Hello, my piggies are currently boarding while I'm travelling and one of my girls (2.5 - 3 years old) seems to be going through a series of health issues. She tested positive for Giardia infection during a routine pre-boarding faecal analysis, so she was treated for this. Within a couple of days of starting the Giardia medication she began to have blood in her urine so she began a course of antibiotics for a suspected urinary tract infection. She's been on antibiotics for 2 days now but blood is still present. The vet has recommended that we spay her as she thinks the bleeding may be due to uterine inflammation.
I'm wondering whether anyone has experienced this? Are there tests that should be performed to confirm this diagnosis? I don't have any information on the track record of our vet in performing this type of surgery. The cost of the surgery will be around £500 (we are not in the UK).
If really like to know that we've tried all logical steps before going for surgery as I don't want to put my girl through such a procedure if it isn't necessary.
Thank you for any advice!
Hi
To my own knowledge, pyometra (potentially fatal infection of the womb lining) doesn't come with bloody urine. Sheer bleeding from the anus can be connected with cancer in the womb or ovarian cysts, but this doesn't sound like it.
Please be aware that red coloured urine is typical for the onset of either a bacterial urine infection or a sterile (non-bacterial) bladder infection. The red colour comes actually from a natural dye called porphyrin. Urine may or may not test for blood as symptoms are a bit haphazard at the start.
You may also need to know that it takes more than just 2 days of antibiotics for symptoms to subside. Antibiotics build up over the course of several days to reach optimal efficiency and then gradually come down again over several days after the end of the course. That is why you should never stop a course. But they do not work instantly the way a painkiller does.
However, the same antibiotic should stop any pyometra if your girl actually has one, which I personally doubt.
I would recommend to see what happens re. urinary tract infections first before moving on to the reproductive tract.
Here is some more information on infections of the urinary tract:
1 The Urinary Tract
2 Pees
- Water intake changes
- Pee discoloration
3 Infections
- Bacterial urine infection (UTI)
- Bacterial cystitis
- Sterile cystitis (interstitial cystitis or IC)
4 Stones, Sludge and Crystals
- Crystals, stones and sludge
- Stone and sludge removal
5 Kidneys and Bladder Cancer
-...
And reproductive tract:
1 Important reproductive information
- Start of making babies - seasons - lack of menopause
- Pregnancy
2 Sows in season
- How a season runs
- Strong seasons (snap seasons; the social role of strong seasons; problem seasons)
3 Health issues of the reproductive tract
- Ovarian cysts (types, symptoms and treatment options)
- Other health...
If your girl has a sterile cystitis, then the antibiotic may work only temporarily or not at all. Sterile cystitis (similar to cats whose treatment for feline sterile cystitis it follows) has a link to a high stress default setting.
The giardia and its treatment have likely temporarily lowered the immune system so the body is currently under higher stress/not quite as good to fend off infections. However, while urinary tract infections are opportunists, pyometra is much, much rarer. You haven't mentioned any very strongly stale smelling discharge/urine or swollen genitalia so it is more likely your vet looking for the next problem in line after the urinary tract is ruled out. However, it isn't. Not until the full course is done and then a sterile cystitis is ruled out (lower than expected bacterial count).
I hope that this helps you? Please don't panic and finish the current course first. The links will explain what could be in play.
