Blood in Urine

[Kayleebands]

I have a female Guinea pig that’s around 6ish years old that currently has a bladder infection. She’s been peeing very small amounts of blood and has been on an antibiotic provided by my vet. I went to check on her today and there was large blood clots and a big pile of blood. I’m unsure what to do because she’s already been diagnosed with a bladder infection. The vet had said this could be bladder stones when we originally went but the urinalysis said it was a bladder infection. Do I take her back to the vet or continue the antibiotics they’ve given and keep watching her? I just want to do what’s best for her. She is acting normal, running around and eating/drinking. Attached is a photo of her urine up close. It looks awful.

 

[WobblyPiggy]

Hi, even though she has been diagnosed with a bladder infection you can still take her back to the vets...keep the antibiotics up and talk to the vet...it may prompt some more test or some pain killers for her if she is passing stones...as piggies are very good at hiding pain...if you're concerned about the development of the infection its always best to ring the vets...

 

[Piggies&buns]

Definitely continue with the antibiotics but there is absolutely no harm in speaking to the vet again.

How long has she been on antibiotics?
Is she on a painkiller?

Please switch from routine weekly weight checks to instead weighing her daily while she is unwell so you can monitor more closely that she really is eating enough hay and maintaining her weight. This will enable you to step in more quickly if her hay intake does reduce as can happen when they aren’t well and on antibiotics (a lot of piggies are fine and do continue to eat normally but it’s best to be prepared to step in if needed)

 

[Kayleebands]

Definitely continue with the antibiotics but there is absolutely no harm in speaking to the vet again.

How long has she been on antibiotics?
Is she on a painkiller?

Please switch from routine weekly weight checks to instead weighing her daily while she is unwell so you can monitor more closely that she really is eating enough hay and maintaining her weight. This will enable you to step in more quickly if her hay intake does reduce as can happen when they aren’t well and on antibiotics (a lot of piggies are fine and do continue to eat normally but it’s best to be prepared to step in if needed)

She’s been on antibiotics now for just under a week, and she is not on painkillers. I have been weighing her daily and her weight has been declining but I see her occasionally eat hay, but definitely a lot less frequently. I have critical care on hand if that would be useful?

 

[Piggies&buns]

If she is losing weight then she isn’t eating enough hay, please do step in with syringe feeding her to stop weight loss. This is very important. Hay is 80% of their daily food intake and if they eat less, then they need help. Weigh her daily so you can be sure she is being fed enough to keep her weight stable.

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It would be a good idea to talk to the vet about painkillers. A piggy in pain usually won’t eat enough

 

[Claire W]

Antibiotics can take a week or more to really kick in especially for a bad infection but I would definitely speak to your vet again and ask for some painkillers followed by a scan or x ray to check for bladder stones if she's no better. If she is losing weight, then yes, please do step in and syringe her some critical care. I hope she feels better soon x