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8 year old piggy with a tumor is now peeing blood.

AbraCassandra

AbraCassandra

Junior Guinea Pig
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So my girl Kooky is 8...Just took her to the vet a couple months ago and sadly she has a huge tumor on her arm. The vet recommended not doing a biopsy because for her it would be very dangerous so my husband and I decided we'd watch her closely for any changes to know when it's time to let go. For days now I've heard her making random squeaks and squeals but didn't pay it much mind since she is still active and has a good appetite and still asks for pets often. Well tonight I decided to look a bit closer as she has her lighter colored fleece and I noticed a couple spots of blood here and there. Not bright red, very watered down. More pink. I watched her for a bit and saw her tense up, squeal a bit and pee blood. The problem is there are not only no vets around me that can see her...But we're also going to be snowed in for a few days...I have leftover Meloxicam from when my boy pig had back pain so now I'm giving it to her at a slightly higher dose because I figure, overdosing right now with the pain she might be in couldn't possibly make it worse...So it's double the dose the boy was given. Even though she's smaller. I have nothing else I can do now but wait and pray and hope the snow isn't as heavy as they're making it sound. I know most likely she won't survive any surgery she may need unless it's just a UTI.

She still has a huge voracious appetite. I'm going to try giving her more liquidy foods like her lettuce but soaked in water...Try to help her peep more? Maybe...
 
Hi, I’m very sorry but if she does have a uti, only antibiotics prescribed by a vet will make her better. Could you phone round vets and see if any of them will see her before the snow hits?
 
I think UTI is very possible and should be easily treatable with antibiotics. Considering her great age you might ask about a probiotic to offer her alongside as a precaution although not every pig is affected - mine have generally had no problems with Abs. Probiotics don't need a prescription - you can order them in but they're often stocked at vets for you to buy over-the-counter.

I don't know if older sows are like older human ladies - more prone to UTI as levels of oestrogen drop?
 
AbraCassandra said:
So my girl Kooky is 8...Just took her to the vet a couple months ago and sadly she has a huge tumor on her arm. The vet recommended not doing a biopsy because for her it would be very dangerous so my husband and I decided we'd watch her closely for any changes to know when it's time to let go. For days now I've heard her making random squeaks and squeals but didn't pay it much mind since she is still active and has a good appetite and still asks for pets often. Well tonight I decided to look a bit closer as she has her lighter colored fleece and I noticed a couple spots of blood here and there. Not bright red, very watered down. More pink. I watched her for a bit and saw her tense up, squeal a bit and pee blood. The problem is there are not only no vets around me that can see her...But we're also going to be snowed in for a few days...I have leftover Meloxicam from when my boy pig had back pain so now I'm giving it to her at a slightly higher dose because I figure, overdosing right now with the pain she might be in couldn't possibly make it worse...So it's double the dose the boy was given. Even though she's smaller. I have nothing else I can do now but wait and pray and hope the snow isn't as heavy as they're making it sound. I know most likely she won't survive any surgery she may need unless it's just a UTI.

She still has a huge voracious appetite. I'm going to try giving her more liquidy foods like her lettuce but soaked in water...Try to help her peep more? Maybe...
Click to expand...

Hi

Here are our very practical bridging care and older piggies care advice collection links. They contain all the tips and information to help you with looking after your old lady until you can see a vet. Bleeding from anus can be a sign of an infection but it can also point to a problem with the reproductive tract. If it is an infection, then symptoms should become more consistent over the coming days.
With the really old piggies like yours it is always a toss up whether the immune system or an organ gives ways first.

All the best!

Emergency, Crisis and Bridging Care until a Vet Appointment
Caring for Older Piggies and Facing the End - A practical and supportive information collection
 
Thanks all. Her normal vet 50 miles away is closed til monday but I used their app to ask for an appointment. Usually emergencies can be seen sooner so crossing our fingers. The ONLY other vet is 70 miles away and they only put guinea pigs to sleep : ( That's what I had to do with my other girl a couple years ago when tumors came out of her rear end at 11pm at night : ( so I'm having a bit of ptsd

So as for vets were unfortunately stuck waiting right now. There used to be one down the mountain (I'm in the california mountains. Not UK) but he retired.
 
I've been watching her for hours and she hasn't done any painful squeaking nor is she bleeding. I know so because I changed out her dirty blood dotted fleece with clean white ones and theres no new blood. It's been 6 hours. Could she has been possibly have a women's moment? I've never noticed her bleed before...Unless UTIs can come and go in severity.
 
AbraCassandra said:
I've been watching her for hours and she hasn't done any painful squeaking nor is she bleeding. I know so because I changed out her dirty blood dotted fleece with clean white ones and theres no new blood. It's been 6 hours. Could she has been possibly have a women's moment? I've never noticed her bleed before...Unless UTIs can come and go in severity.
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Hi

At the onset of any UTI or cystitis, you have very on and off symptoms, like a 'bloody' pee and then another one the following day; clear and bloody pees are very interspersed. In this case, the colouring is actually a natural dye called porphyrine - both red or clear pee can test high in blood or totally free of it (I have all those t-shirts in my cupboard). It tends to rather freak out owners. It takes on average about 5-7 days for symptoms to fully firm up with the full squeaking and when peeing and pooing.
Sheer blood/bleeding should always be seen promptly, especially if it is ongoing or repeating. Red pees are not an emergency unless symptoms of pain, apathy, loss of appetite/weight of over 50g in a short period make it so.

Sows do NOT bleed when they are in season and any bleeding from the reproductive duct needs to be taken very seriously indeed.

Please book a vet appointment for next week, as this should be checked out if you see more reddish pees in the coming days and them becoming more frequent and painful.
 
Wiebke said:
Hi

At the onset of any UTI or cystitis, you have very on and off symptoms, like a 'bloody' pee and then another one the following day; clear and bloody pees are very interspersed. In this case, the colouring is actually a natural dye called porphyrine - both red or clear pee can test high in blood or totally free of it (I have all those t-shirts in my cupboard). It tends to rather freak out owners. It takes on average about 5-7 days for symptoms to fully firm up with the full squeaking and when peeing and pooing.
Sheer blood/bleeding should always be seen promptly, especially if it is ongoing or repeating. Red pees are not an emergency unless symptoms of pain, apathy, loss of appetite/weight of over 50g in a short period make it so.

Sows do NOT bleed when they are in season and any bleeding from the reproductive duct needs to be taken very seriously indeed.

Please book a vet appointment for next week, as this should be checked out if you see more reddish pees in the coming days and them becoming more frequent and painful.
Click to expand...
As I've said, I'm going to get her to the vet as soon as I can. I already asked for an appointment but have to wait until monday for a response. When I made an appointment for my boy they couldn't see him for a whole month and that was ON a waiting list for cancellations. It's not easy in California. No one really cares about guinea pigs here. It was nice when we had one up where we live but he retired. The one down the mountain retired. All I've got left is the one 50 miles from me so that's what we're dealing with sadly. Good news is she still has a great appetite.
 
Thanks ladies! She's doing much better since giving her the meloxicam. I'm almost out of it though so hopefully they can see her before I'm out. Hopefdully it's just a UTI so they can give me antibiotics and maybe pain meds for her arthritis I can see it hurts her a bit to walk. My lil old lady...She's almost 8 1/2. Oct 1st was her 8th birthday.
 
Good luck at the vets. Wow 8 and a half is an amazing age. You are obviously taking great care of her.
 
George is on twice daily meloxicam for his arthritis. George also gets impacted so we ALL want him to move around as much as he can!

I recently started him on oxbow joint support 'tablets' which have surprised me by making a difference! I inherited half a pack from a friend whose elderly rabbit had died. The vet had a look and said these were OK. I was cynical but he liked them (as did my big fat girl Louise) so they both had one a day and after a week or so I noticed that George was really moving around a lot more than usual. Louise has no arthritis but she's had gritty pee so I thought 'what the heck - it's all glucosamine - maybe it'll help her bladder too'. They are pricey but I've bought another bag as things are going well - maybe worth a try?

https://www.amazon.com/Natural-Scie...1646651437&sprefix=oxbow+joint,aps,195&sr=8-2

I am the walrus.webp
 
Her vet in corona is allowing us to do a walk in and drop off. I'm sad that I can't stay with her and worried she'll be stressed. She'll be there all day.. Please pray for good news...
 
So Kooky may have a UTI. They did xrays and saw no stones. However when they tried to extract some urine for a test, she almost died. I heard her screaming from the waiting room and they told me she started having seizures and had to be dosed with something to stop the seizure and then she had to be put in an oxygen chamber.

To be safe, she sent me home with antibiotics. Apart from that kooky was FULL of gas too which explains her pain so the vet told me to get this 20mg simethicone for infants and give her 1ml a day 3 times a day. Also she's on more Meloxicam and another pain med. And we've ordered her a probiotic as well called Bene Bac

We're finally home...Kooky is very out of it but I managed to give her all her medications and even some of the anti gas...I really hope she didn't suffer any permanent damage from the visit because she is very wobbly right now as though she had a stroke...I'm hoping it's whatever they gave her for the seizure causing drowsiness...

In other news her tumor is in the soft tissue and has not spread. This vet as well recommended not even aspirating it since at her age if it's cancerous it doesn't matter much. Here is an xray, you can see how much gas she has, poor thing. And the tumor on her arm.
 

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So when I was at the vet for Kooky, In the previous thread, (8 year old piggy with a tumor is now peeing blood.) I mentioned when they were going to extract a urine sample with a needle they had tried to put her on her back, causing her to scream so loud that I heard her in the waiting room, she then went into a seizure and I said they gave her SOMETHING to calm her and stop the seizure. Well I just got the invoice. That something was Valium. The vet did NOT tell me to wait to give her her new meds until that wore off and I went ahead and gave her her two pain meds , her antibiotics and the anti gas medication as per the instructions... Since I got home my girl has been unmoving, it's been 7 hours now. She's breathing. But she has not pooped or peed at all. Her breathing is very regular but I'm scared that she's not pooping at all. I'm worried it's building up. I got her to eat some lettuce a couple hours ago but I had to put it right in front of her face...Jesus my poor girl.

The refund is for the urine collection they were unable to do but THAT is a Valium injection. Is that even OK for guinea pigs? Will my girl be OK tomorrow?
 

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They also told me to give her 1 ml of the infant anti gas liquid three times a day and that seems like an awful lot...Anyone else used this?
 
oh my lord i am horrified to read this. how awful. Firstly, i would have to say change vets! when ever we did fine needle aspiration on any animal when i was vet assistant (Ireland) it was at least under sedation, if not general anesthetic. I have no experience of it personally with any of my animals so each vet may be different, i am sure more knowledgeable people will be about soon regarding that. I would step in straight away and syringe feed as it sound to me as though you little one may be in shock. I am not qualified to say whether the meds are correct, but i really do think you need to syringe feed urgently, i hope she (and you) are ok, it just sounds absolutely unbelievable. xx
 
I hope Kooky is feeling more comfortable soon. Sending you a hug 🤗 and healing vibes to Kooky. ❤️
 
Sorry to hear this.
It’s morning now in the UK and most of our health experts are here so at some point one of them will be along and can help you.

All I can offer is support
 
I have merged your threads so that the information is all in one place.
I’m sorry I have no experience of Valium in guinea pigs. Will tag @PigglePuggle and @Wiebke.
I’ve not heard of trying to get a urine sample with a needle - my vets usually express the bladder if they haven’t been able to get one.
 
AbraCassandra said:
So when I was at the vet for Kooky, In the previous thread, (8 year old piggy with a tumor is now peeing blood.) I mentioned when they were going to extract a urine sample with a needle they had tried to put her on her back, causing her to scream so loud that I heard her in the waiting room, she then went into a seizure and I said they gave her SOMETHING to calm her and stop the seizure. Well I just got the invoice. That something was Valium. The vet did NOT tell me to wait to give her her new meds until that wore off and I went ahead and gave her her two pain meds , her antibiotics and the anti gas medication as per the instructions... Since I got home my girl has been unmoving, it's been 7 hours now. She's breathing. But she has not pooped or peed at all. Her breathing is very regular but I'm scared that she's not pooping at all. I'm worried it's building up. I got her to eat some lettuce a couple hours ago but I had to put it right in front of her face...Jesus my poor girl.

The refund is for the urine collection they were unable to do but THAT is a Valium injection. Is that even OK for guinea pigs? Will my girl be OK tomorrow?
Click to expand...

HUGS

OUCH

Never heard of valium given to a piggy and never heard of a urine sample needing a needle; you just express the bladder a little. :(
Piggies will however scream with fright; especially at the vets. I have a boy who will cream his head off every time he needs his nails cut - and he is one of my bigger bullies (but physically a total coward)...

Here is our practical care information on bloating/GI stasis care (which is pretty much the same): Digestive Disorders: Diarrhea - Bloat - GI Stasis (No Gut Movement) And Not Eating

This is not a guide I like to link into any post but it will hopefully help you in case this has been too much for your old lady; especially with it being a weekend and in view of the time difference between California and UK, so you know exactly what to look out for and what you can do at all stages should it come to the very worst and her body is closing down: Digestive Disorders: Diarrhea - Bloat - GI Stasis (No Gut Movement) And Not Eating
 
Yea they didn't actually get to the needle part. That was going to be the $231 cost. She freaked out when she was put on her back for the needle part and went into a seizure and then was given the Valium. I just checked her, it's the next day. She's still alive...But still very still and wobbly...However she is slowly working on a piece of romaine lettuce that I soaked in water to try to help get her hydrated. Afterwards I'll give her her medicines again.

I feel like, for being an old piggy, maybe they should have done something less stressful to get the urine like people have said, pressing the bladder.

And to the ones saying change her vet, well...As I said before, finding a vet here is Cali is hard : ( her regular vet wouldn't have seen her til May 2nd and I had called about 5 diff numbers and drove almost 2 hours for this one yesterday because they blessedly were willing to see her. She just has a follow up in two weeks but I'm not going to allow them to try this again. JUST to see if these antibiotics worked or if we need to try a different one.

Here she is just now working on the lettuce. Still acting VERY tired...Just 2 days ago she'd attack food with such gusto. It's probably what caused all the gas : ( I'm just thankful that she is eating...Even though I've had to syringe critical care and water into her last night.


She just tried to clean her face but couldn't stay balanced and fell over and is now trying with one hand. Does anyone know how long the valium should stay in her system?
 
Glad that she is still going.

PLEASE step in with feeding support. It is absolutely vital that you keep the gut going. Just one leaf of lettuce is not enough when she should get at least the equivalent of 40-60 ml into her over the course of 24 hours. Guinea pigs cannot fast, unfortunately; there gut will slow down and then close down rather quickly - especially in the elderly.
Whether she likes it or not; on this point you have to be tough.
All About Syringe Feeding and Medicating Guinea Pigs with Videos and Pictures
 
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