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Peeing blood

Hank288

Hank288

Adult Guinea Pig
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So either Flash or Primrose are peeing blood. I am pretty sure it is Flash as she is an older lady (around 5 now) and Primrose is only 4 months old. I am going to put Flash in a box with a white towel in tomorrow and see if I can get her to wee to check things out. If it is Flash she is bright and perky in her self not squeaking in pain while peeing and still stuffing her face with everything going.
Obviously I will book a vert appointment as soon as I know which pig needs dealing with. Just really worried as never dealt with a piggy peeing blood and don't know what to expect. Can anyone shed some light on the situation. Thinking either bladder stones or an infection but want to know if anything else can cause these symptoms, in case I can't get to the exotics vet this week and have to use a normal vet.
Thank you
 
Can’t help except to say see a vet.
Let us know how things go.
It’s worrying when a piggy is unwell
 
Hank288 said:
So either Flash or Primrose are peeing blood. I am pretty sure it is Flash as she is an older lady (around 5 now) and Primrose is only 4 months old. I am going to put Flash in a box with a white towel in tomorrow and see if I can get her to wee to check things out. If it is Flash she is bright and perky in her self not squeaking in pain while peeing and still stuffing her face with everything going.
Obviously I will book a vert appointment as soon as I know which pig needs dealing with. Just really worried as never dealt with a piggy peeing blood and don't know what to expect. Can anyone shed some light on the situation. Thinking either bladder stones or an infection but want to know if anything else can cause these symptoms, in case I can't get to the exotics vet this week and have to use a normal vet.
Thank you
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Intensely red coloured pees (porphyrine, not blood) can signal the onset of a cystitis or UTI. In the very early stages symptoms are not consistent. Piggies can have red pees that test free of blood and then the odd clear pee that scores high on blood content (believe me, I have been there!)

Keep your piggies under observation and see a vet during regular consultation hours once you know which one has the problem. It can take a few days. Don't panic.

Several urinary tract problems present with very similar symptoms. Your vet will treat from the most common to the more difficult to diagnose. A good vet will generally feel the bladder. If it is still soft and relaxed, then there is no immediate worry about stones.
The usual treatment is to start with an antibiotic and analgesic for a bacterial urine infection.
If symptoms do not disappear or get worse, please see the vet again and work your way through an x-ray for stones down to a cystitis, which is a non-bacterial inflammation of the bladder walls. If that is recurring, we talk of interstitial cystitis (IC), which can only be managed until it goes away on its own, usually in a matter of years rater than months. The good news is that IC doesn't cause bladder stones and doesn't shorten the life span.
 
Right so I have now worked out it is Flash who is affected. She is squeaking a little in pain while peeing and it is a redish colour. Her backside is also wet with pee and she stinks but I'm not sure whether to bath her or not as I don't want to stress her but equally I don't want her to get urine scalds. Can I safely give her a little wash?
Also Flash has lost 100g in a month. I assume this is quite a worrying amount? Can't be sure if part of it is because she is old now around 5 years old.

I will be making a vet appointment tomorrow at an exotics vet. But still want to be armed with as much info as possible.
Thanks
 
Hank288 said:
Right so I have now worked out it is Flash who is affected. She is squeaking a little in pain while peeing and it is a redish colour. Her backside is also wet with pee and she stinks but I'm not sure whether to bath her or not as I don't want to stress her but equally I don't want her to get urine scalds. Can I safely give her a little wash?
Also Flash has lost 100g in a month. I assume this is quite a worrying amount? Can't be sure if part of it is because she is old now around 5 years old.

I will be making a vet appointment tomorrow at an exotics vet. But still want to be armed with as much info as possible.
Thanks
Click to expand...

PLease have her seen promptly!
100g is definitely a weight loss that needs to be seen by a vet even if there were no other symptoms.
A strong stale smell is pointing towards a cystitis rather than a UTI in my experience (meaning that there is more likely an irritation in the bladder), but please also have her uterus checked. My Cariad turned out to have a problem with it and needed an emergency spay when I assumed she had yet another very smelly and very leaky cystitis in the wake of a fast developing bladder stone only a few month earlier.

All the best!
 
Wiebke said:
Intensely red coloured pees (porphyrine, not blood) can signal the onset of a cystitis or UTI. In the very early stages symptoms are not consistent. Piggies can have red pees that test free of blood and then the odd clear pee that scores high on blood content (believe me, I have been there!)

Keep your piggies under observation and see a vet during regular consultation hours once you know which one has the problem. It can take a few days. Don't panic.

Several urinary tract problems present with very similar symptoms. Your vet will treat from the most common to the more difficult to diagnose. A good vet will generally feel the bladder. If it is still soft and relaxed, then there is no immediate worry about stones.
The usual treatment is to start with an antibiotic and analgesic for a bacterial urine infection.
If symptoms do not disappear or get worse, please see the vet again and work your way through an x-ray for stones down to a cystitis, which is a non-bacterial inflammation of the bladder walls. If that is recurring, we talk of interstitial cystitis (IC), which can only be managed until it goes away on its own, usually in a matter of years rater than months. The good news is that IC doesn't cause bladder stones and doesn't shorten the life span.
Click to expand...
nice read . I needed this info too
 
Got her an appointment at Ashleigh vets in Manchester today. Will update you later xx
 
Hope all went well at the vets Hannah and you've got to the bottom of Flash's problem!
 
Sorry didn't update sooner. To be honest I wasn't as impressed with the vets as I usually am.

She felt her bladder and says it felt soft but was obviously sore to the touch as she was squeaking a fair bit. Checked her teeth and said they were perfect and she wasn't worried about the weight loss as she is older but is still a great weight for an adult sow. Basically she suggested it could be kidney failure or a stone but said she couldn't feel evidence of a stone. She said most likely outcome was cystitis or and infection but first wanted to do an x-ray and blood test at a cost of £200.
So basically I asked for painkillers and antibiotics instead to try that first before spending all that money. If Flash had looked unwell or been lethargic I would have said yes but she is pretty much her self just peeing a funny colour. So we have Metacam, 0.6mls twice and day and Marbocyl 0.6mls once per day for 7 days. I am also giving Flash probiotics twice a day as well. So far she is looking much perkier but only time will tell.
Thanks everyone
 
Hank288 said:
Sorry didn't update sooner. To be honest I wasn't as impressed with the vets as I usually am.

She felt her bladder and says it felt soft but was obviously sore to the touch as she was squeaking a fair bit. Checked her teeth and said they were perfect and she wasn't worried about the weight loss as she is older but is still a great weight for an adult sow. Basically she suggested it could be kidney failure or a stone but said she couldn't feel evidence of a stone. She said most likely outcome was cystitis or and infection but first wanted to do an x-ray and blood test at a cost of £200.
So basically I asked for painkillers and antibiotics instead to try that first before spending all that money. If Flash had looked unwell or been lethargic I would have said yes but she is pretty much her self just peeing a funny colour. So we have Metacam, 0.6mls twice and day and Marbocyl 0.6mls once per day for 7 days. I am also giving Flash probiotics twice a day as well. So far she is looking much perkier but only time will tell.
Thanks everyone
Click to expand...
Guinea pigs squeak anyway when you touch them in the bladder area, i dont know how vets know the difference between this and pain
 
Skypipdot said:
Guinea pigs squeak anyway when you touch them in the bladder area, i dont know how vets know the difference between this and pain
Click to expand...

That’s what vets are trained to do - examine and identify any signs of discomfort. I’ve never heard mine squeak when examined unless they have a problem. It’s part of my vet’s routine examination procedure as far as I am aware.
 
Hank288 said:
Sorry didn't update sooner. To be honest I wasn't as impressed with the vets as I usually am.

She felt her bladder and says it felt soft but was obviously sore to the touch as she was squeaking a fair bit. Checked her teeth and said they were perfect and she wasn't worried about the weight loss as she is older but is still a great weight for an adult sow. Basically she suggested it could be kidney failure or a stone but said she couldn't feel evidence of a stone. She said most likely outcome was cystitis or and infection but first wanted to do an x-ray and blood test at a cost of £200.
So basically I asked for painkillers and antibiotics instead to try that first before spending all that money. If Flash had looked unwell or been lethargic I would have said yes but she is pretty much her self just peeing a funny colour. So we have Metacam, 0.6mls twice and day and Marbocyl 0.6mls once per day for 7 days. I am also giving Flash probiotics twice a day as well. So far she is looking much perkier but only time will tell.
Thanks everyone
Click to expand...


Let’s hope she continues to look perkier with her meds.
 
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