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Peeing blood and neck lumps

alexr

alexr

Teenage Guinea Pig
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I normally post about Hamish but this time it’s 4 year old Harry who’s in the wars.

The poor lad has been peeing lots of blood and was in a great deal of pain. He was seen by a locum vet yesterday and she prescribed Sulfatrim and Metacam. She couldn’t feel any bladder hardness but his wee sample tested positive for a lot of blood.

He’s still peeing a lot of blood today but I guess the antibiotics won’t work immediately. We have an appointment to see Simon Maddock tomorrow so I think we need to go and see if he needs an X-Ray or whether to just persevere with the antibiotics.

Added to this, I’ve discovered a cluster of three lumps in his throat today so I think he could do with an MOT!

The poor lad. 😢
 
Sorry no advice, but hope he gets on ok at the vets tomorrow & its something easily treated like an Infection & not those pesky bladder stones :(
Good luck with Simon & healing vibes being sent your way for a full and speedy recovery x
 
All the best with Simon tomorrow!

I hope that what you are seeing is just the intensely red porphyrine coloured pees that are typical for the onset of a cystitis or URI and that can freak out owners who have never come across them before. They can or cannot contain blood.

Please give any antibiotics 2-3 days to get to work fully. They do not work immediately with urinary tract problems. If you are dealing with a non-bacterial sterile cystitis (IC), then they won't work at all or suppress symptoms only temporarily. Urinary tract problems present with very similar problems, so it is a matter of working down the list.

You have been given the correct drugs, but as general vets often err on the side of caution could you please post the weight and the dosages (including whether you have been given cat or dog metacam)? I am sure that Simon or Kim will review the medication anyway, though, and will adjust the dosage if necessary.

If your urinary tract piggy suddenly starts looking very ill and goes off their food, then please see a vet as an anytime of the day/night emergency as this usually means that a bladder stone is blocking the urethra and that the urine backing up into the kidney, with fatal consequences. Boars have an awkward inglenook in their longer urethras which in sows with their shorter and wider urethras a stone occasionally fetches up just before the opening. Apart from this eventuality on a strictly need-to-know basis, your boy should keep until he can be seen by Simon. Urinary tract infections and cystitis (whether bacterial or sterile) are unpleasant and painful but not fatal. :tu:

Fingers crossed about the lumps!
 
I
GPTV said:
Sorry no advice, but hope he gets on ok at the vets tomorrow & its something easily treated like an Infection & not those pesky bladder stones :(
Good luck with Simon & healing vibes being sent your way for a full and speedy recovery x
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I hope it’s not bladder stones. He’s not hunching like I’ve seen with bladder stone pigs. Also I let him pee on a black towel and no chalk or grit.

It’s just scary seeing that amount of blood on a puppy pad. Looks like a massacre! 😢
 
Wiebke said:
All the best with Simon tomorrow!

I hope that what you are seeing is just the intensely red porphyrine coloured pees that are typical for the onset of a cystitis or URI and that can freak out owners who have never come across them before. They can or cannot contain blood.

Please give any antibiotics 2-3 days to get to work fully. They do not work immediately with urinary tract problems. If you are dealing with a non-bacterial sterile cystitis (IC), then they won't work at all or suppress symptoms only temporarily. Urinary tract problems present with very similar problems, so it is a matter of working down the list.

You have been given the correct drugs, but as general vets often err on the side of caution could you please post the weight and the dosages (including whether you have been given cat or dog metacam)? I am sure that Simon or Kim will review the medication anyway, though, and will adjust the dosage if necessary.

If your urinary tract piggy suddenly starts looking very ill and goes off their food, then please see a vet as an anytime of the day/night emergency as this usually means that a bladder stone is blocking the urethra and that the urine backing up into the kidney, with fatal consequences. Boars have an awkward inglenook in their longer urethras which in sows with their shorter and wider urethras a stone occasionally fetches up just before the opening. Apart from this eventuality on a strictly need-to-know basis, your boy should keep until he can be seen by Simon. Urinary tract infections and cystitis (whether bacterial or sterile) are unpleasant and painful but not fatal. :tu:

Fingers crossed about the lumps!
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Thank you for your reply Wiebke. Harry currently weighs 1.3kg (he’s lost weight from 1.4kg despite still having a hearty appetite). He is on 0.4ml twice per day of Sulfatrim and 0.35ml of Metacam twice per day.

Dipstick tests the locum did showed a very high presence of blood.

I’m also worried that he’s shivering. We have the heating on full and I’ve given him a snugglesafe but he won’t sit near it. He’s still quite active and his eyes look bright.

I’m keeping a close eye on him. I’ve not seen bloody pee of this magnitude. Algy had a UTI a while back but the blood wasn’t as significant.
 
Also @Wiebke, just as an add on to my previous reply - years ago, I had a mother and daughter duo who were prone to stones and another mother-daughter combo with IC. I was living up North at the time and used to take them to Ken Robinson at Rose Cottage Vets near Runcorn. The IC pigs had to have regular injections. Fortunately, waterworks problems with my boars has been fairly limited. I think there was a genetic link with the girls. I’m truly hoping Harry doesn’t have stones bless him as I know it’s trickier with lads! 😬
 
Just wanted to say we are thinking of you and poor Harry.
We also have a Harry who sends healing wheeks.
 
alexr said:
Thank you for your reply Wiebke. Harry currently weighs 1.3kg (he’s lost weight from 1.4kg despite still having a hearty appetite). He is on 0.4ml twice per day of Sulfatrim and 0.35ml of Metacam twice per day.

Dipstick tests the locum did showed a very high presence of blood.

I’m also worried that he’s shivering. We have the heating on full and I’ve given him a snugglesafe but he won’t sit near it. He’s still quite active and his eyes look bright.

I’m keeping a close eye on him. I’ve not seen bloody pee of this magnitude. Algy had a UTI a while back but the blood wasn’t as significant.
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If he is shivvering, then please have him examined for a stone. That is not a normal symptom. All the best for tomorrow - at least you are in very experienced hands!
 
Wiebke said:
If he is shivvering, then please have examined for a stone. That is not a normal symptom. All the best for tomorrow!
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Thanks Wiebke. I’m trying to keep him as warm as possible. It’s all very worrying.
 
No advise from me, just support. Hope the problem is discovered tomorrow and he can be on his way to feeling better soon.
 
Thank you for all your support. Both Harry & Hamish are seeing Simon at 5.10pm. I’m going to try to get a sample from Harry shortly.

He doesn’t seem to be shivering now but squeals when his lower back is touched. Still weeing lots of blood and squeaking when peeing. I’m keeping my fingers crossed that Simon thinks he can just continue the antibiotics but we’ll see.

Hamish is in to have his teeth sorted and continuing scabby skin reassessed so hopefully he will be ok. His teeth were looking lovely but have snapped again. 🙄
 
Hi All,

Just getting over the shock of our visit. Poor Hamish had a fit while being examined and I thought he’d gone. I’ll post more about him in our “Euthanasia is it time thread.” Anyway, on to Harry...

Simon felt 50/50 on whether it’s a UTI or stones. He was squeaking his head off when Simon was feeling his bladder. He said it was hard but then relaxed when he peed. Lots of blood present still.

Simon gave me two options: keep him in overnight and X-Ray in the morning or persevere with the antibiotics for a couple of days. I’ve decided on the latter. Harry’s booked in early morning next Weds for his review anyway to see if Simon needs to X-Ray or operate. So, If he stops peeing or goes downhill, I need to rush him in as an emergency before then.

I’ve got to encourage eating of wet leafy greens and have him on my lap lots as he pees more when I can get him to relax. When in his cage, he’s just doing tentative wees.

The neck lumps, Simon thought were probably due to lymph glands so we’re just going to monitor those.

I’m really keeping everything crossed that we see an improvement!
 
Any excuse for more lap time is never a bad thing. 🤞🏾 the antibiotics do start working.
Sorry to hear about Hamish ☹️
 
Siikibam said:
Any excuse for more lap time is never a bad thing. 🤞🏾 the antibiotics do start working.
Sorry to hear about Hamish ☹
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I know, poor Hamish had a fit while being examined and keeled over. We thought he was leaving us for a moment!
 
Update on Harry: Some good developments! His pee is lightening in colour with less blood so I’m hoping this is a positive sign that things are improving. He also didn’t squeak when peeing but still doesn’t like his lower back or abdomen touched.

He’s spent most of the day in hiding so I have to keep checking he’s ok!
 
I've got everything crossed for both your boys, you are having such an anxious time. Hope things improve for you soon.
 
Overnight Update 😬: Harry started weeing blood again profusely and is still squeaking. He hides it well when in his cage but when I had him out for his medicine, it was clear things are not good. He looks bright but seems to have taken a step backwards. His weight is also dropping pretty swiftly and I’ve found more lumps on each side of his neck as well as centrally.

I think I’ll be calling the Cat & Rabbit Clinic in the morning to see if we can get over for an X-Ray. Simon did say to bring him back in in a couple of days if he wasn’t improving.

I’m completely exhausted and doubt I’ll get any sleep.
 
alexr said:
Overnight Update 😬: Harry started weeing blood again profusely and is still squeaking. He hides it well when in his cage but when I had him out for his medicine, it was clear things are not good. He looks bright but seems to have taken a step backwards. His weight is also dropping pretty swiftly and I’ve found more lumps on each side of his neck as well as centrally.

I think I’ll be calling the Cat & Rabbit Clinic in the morning to see if we can get over for an X-Ray. Simon did say to bring him back in in a couple of days if he wasn’t improving.

I’m completely exhausted and doubt I’ll get any sleep.
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I’m sorry that it isn’t better news :( I’m getting rather worried about those lumps

Healing vibes still being sent xx
 
Claire W said:
I’m sorry that it isn’t better news :( I’m getting rather worried about those lumps

Healing vibes still being sent xx
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Thank you. I’m worried too. I’ve been getting carried away with self-diagnosis of lymphadenitis (which can cause bloody wee) or lymphoma. Simon thought it was his lymph nodes the other day which he thought may have been caused by him having fought off a URI we didn’t know about. I’m not sure about that as Harry has been very well in the year he’s lived with me.

We’re seeing Simon at 10.30am so I hope he can aspirate one of the lumps whilst Harry’s having his X-Ray.
 
Hope all goes well for your vet visit-
Think I'd opt for the xray whilst I'm there to be on the safe side.
Make sure Simon sends you home with plenty of painkillers as it's probably painful to pee if he's being tentative about it?

Handsome Hamish & Harry are being sent truckloads of healing vibes from the girls & I. Look after yourself too :luv: Xx
 
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