Spayed sow guinea pig intermittent bleeding

[ceciliaxdee]

Hello all,

hoping someone can offer advice or experiences with this situation. I have a 1.5 year old female guinea pig who had fresh blood coming from her vagina/anus/bottom area early May. I took her to two different exotic vets for opinions and they ruled out UTI or stones. We had her spayed with ovaries removed but uterus was left in. The exotic vet who did the spay ruled out pyometra and said her uterus only showed slight inflammation and that it would settle after the hormones leave and ovaries removed.

She started bleeding again 2 weeks ago (7 weeks after spay). Before bleeding she always starts to have diarrhoea and pain passing stools. She’ll bleed a bit and then it will go away and her stools return to normal. Her weight is stable (995g) and she’s eating. The intermittent bleeding comes back and goes away completely, the amount of blood has decreased since her spay. However it has happened again after 2 weeks since last occurrence. The exotic vet did an ultrasound and did not find anything aside from slight inflammation of the uterus. He suggested waiting another month or two to see if it settles down after the spay and if not then we’ll remove her uterus. He also thinks the blood on the poo is from the uterus and the pain is causing her to have the diarrhoea.
I’m wondering if anyone has advice or experience with anything similar.
I’m managing it with meloxicam, tramadol and probiotics when she has the bleeds/discomfort and stopping when it settles.

Pictures:

 

[Wiebke]

Hello all,

hoping someone can offer advice or experiences with this situation. I have a 1.5 year old female guinea pig who had fresh blood coming from her vagina/anus/bottom area early May. I took her to two different exotic vets for opinions and they ruled out UTI or stones. We had her spayed with ovaries removed but uterus was left in. The exotic vet who did the spay ruled out pyometra and said her uterus only showed slight inflammation and that it would settle after the hormones leave and ovaries removed.

She started bleeding again 2 weeks ago (7 weeks after spay). Before bleeding she always starts to have diarrhoea and pain passing stools. She’ll bleed a bit and then it will go away and her stools return to normal. Her weight is stable (995g) and she’s eating. The intermittent bleeding comes back and goes away completely, the amount of blood has decreased since her spay. However it has happened again after 2 weeks since last occurrence. The exotic vet did an ultrasound and did not find anything aside from slight inflammation of the uterus. He suggested waiting another month or two to see if it settles down after the spay and if not then we’ll remove her uterus. He also thinks the blood on the poo is from the uterus and the pain is causing her to have the diarrhoea.
I’m wondering if anyone has advice or experience with anything similar.
I’m managing it with meloxicam, tramadol and probiotics when she has the bleeds/discomfort and stopping when it settles.

Pictures:

Hi!

I am sorry; I have only got experience with complete removal of the reproductive tract (and no further complications). This is a complication I have also not come across on this forum so I cannot tell you where the pain issue is located and what is causing the bleeding.

 

[ceciliaxdee]

Hi!

I am sorry; I have only got experience with complete removal of the reproductive tract (and no further complications). This is a complication I have also not come across on this forum so I cannot tell you where the pain issue is located and what is causing the bleeding.

Thanks for your reply I’m wondering if the bleeding will settle down soon like the vet hopes once the hormones are gone since the ovaries were removed or if there’s something we’ve missed (I'm in Australia and the vets don’t remove the uterus as part of a spay - my vet did consider because of bleeding but he looked at the uterus during the spay and didn’t think it was required and if removed would be a larger surgery requiring an additional cut etc.)
I’m scared to put her through another surgery if it is actually not the uterus..

 

[Wiebke]

Thanks for your reply I’m wondering if the bleeding will settle down soon like the vet hopes once the hormones are gone since the ovaries were removed or if there’s something we’ve missed (I'm in Australia and the vets don’t remove the uterus as part of a spay - my vet did consider because of bleeding but he looked at the uterus during the spay and didn’t think it was required and if removed would be a larger surgery requiring an additional cut etc.)
I’m scared to put her through another surgery if it is actually not the uterus..

By now all operation scars should be long filly knitted (that only takes 10-14 days), unless strain has burst something? However, I would strongly assume that your vet will have checked for this possibility. Has your vet checked for any possible adhesion issues (including to the gut) in the course of the healing process? The reproductive and the urinary tract are nestled into and surrounded by the gut; it all very tightly packed in there. Any pain in one of the organs or the lower spine quickly radiates into the gut. This could account for the persistent pain.

However, I am not a vet nor do I have any formal medical training. I can go only by experience.

 

[Wiebke]

@PigglePuggle @Piggies&buns @VickiA

 

[VickiA]

Hi, I have had sows spayed laparoscopically with preservation of the uterus and none have had subsequent bleeding.
My sows who have had bleeding have all had complete removal of ovaries and uterus.

 

[ceciliaxdee]

Hi, I have had sows spayed laparoscopically with preservation of the uterus and none have had subsequent bleeding.
My sows who have had bleeding have all had complete removal of ovaries and uterus.

Thanks for your reply. I did ask for the uterus to be removed but the vet said he did not think it was necessary even with the bleeding as most bleeding is generated from the hormones in the ovaries. I’m just worried as the bleeding is still happening and I’m hoping it will settle down like he hopes

 

[ceciliaxdee]

By now all operation scars should be long filly knitted (that only takes 10-14 days), unless strain has burst something? However, I would strongly assume that your vet will have checked for this possibility. Has your vet checked for any possible adhesion issues (including to the gut) in the course of the healing process? The reproductive and the urinary tract are nestled into and surrounded by the gut; it all very tightly packed in there. Any pain in one of the organs or the lower spine quickly radiates into the gut. This could account for the persistent pain.

However, I am not a vet nor do I have any formal medical training. I can go only by experience.

Yes all the scars are healed and she was doing great until the bleeding started again I raised whether it would be something with the gut and he said very unlikely and that if it was it may be a polyp. But he said most likely it is coming from the uterus still but there’s a good chance it will settle down as she could still have hormone levels stimulating the bleeding since it is intermittent? I’m really hoping this is the case but seeing the bleeding is worrying me.

 

[Wiebke]

Yes all the scars are healed and she was doing great until the bleeding started again I raised whether it would be something with the gut and he said very unlikely and that if it was it may be a polyp. But he said most likely it is coming from the uterus still but there’s a good chance it will settle down as she could still have hormone levels stimulating the bleeding since it is intermittent? I’m really hoping this is the case but seeing the bleeding is worrying me.

The bleeding is not normal. It is likely that there could be something wrong with the uterus; they can go haywire, too. Not just the ovaries.

My Cariad needed an emergency spay in 2013 (just months after a bladder stone operation) because of her womb going badly wrong, including a likely cancerous lump in there. She was found to have some nasty looking cysts, too, incidentally.

 

[HeatherW]

On the off-chance that this is in any way helpful, my piglet was spayed recently. The vet removed her whole reproductive tract because they said her uterus had thickened and was distended due to the ovarian cysts. That's the only info I was given and I know it doesn't say much, but just putting it out there in case it may be relevant to your piggo. Sending big hugs!

 

[Free Ranger]

I've no experience here but I did read one post on this forum from a guy(?) whose piggy had occasional spots of bleeding and then he found something that looked frankly like a big long lump of flesh (a bit like stretchy liver?!) in the cage. She was apparently eating normally after although he was totally freaked out. I'm not sure whether he ever found out where it came from - whether uterine lining or actually a growth passed from the gut itself. This is probably not helpful at all (I wish I could find the post) but I suppose I'm saying that I'd want to be sure that the blood is definitely uterine in origin before going in for more surgery.

It looks like small amounts of fresh blood - it's bright red in colour - so you can see why a polyp might be a consideration. You have posted some good pics of the unusual poops. The only thing I am thinking is if it is something in the gut the blood MIGHT also be 'inside' the poop but blood which is uterine in origin would only be on the surface of the poops - coating them once they are fully formed. If you don't mind poking about in poops is that worth a look?

 

[ceciliaxdee]

On the off-chance that this is in any way helpful, my piglet was spayed recently. The vet removed her whole reproductive tract because they said her uterus had thickened and was distended due to the ovarian cysts. That's the only info I was given and I know it doesn't say much, but just putting it out there in case it may be relevant to your piggo. Sending big hugs!

Thanks so much for your response!

 

[ceciliaxdee]

I've no experience here but I did read one post on this forum from a guy(?) whose piggy had occasional spots of bleeding and then he found something that looked frankly like a big long lump of flesh (a bit like stretchy liver?!) in the cage. She was apparently eating normally after although he was totally freaked out. I'm not sure whether he ever found out where it came from - whether uterine lining or actually a growth passed from the gut itself. This is probably not helpful at all (I wish I could find the post) but I suppose I'm saying that I'd want to be sure that the blood is definitely uterine in origin before going in for more surgery.

It looks like small amounts of fresh blood - it's bright red in colour - so you can see why a polyp might be a consideration. You have posted some good pics of the unusual poops. The only thing I am thinking is if it is something in the gut the blood MIGHT also be 'inside' the poop but blood which is uterine in origin would only be on the surface of the poops - coating them once they are fully formed. If you don't mind poking about in poops is that worth a look?

Hi this is my exact thought, I don’t want to be putting her through surgery again if it’s not the uterus and the bleeding to continue again. I rush her to the vet every time the bleeding starts but by the time I get there it has fully stopped! The vet has done an ultrasound and couldn’t see anything. Did the usual checks of feeling around etc. Tested her urine and it was really healthy. I am puzzled!
That is a good suggestion. Her poo is back to normal now but the next time I will try and poke around more. It’s hard as when she has the bleeding the poos turn mushy so it looks all mixed in together.

 

[ceciliaxdee]

I should add I rescued her from a bad home where she lived in a bird aviary with birds and they were giving her away for free. Soon after I got her, I found an abscess (likely from her old environment). She was young and about 4 months old when she was put on baytril for a few months for the abscess (near the groin - in between one of back legs/knee and groin) and also had surgery for it. I always wonder if this is related and the months of antibiotics affected her gut somehow.

 

[ceciliaxdee]

Hi all, I just wanted to post an update that this resolved and hasn’t come back. Her cage mate (a desexed male) ended up having the same bloody poop symptoms. I took him to the vet who diagnosed him with a colitis/bacterial diarrhoea. He was prescribed Flagyl for 7 days, and it resolved. The next time Luna had blood, we put her on Flagyl and it resolved. The vet thinks it could have been a combination of uterine bleeding and also colitis over the last few months. She is doing really well now

 

[Wiebke]

Hi all, I just wanted to post an update that this resolved and hasn’t come back. Her cage mate (a desexed male) ended up having the same bloody poop symptoms. I took him to the vet who diagnosed him with a colitis/bacterial diarrhoea. He was prescribed Flagyl for 7 days, and it resolved. The next time Luna had blood, we put her on Flagyl and it resolved. The vet thinks it could have been a combination of uterine bleeding and also colitis over the last few months. She is doing really well now

Thank you for the update. We so often do never hear back. Such great news for you that the problem has been resolved and that your piggies are both well again now.

 

[Free Ranger]

It's always useful to get feedback and especially when it's a positive outcome because people who are Googling symptoms might get a lead from other folks' experience that helps their own pig. And of course it's great to hear your good news! She maybe did pick up something unpleasant from that aviary, poor girl, but I'm so pleased everyone is feeling better