Rectal bleeding, no other symptoms (male pig, 4-5 yrs)

[weepiggy]

Hi all,

I just made an account here to ask for some advice and insight as I wait to take Merry to the vet this afternoon. A few weeks ago he came down with a case of bloat and was treated with Metoclopramide and a fibre supplement. He recovered well within a few days and regained his appetite. I noticed in the midst of his treatment quite a lot of blood in the cage. I examined Merry and couldn't determine where it was coming from. That was when I took him back to the vet, who said that it could just be a little tear from his constipation and that it would go away.

It didn't go away. Merry has been bleeding here and there throughout his cage, and today in particular it seems there's even more. There is even a little blood around his genitals (mostly his rectum, I think). Nothing in his behaviour betrays any pain or discomfort; he's curious, vocal, and just as cuddly as ever. His appetite and energy is fine too. I'm just so worried about him because a month or so ago we had to have his cage-mate put to sleep after a sudden and vicious onset of bladder stones, and then the bloat with Merry, and now the bleeding.

The financial strain has been so emotionally exhausting. I can just barely afford to take him to the vet again today, and I expect they will want to do an x-ray too. I just want wee Merry to be okay.

Has anyone else had the same issue and any experience in handling it? Even if he's treated today, what if it comes back again? I think the x-ray will probably be the best call, but what if the vet just says that it's from the prior constipation he had and it'll heal in time? What if they're wrong? I just can't relax.

 

[Truffolo]

Sending support, I hope Merry will be OK

 

[Piggies&buns]

I dont have any specific advice - I’ve not had bleeding like this occur in any of my pigs. It definitely warrants further investigation though.

I also have never experienced bleeding with a bout of bloat.
Piggies do not get constipated though - it’s just not what happens with them (lack of poop is due to lack of food intake, not constipation).

Let us know how you get on at the vet. I hope he is ok

 

[Freela]

No experience, my only bleeding experiences have been with female pigs and were more connected to bladder or uterine problems, not rectal bleeding. I hope the vet can figure it out, though. It might be worth putting him somewhere on a clean, white towel until he pees, just to be sure that the blood isn't coming from the bladder (some UTIs can look alarmingly bloody but still be mixed with urine!) It just might save a step in telling the vet where the blood is coming from, if he has a wet patch of pee that is obviously normal or obviously bloody, it could save you and your vet some steps in knowing what to treat.

 

[Wiebke]

Hi and welcome

The persistent bleeding is not something we have seen in boars before on here. Is it sheer light blood or intensely dark red/maroon drying bloody urine?

Please have the whole urinary tract checked for potential stones or cancerous growths and also his penis shaft (although that can easily pick up freshly excreted blood from the floor). However a semen rod stuck in there can cause bleeding and infections.

Wishing you all the best.

 

[weepiggy]

No experience, my only bleeding experiences have been with female pigs and were more connected to bladder or uterine problems, not rectal bleeding. I hope the vet can figure it out, though. It might be worth putting him somewhere on a clean, white towel until he pees, just to be sure that the blood isn't coming from the bladder (some UTIs can look alarmingly bloody but still be mixed with urine!) It just might save a step in telling the vet where the blood is coming from, if he has a wet patch of pee that is obviously normal or obviously bloody, it could save you and your vet some steps in knowing what to treat.

Thank you for your response!

The vet doesn't think it's rectal bleeding. During his examination he found that Merry showed signs of discomfort when his bladder was being pressed on - but the vet didn't feel any stones at all, so he believes it's most likely a UTI at this stage.

It's hard to tell what the urine mixed with blood would look like in the sawdust. To me it looks like blood and nothing else, but then it could be urine too! He put Merry on a course of strong antibiotics to treat any potential UTI's. He said that most of the time it's a UTI as guinea pigs are quite prone to them, so I'm really hoping it will clear up and I won't have to take him back for an x-ray.

 

[weepiggy]

Hi and welcome

The persistent bleeding is not something we have seen in boars before on here. Is it sheer light blood or intensely dark red/maroon drying bloody urine?

Please have the whole urinary tract checked for potential stones or cancerous growths and also his penis shaft (although that can easily pick up freshly excreted blood from the floor). However a semen rod stuck in there can cause bleeding and infections.

Wishing you all the best.

Hi - thank you for responding

Unfortunately we were unable to extract a urine sample for Merry while at the vet's, but he did perform a physical examination and found that Merry displayed signs of discomfort around his bladder, though the vet didn't feel any stones. Merry's genitals look perfectly fine - no swelling or discharge or anything like that, but I will have to look into examining and cleaning the penis area for him. I never knew owners needed to do that!

 

[weepiggy]

I dont have any specific advice - I’ve not had bleeding like this occur in any of my pigs. It definitely warrants further investigation though.

I also have never experienced bleeding with a bout of bloat.
Piggies do not get constipated though - it’s just not what happens with them (lack of poop is due to lack of food intake, not constipation).

Let us know how you get on at the vet. I hope he is ok

I'm wondering if the potential UTI (the vet was unable to extract a urine sample during the visit) is related in any way to the bloat because it started in the middle of the bloat and has persisted after the bloat has been treated.

The vet said that most of the time it does come down to a UTI, and during the physical examination he found that Merry is uncomfortable around his bladder, but the vet didn't feel any stones. He prescribed a course of antibiotics for the next 10 days to see if Merry will improve, and if not I'll return for an x-ray. In the meantime, if he shows any other symptoms during the next 10 days that signal something is wrong, I'll take him back. I'm so worried about my boy :'(

 

[weepiggy]

Sending support, I hope Merry will be OK

Thank you so much. I do too :'(

 

[Piggies&buns]

Has he been given any painkillers?

A bacterial urinary tract infection is caused by faecal bacteria getting into the urinary tract. They absolutely do happen but actually the most common type of urinary issue in indoor piggies is sterile cystitis which is a non-bacterial issue.

I’ve added our guide below which explains everything urinary further

Wiebke's Guide to Pees and Stones

 

[Wiebke]

Hi - thank you for responding

Unfortunately we were unable to extract a urine sample for Merry while at the vet's, but he did perform a physical examination and found that Merry displayed signs of discomfort around his bladder, though the vet didn't feel any stones. Merry's genitals look perfectly fine - no swelling or discharge or anything like that, but I will have to look into examining and cleaning the penis area for him. I never knew owners needed to do that!

Hi

The bladder may need a closer look in case the bleeding has another cause than an infection. The blood pictures could be either - including naturally produced porphyrin dye, which is characteristic for an infection, drying to dark maroon. Sheer blood in the urine is usually drying into mid-browns.

Has your vet prescribed any medication?

Here is our boar care guide link: Boar Care: Bits, Bums & Baths

 

[weepiggy]

Has he been given any painkillers?

A bacterial urinary tract infection is caused by faecal bacteria getting into the urinary tract. They absolutely do happen but actually the most common type of urinary issue in indoor piggies is sterile cystitis which is a non-bacterial issue.

I’ve added our guide below which explains everything urinary further

Wiebke's Guide to Pees and Stones

Thank you for the resource - I'll have a look at that. He was prescribed a course of antibiotics to start tonight. I had never heard of the little anal pouch before, so I went in with a cotton bud and cleared out a lot of gunk that had accumulated. I also examined his penis, but it's very clean and healthy looking.

 

[weepiggy]

Hi

The bladder may need a closer look in case the bleeding has another cause than an infection. The blood pictures could be either - including naturally produced porphyrin dye, which is characteristic for an infection, drying to dark maroon. Sheer blood in the urine is usually drying into mid-browns.

Has your vet prescribed any medication?

Here is our boar care guide link: Boar Care: Bits, Bums & Baths

When I see the blood in the cage, it is usually wet. Merry has been prescribed a course of antibiotics, so I'll start the treatment with those tonight. I think the vet's intention is to rule out a UTI first. What I am concerned about with his urination is that I haven't found any damp patches in his cage, only the patches of blood - could that mean that the blood patches are mixed with urine? He has to be urinating somehow!

 

[Truffolo]

While Merry is taking antibiotics a probiotic may be helpful to keep the good bacteria in his intestines healthy as antibiotics can affect them. I think Benebac is popular with piggy owners. You might know it already. I hope things settle down, poor piggy

 

[Wiebke]

When I see the blood in the cage, it is usually wet. Merry has been prescribed a course of antibiotics, so I'll start the treatment with those tonight. I think the vet's intention is to rule out a UTI first. What I am concerned about with his urination is that I haven't found any damp patches in his cage, only the patches of blood - could that mean that the blood patches are mixed with urine? He has to be urinating somehow!

It looks more like red urine than sheer blood to me.

 

[Wheekallweek]

Aw poor Merry. Hopefully the antibiotics do the trick and he'll be feeling better in no time.
As @Truffolo has said, a probiotic may help his tummy whilst he is on them

 

[weepiggy]

While Merry is taking antibiotics a probiotic may be helpful to keep the good bacteria in his intestines healthy as antibiotics can affect them. I think Benebac is popular with piggy owners. You might know it already. I hope things settle down, poor piggy

Yes, I've heard of probiotics given in tandem with antibiotics. I can't seem to find Benebac - I do see one called Protexin on Amazon, if that's any good at all? All I have at home currently is a leftover fibre supplement the vet had given me for Merry while he was being treated for bloat.

Bene Bac Pet | Healthy Intestinal Flora | Order - is this the right one?

I hope things settle down too! My heart can't rest while I know my wee baby isn't at 100%.

 

[weepiggy]

It looks more like red urine than sheer blood to me.

That's such a relief to hear. I had a conversation with a friend earlier who said the same thing due to it soaking through to the substratum. The only thing is that he was bleeding/urinating a lot throughout today, but less so this evening. It's hard not to obsess over the smallest of changes.

 

[weepiggy]

Aw poor Merry. Hopefully the antibiotics do the trick and he'll be feeling better in no time.
As @Truffolo has said, a probiotic may help his tummy whilst he is on them

Thank you - I hope so too!

 

[Wiebke]

That's such a relief to hear. I had a conversation with a friend earlier who said the same thing due to it soaking through to the substratum. The only thing is that he was bleeding/urinating a lot throughout today, but less so this evening. It's hard not to obsess over the smallest of changes.

You may find this link and the chapter on infections of the urinary tract helpful; they give a bit of an overview over the different types so you may get a bit better idea of what you are dealing with: Wiebke's Guide to Pees and Stones

Please note that peeing and pooing is never quite regular. The more you hover, the more things jump around. Urinary tract infections present with very similar symptoms initially, which makes things additionally confusing. They can also take up to a week to develop fully and consistently. Please also accept that antibiotics build up over the course of several days to full efficiency and then gradually peter out again once they are stopped; they are not instant, unlike a painkiller.

 

[piggieminder]

Protexin Fibreplex is a good probiotic and the one I prefer to use. I don't know about Benebac, it's used widely in the USA but I've not seen it available here.

I hope Merry gets well very soon.

 

[Ramia]

Protexin Fibreplex is a good probiotic and the one I prefer to use. I don't know about Benebac, it's used widely in the USA but I've not seen it available here.

I hope Merry gets well very soon.

I found benebac didn't work so I started poo soup and it did wonders after two weeks, but you can try it.

 

[weepiggy]

You may find this link and the chapter on infections of the urinary tract helpful; they give a bit of an overview over the different types so you may get a bit better idea of what you are dealing with: Wiebke's Guide to Pees and Stones

Please note that peeing and pooing is never quite regular. The more you hover, the more things jump around. Urinary tract infections present with very similar symptoms initially, which makes things additionally confusing. They can also take up to a week to develop fully and consistently. Please also accept that antibiotics build up over the course of several days to full efficiency and then gradually peter out again once they are stopped; they are not instant, unlike a painkiller.

Thank you - I read the chapter and it was very helpful. I've had Merry out with me for an hour and a half and he hasn't urinated at all, but he's pooing just fine and sprawled out relaxing. I really don't think he has went at all since he has come home from the vet.

 

[weepiggy]

Thank you - I read the chapter and it was very helpful. I've had Merry out with me for an hour and a half and he hasn't urinated at all, but he's pooing just fine and sprawled out relaxing. I really don't think he has went at all since he has come home from the vet.

... A minute later he flooded. Everywhere. ^^;;

 

[weepiggy]

I found benebac didn't work so I started poo soup and it did wonders after two weeks, but you can try it.

Ah, yes - I've heard of the poo soup. Unfortunately Merry is a solo piggy. He lost his cage-mate a few weeks ago, so it's been a lot for him to adjust to while combating bloat and now a potential UTI.

 

[weepiggy]

Protexin Fibreplex is a good probiotic and the one I prefer to use. I don't know about Benebac, it's used widely in the USA but I've not seen it available here.

I hope Merry gets well very soon.

That's great, thank you. I hope so too!

 

[Truffolo]

Yes, I've heard of probiotics given in tandem with antibiotics. I can't seem to find Benebac - I do see one called Protexin on Amazon, if that's any good at all? All I have at home currently is a leftover fibre supplement the vet had given me for Merry while he was being treated for bloat.

Bene Bac Pet | Healthy Intestinal Flora | Order - is this the right one?

I hope things settle down too! My heart can't rest while I know my wee baby isn't at 100%.
[/QUOTE

Protexin is fine

 

[weepiggy]

Hi all,

Merry has been on a course of antibiotics to treat what the vet believes to be a UTI. He's back to being himself as far as I can tell and has been on the antibiotics for over a week with no bleeding. This morning however I saw blood in the cage again. No idea what to do - would it still be a UTI? Doesn't make sense ):

 

[weepiggy]

Hi all,

An update on Merry from my previous post - the vet prescribed him a 10 day course of antibiotics for what he suspected to be a UTI. Merry hasn't bled in the last 10 days whatsoever and is back to himself, although last night and this morning there has been some blood in the cage again. Today is his last day on his antibiotics and I don't know what to do. He appears to be himself - very energetic, lively, good appetite, curious and bright-eyed. I did notice what I thought to be some squeaking but he was pooing rather than urinating, and his poos have all been normal.

I'm very worried about him especially because I thought he was finally getting better, only to be hit with the sight of new blood. ):

 

[Piggies&buns]

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