Blood in urine, emergency vets?

[Lake24]

Hello, my female Guinea pig has just weed this bright red urine. She hasn’t eaten anything which I think could have caused it to become this colour. She does seem in some discomfort but no squeaking or anything that I have noticed. She is eating and moving around. She has also jsut had quite a soft poo. Does this need an emergency vet?

Thank you in advance from a very panicked Guinea pig parent!

 

[CTWC]

Hi there I'm not expert but hope someone will be on here soon.
Put down a light coloured towel or sheet to monitor what is happening. Start weighing every morning to look for any signs of illness

 

[CTWC]

What signs of discomfort is she showing?

 

[Lake24]

What signs of discomfort is she showing?

She’s just not herself (as unhelpful as that is!), very restless when I got her out of the cage where she would usually fall straight asleep on somebodies lap. She is moving around and has had a little run around in free roam time so isn’t super unhappy but not right at all. As I’m writing this though she has started to make some very quiet and different squeaking sounds whilst walking around but doesn’t appear to be trying to wee or poo whilst doing it

 

[CTWC]

I would call your vet x

 

[CTWC]

Follow your instinct you know her best and if you say something isn't right then trust yourself

 

[weepweeps]

I agree. You know her best. If she’s not herself then get her seen by the vets. Good luck

 

[Wiebke]

Hello, my female Guinea pig has just weed this bright red urine. She hasn’t eaten anything which I think could have caused it to become this colour. She does seem in some discomfort but no squeaking or anything that I have noticed. She is eating and moving around. She has also jsut had quite a soft poo. Does this need an emergency vet?

Thank you in advance from a very panicked Guinea pig parent!

Hi

Sheer blood counts as an emergency; bloody urine does not. The intense red is more likely caused by a natural dye called porphyrin, which is characteristic for the onset of a urinary tract infection, whether that is a sterile (the old name is interstitial cystitis/IC) or a bacterial (baterial) one. Symptoms for either infection can take a few days to manifest fully. At the start it is all rather hit and miss.

As your girl is still eating, this is not a life or death emergency. Any sheer bleeding from the anus should also be checked in sows, in case it comes from the urinary tract but unless there is persistent bleeding or a large amount (which this isn't) it can wait until tomorrow.

See whether you can get one of the free slots for the day when you ring up your vets first thing tomorrow morning. Please switch from weighing once weekly on your normal kitchen scales to weighing first thing in the morning before feeding for best day to day comparison. The poos can only tell you what has happened a day ago; the scales will tell you how much a piggy is eating now; looser poos can be a symptom of pain or lack of hay intake. Keep in mind that over three quarters of what a piggy eats in a day is hay, which you cannot control by eye.

Here is some helpful information about problems with the urinary tract: Wiebke's Guide to Pees and Stones

This guide explains the different methods you use for health monitoring and weight checking your piggy and what each method brings to the table so you can assess and monitor any weight loss or illness much better and can put it into the correct perspective.
Weight Loss Explained: BMI, Weighing, Poos and Feeding Support

All the best!

If there is a sudden problem (which I don't expect), here is our emergency care collection to make sure that you have access to all the necessary tips and practical information as we are late evening now and going into a weekend.
Emergency and Crisis Care as well as Bridging Care until a Vet Appointment

 

[CTWC]

Wiekbe to the rescue as always x

 

[Lake24]

Hi

Sheer blood counts as an emergency; bloody urine does not. The intense red is more likely caused by a natural dye called porphyrin, which is characteristic for the onset of a urinary tract infection, whether that is a sterile (the old name is interstitial cystitis/IC) or a bacterial (baterial) one. Symptoms for either infection can take a few days to manifest fully. At the start it is all rather hit and miss.

As your girl is still eating, this is not a life or death emergency. Any sheer bleeding from the anus should also be checked in sows, in case it comes from the urinary tract but unless there is persistent bleeding or a large amount (which this isn't) it can wait until tomorrow.

See whether you can get one of the free slots for the day when you ring up your vets first thing tomorrow morning. Please switch from weighing once weekly on your normal kitchen scales to weighing first thing in the morning before feeding for best day to day comparison. The poos can only tell you what has happened a day ago; the scales will tell you how much a piggy is eating now; looser poos can be a symptom of pain or lack of hay intake. Keep in mind that over three quarters of what a piggy eats in a day is hay, which you cannot control by eye.

Here is some helpful information about problems with the urinary tract: Wiebke's Guide to Pees and Stones

This guide explains the different methods you use for health monitoring and weight checking your piggy and what each method brings to the table so you can assess and monitor any weight loss or illness much better and can put it into the correct perspective.
Weight Loss Explained: BMI, Weighing, Poos and Feeding Support

All the best!

If there is a sudden problem (which I don't expect), here is our emergency care collection to make sure that you have access to all the necessary tips and practical information as we are late evening now and going into a weekend.
Emergency and Crisis Care as well as Bridging Care until a Vet Appointment

Thank you so much for the reassurance! In my head I have been thinking she will be fine until the morning due to eating etc but I just got in a bit of a fluster as I hate the thought of them in pain! I introduced a third piggy to my original two about three weeks ago now and feel the biggest stress with the bonding and change in dynamics has been on this particular girl so I’m feeling a little bit guilty too!

She is still eating plenty of hay so I’m not sure what could be causing the loose poos. I will read the guides you have linked and will keep a close eye on her overnight and call the vets first thing tomorrow who are usually very good with appointments!

Thank you again, the reassurance means a lot to me!

 

[Wiebke]

Thank you so much for the reassurance! In my head I have been thinking she will be fine until the morning due to eating etc but I just got in a bit of a fluster as I hate the thought of them in pain! I introduced a third piggy to my original two about three weeks ago now and feel the biggest stress with the bonding and change in dynamics has been on this particular girl so I’m feeling a little bit guilty too!

She is still eating plenty of hay so I’m not sure what could be causing the loose poos. I will read the guides you have linked and will keep a close eye on her overnight and call the vets first thing tomorrow who are usually very good with appointments!

Thank you again, the reassurance means a lot to me!

If necessary, take your piggy off fresh veg for a day or two and see whether that does firm up the poos. In many cases, this is all that is needed to settle things if the gut microbiome is slightly disturbed. It won't if the soft poos are caused by a source of pain outside the gut.

All the best with seeing the vet. Ask them to check/palpate for a potential stone in case that is the source of the pain if they don't do it automatically. In a sow, it could either sit in the bladder or have fetched up in the urethra just short of the exit, so the bits look a little swollen; especially the area just above. This not to frighten you but to hopefully exclude it right from the start.

 

[Lake24]

If necessary, take your piggy off fresh veg for a day or two and see whether that does firm up the poos. In many cases, this is all that is needed to settle things if the gut microbiome is slightly disturbed. It won't if the soft poos are caused by a source of pain outside the gut.

All the best with seeing the vet. Ask them to check/palpate for a potential stone in case that is the source of the pain if they don't do it automatically. In a sow, it could either sit in the bladder or have fetched up in the urethra just short of the exit, so the bits look a little swollen; especially the area just above. This not to frighten you but to hopefully exclude it right from the start.

Thank you very much, my very trusted exotic vet has recently moved away so I will definitely make sure to be asking!

 

[CTWC]

Morning do keep us all updated

 

[Lake24]

So she went to the vets today and was prescribed some antibiotics and pain relief, they didn’t seem too worried about her aslong as she gets better. I am a little concerned about stones however the exotic vets had no specialised exotic vets working today! She does seem much happier so am going to keep a very close eye and see how she goes over the next few days and then will take her back again if needed!

Thank you again for everybodies help!

 

[CTWC]

Take care and thank you for the update

 

[Wiebke]

So she went to the vets today and was prescribed some antibiotics and pain relief, they didn’t seem too worried about her aslong as she gets better. I am a little concerned about stones however the exotic vets had no specialised exotic vets working today! She does seem much happier so am going to keep a very close eye and see how she goes over the next few days and then will take her back again if needed!

Thank you again for everybodies help!

Thank you for the update. My feeling is that you are dealing with a urinary tract infection of some kind. A bacterial urine infection (UTI) can be treated by an antibiotic; with a sterile (i.e. non-bacterial) infection (sterile IC) the antibiotic won't work or can only temporarily suppress symptoms so you and your vet will have to take it from there. Sterile cystitis is now the most common urinary tract infection indoors guinea pigs where UTI has become pretty rare.

All the best.