-
Discussions taking place within this forum are intended for the purpose of assisting you in discussing options with your vet. Any other use of advice given here is done so at your risk, is solely your responsibility and not that of this forum or its owner. Before posting it is your responsibility you abide by this Statement
Blood in Urine or Pink Tinge?
- Thread starter Equinoxolive
- Start date
Free Ranger
Forum Donator 2023/24
Has piggy been eating beetroot? Or maybe beet leaves? Enough of these can give the pee a beetroot tinge... but unfortunately blood in urine is seen on here quite a lot. The most common causes would be infection or bladder stones/grit (and possibly both) although there are other causes that occasionally turn up. It can sting to pee and you might notice piggy hunching up or quietly squeaking when peeing or pooping. Not every pee will necessarily be blood-tinged but the next pee being clear doesn't mean they've got better on their own. Clear pee that goes an alarming orange colour over time is more of a normal thing - the orange is the pee oxidising but that does look more like pink. Is the bottom wet or 'dirty' looking? Or a wet tummy for boys? UTI can cause dripping as things inflame and piggy will try to hold in pees till the last minute if it stings. If you have a wet bottom/tummy it's a bit of a giveaway, and you should then also keep an eye on the back feet going pink/red at there is a risk of developing urine scald if they are wet all the time.
In your shoes I would brace myself and visit the vet - maybe phone in advance to get a pot if they need a pee sample (I put George in a plastic bowl until he produces and then pipette it up) because they can do a dip test for blood and they might want a microbe culture. But in the past my vet has just handed out antibiotic (typically Baytril for the first try - others are available if one doesn't work) and twice a day painkiller (metacam) to help poor piggy and suggested an x-ray (for stones) if the problem doesn't clear up. We don't normally jump straight in with x-ray because even if we've had a stone (and tbh there was more blood when we did) there's a decent chance of infection too. Some vets will give GA for x-ray but mine gets a good enough picture by swaddling piggy firmly in a towel. Cheaper for us and better for piggy. But usually a course of antibiotics clears the pee, the bottom stays dry again, and everyone is happy!
It might be wise - esp if you have to wait for an appointment - to weigh your poorly piggy every morning to monitor how much they are eating. They might not be showing pain but if the weight goes down day on day you know that they are in enough discomfort to affect them. A bit of up and down (say 30g) is normal.
Good luck, New Zealand piggy x
In your shoes I would brace myself and visit the vet - maybe phone in advance to get a pot if they need a pee sample (I put George in a plastic bowl until he produces and then pipette it up) because they can do a dip test for blood and they might want a microbe culture. But in the past my vet has just handed out antibiotic (typically Baytril for the first try - others are available if one doesn't work) and twice a day painkiller (metacam) to help poor piggy and suggested an x-ray (for stones) if the problem doesn't clear up. We don't normally jump straight in with x-ray because even if we've had a stone (and tbh there was more blood when we did) there's a decent chance of infection too. Some vets will give GA for x-ray but mine gets a good enough picture by swaddling piggy firmly in a towel. Cheaper for us and better for piggy. But usually a course of antibiotics clears the pee, the bottom stays dry again, and everyone is happy!
It might be wise - esp if you have to wait for an appointment - to weigh your poorly piggy every morning to monitor how much they are eating. They might not be showing pain but if the weight goes down day on day you know that they are in enough discomfort to affect them. A bit of up and down (say 30g) is normal.
Good luck, New Zealand piggy x
Equinoxolive
New Born Pup
Right so went to the vet before they shut. (Keep in mind our vets dont have access to some of thd options avaliable and we are extremely limited with exotic vets, our usual one was sick). So, they did an X-Ray, all clear, no signs of bladder sludge or stones. He did manage to pee at the clinic, she took a sample and it definetly was blood. But, we aren't exactly sure why. So, she prescribed him some Metacam (anti inflamatory) and said to take until Monday (it is Saturday today here), then if there was still doing it to come back.
His weight has remained the same, no changes in attitude or appetite. Any ideas on what it could be?
His weight has remained the same, no changes in attitude or appetite. Any ideas on what it could be?
Free Ranger
Forum Donator 2023/24
My money is on UTI then and antibiotics would be the next thing to try. It's a relief that there was nothing on x-ray! They can pick up UTI at any point but some factors can increase the risk.
Sows scent mark by rubbing their bits onto the ground and so we've seen more UTIs in our girls, but neutered George (on the left) also developed one at age 4 and a bit. It was about the same time he first started showing signs of impaction. This is sometimes seen in older boys: the anal sack gets a bit baggy and poops start to accumulate, getting bound up with the softer caecotrophs until it forms a little cork which can be difficult to pass. George is a shy boy and a bit chubby (turns out it was also the start of arthritis so he wasn't moving about so much) and when I turned him over for a good look I realised his penis wasn't actually visible as it was tucked away just within the anal opening so presumably having poop bunging up that area had caused the infection. George didn't lose weight or squeak when he peed but his tummy was wet all the time and at first I just thought he liked sleeping in his own 'warmth'!
George got antibiotics and metacam and it all cleared up very quickly. The vet noticed he had hair tucked into the gummy pocket where his bottom incisors emerge... this was apparently because when his joints bothered him he nibbles at them just like we would rub a sore wrist. He is 1.35 kilo and went onto dog strength metacam for the rest of his life for his arthritis - that's the 1.5 mg/ml, not the 0.5 cat strength. George has 4 'dog units' morning and evening which works out about 0.3 ml-ish each time (the syringe is basically labelled for weight of dog so 4 dog units is what a 4 kilo dog would get!) He likes it and has some competition from fluffy Louise who has a sweet tooth and will try and snatch the syringe and run off with it! He was dong OK on this and was inspected every evening to remove hair from teeth and anything from the other end with a the help of a little sloosh of warm water, and then we found glucosamine. George has one lozenge of oxbow joint support every day after his metacam which he is happy to sit and quietly crunch. I only started this because we inherited half a bag when an elderly rabbit passed but I noticed that after about 2 weeks he seemed to be moving about a lot more and after 4 weeks he definitely was and... we stopped finding the hair in his teeth! His impaction is improved because he's moving about much better and although I still clear his back end most evenings I'm happy to let him manage for a couple of days if I go away and a neighbour comes in. So I think for George the arthritis and impaction complicated his health and that's why he ended up with the UTI. He's 5 and a 1/2 now and has been fine ever since - in fact the vet always says how well he looks with his shiny coat and he does! Glucosamine is also recommended for pigs with bladder issues as it helps the walls of a battered bladder heal up. It counts as a food supplement so a prescription isn't needed, you can just buy it in various forms but it does take a few weeks to kick in - that's pretty typical. The aforementioned Louise has had trouble with gritty pee so she gets half a lozenge every day to help with that. George has made me a total convert
Sows scent mark by rubbing their bits onto the ground and so we've seen more UTIs in our girls, but neutered George (on the left) also developed one at age 4 and a bit. It was about the same time he first started showing signs of impaction. This is sometimes seen in older boys: the anal sack gets a bit baggy and poops start to accumulate, getting bound up with the softer caecotrophs until it forms a little cork which can be difficult to pass. George is a shy boy and a bit chubby (turns out it was also the start of arthritis so he wasn't moving about so much) and when I turned him over for a good look I realised his penis wasn't actually visible as it was tucked away just within the anal opening so presumably having poop bunging up that area had caused the infection. George didn't lose weight or squeak when he peed but his tummy was wet all the time and at first I just thought he liked sleeping in his own 'warmth'!
George got antibiotics and metacam and it all cleared up very quickly. The vet noticed he had hair tucked into the gummy pocket where his bottom incisors emerge... this was apparently because when his joints bothered him he nibbles at them just like we would rub a sore wrist. He is 1.35 kilo and went onto dog strength metacam for the rest of his life for his arthritis - that's the 1.5 mg/ml, not the 0.5 cat strength. George has 4 'dog units' morning and evening which works out about 0.3 ml-ish each time (the syringe is basically labelled for weight of dog so 4 dog units is what a 4 kilo dog would get!) He likes it and has some competition from fluffy Louise who has a sweet tooth and will try and snatch the syringe and run off with it! He was dong OK on this and was inspected every evening to remove hair from teeth and anything from the other end with a the help of a little sloosh of warm water, and then we found glucosamine. George has one lozenge of oxbow joint support every day after his metacam which he is happy to sit and quietly crunch. I only started this because we inherited half a bag when an elderly rabbit passed but I noticed that after about 2 weeks he seemed to be moving about a lot more and after 4 weeks he definitely was and... we stopped finding the hair in his teeth! His impaction is improved because he's moving about much better and although I still clear his back end most evenings I'm happy to let him manage for a couple of days if I go away and a neighbour comes in. So I think for George the arthritis and impaction complicated his health and that's why he ended up with the UTI. He's 5 and a 1/2 now and has been fine ever since - in fact the vet always says how well he looks with his shiny coat and he does! Glucosamine is also recommended for pigs with bladder issues as it helps the walls of a battered bladder heal up. It counts as a food supplement so a prescription isn't needed, you can just buy it in various forms but it does take a few weeks to kick in - that's pretty typical. The aforementioned Louise has had trouble with gritty pee so she gets half a lozenge every day to help with that. George has made me a total convert
Equinoxolive
New Born Pup
Hello guys, another update.
Metacam didnt work, went back and got antibiotics. It is definetly blood. I now have the X-Ray so I have attached it below. The vet said that they cannot see any stones, but I am not sure. I have attached incase somebody can see something that I am missing.
Metacam didnt work, went back and got antibiotics. It is definetly blood. I now have the X-Ray so I have attached it below. The vet said that they cannot see any stones, but I am not sure. I have attached incase somebody can see something that I am missing.
Attachments
I’m glad you’ve got antibiotics. Metacam is an anti-inflammatory pain killer so would not do anything for an infection itself.
If the vet can’t see any stones then that is good. Hopefully the antibiotics will do their job.
I hope he is ok
If the vet can’t see any stones then that is good. Hopefully the antibiotics will do their job.
I hope he is ok
Free Ranger
Forum Donator 2023/24
Aaah - your heart goes out to them when you see how vulnerable all their little bones are x
But what an interesting x-ray! So does your vet put piggy in a little box to sit? Usually our vet wraps firmly in a towel and snaps the shot before they wriggle free - and I know that in a lot of places they routinely use GA - but I've not seen this style before. It makes sense to see the bones supporting the body in a way that they naturally would in order to look for any anomalies. And no I can't see anything that looks stoney or even sludgy.
Fingers crossed you see some results from those antibiotics within the first 48 hours. Unless they've told you otherwise you can still give the metacam alongside as pain relief. Keep us updated - we'll be thinking about you x
But what an interesting x-ray! So does your vet put piggy in a little box to sit? Usually our vet wraps firmly in a towel and snaps the shot before they wriggle free - and I know that in a lot of places they routinely use GA - but I've not seen this style before. It makes sense to see the bones supporting the body in a way that they naturally would in order to look for any anomalies. And no I can't see anything that looks stoney or even sludgy.
Fingers crossed you see some results from those antibiotics within the first 48 hours. Unless they've told you otherwise you can still give the metacam alongside as pain relief. Keep us updated - we'll be thinking about you x
Free Ranger
Forum Donator 2023/24
Any news on your boy?