for sludge or stones. I would make sure your vet has guinea pig experience and try to take in a urine sample for assessment (my method is usually to put the pig in a tupperware container with a high-moisture treat like a cucumber until they pee, and then put the pee into a clean bottle to take to the vet. It's not sterile enough for a culture, but can definitely be dip-tested for blood and leukocytes to indicate infection.)

 

[flintstones]

My Pebbles recently got diagnosed with Lymphoma, it involved a blood sample and needle Aspirate. You can find a lot of information via blood's but Xray's are also very useful for identifying if a guinea pig has bladder stones.

I would never allow for blood to be taken from my guinea pig well it was conscious blood's are taken from the main artery in the neck it can be very risky. I have had blood's taken from numerous pig's but they have never been conscious.

Why not check the vet locator for a piggy savy vet?

 

[Elwickcavies]

I agree that you should take this pig along to a cavy-savvy vet asap. If it is a UTI then he needs antibiotics urgently. You should also consider hand feeding him to help him maintain his weight. Here is the link to our hand feeding guide:
https://www.theguineapigforum.co.uk/threads/complete-hand-feeding-guide.115359/
I am also surprised that the vet could not diagnose with anything other than a blood test. Perhaps a second opinion would help?