Blood in urine

[grotty]

Hey all, so!
One of my piggies had surgery 2 weeks ago. Bladder stone removal. Went great, no problems.
There was a little bit of blood in the urine on the first 2 days as to be expected.

I just put her back with her cagemate today. This is the first time she's using her pee to communicate with a pig again and there is blood.
She's showing no signs of distress or pain. I am monitoring her to see if this goes away but I'm worried.

Should I remove her and wait a bit longer? Has anyone had this happen before?
Thanks so much in advance!

 

[Wiebke]

Hey all, so!
One of my piggies had surgery 2 weeks ago. Bladder stone removal. Went great, no problems.
There was a little bit of blood in the urine on the first 2 days as to be expected.

I just put her back with her cagemate today. This is the first time she's using her pee to communicate with a pig again and there is blood.
She's showing no signs of distress or pain. I am monitoring her to see if this goes away but I'm worried.

Should I remove her and wait a bit longer? Has anyone had this happen before?
Thanks so much in advance!

Hi

Was it sheer blood, light red pee or quite dark and intense red pee?

Seemingly clear urine can test high for blood so it takes a real lot before it discolours. However, intense red coloured (which ma or may not contain blood) is usually caused by a natural dye called porphyrin, which is typical for the onset of a urinary tract infection of some sort or other. You will have to wait and see whether there are more.

Sheer blood could be a sign of bladder trauma (a reaction of the bladder to he damage a stone has wrought when it was banged around with each pee after a stone removal); it is thankfully not all that common.

Here is more information on pees and stones:

Thread 'Wiebke's Guide to Pees and Stones'

May 29, 2024

Overview
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
- Kidney infections and failure
- Bladder cancer...

• Wiebke
• Replies: 3
• Forum: Wiebke's Home Care Support Guides

Please do not separate again. Companionship is very important and each separation is another added stress factor for the bond.

 

[grotty]

Hi

Was it sheer blood, light red pee or quite dark and intense red pee?

Seemingly clear urine can test high for blood so it takes a real lot before it discolours. However, intense red coloured (which ma or may not contain blood) is usually caused by a natural dye called porphyrin, which is typical for the onset of a urinary tract infection of some sort or other. You will have to wait and see whether there are more.

Sheer blood could be a sign of bladder trauma (a reaction of the bladder to he damage a stone has wrought when it was banged around with each pee after a stone removal); it is thankfully not all that common.

Here is more information on pees and stones:

Thread 'Wiebke's Guide to Pees and Stones'

May 29, 2024

Overview
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
- Kidney infections and failure
- Bladder cancer...

• Wiebke
• Replies: 3
• Forum: Wiebke's Home Care Support Guides

Please do not separate again. Companionship is very important and each separation is another added stress factor for the bond.

I would say it is a light red.
She is on antibiotics for 21 days right now as well.

Thank you for the guide too!

 

[Wiebke]

I would say it is a light red.
She is on antibiotics for 21 days right now as well.

Thank you for the guide too!

Just keep an eye on it; it could be bladder trauma and/or a bacterial cystitis (infection of the bladder walls usually resulting from stones or sludge) or bladder trauma. Good that she is already on antibiotics.

All the best.

 

[Wiebke]

PS: Have you reviewed the diet? The problem with stones is that they can also happen when the diet is just that little bit too low in calcium. Most calcium in the diet comes with water (especially the harder it is) and with the pellets, even not calcium enriched ones - they are still higher in calcium weight for weight than kale. That is also the reason why there is not an ideal diet that works everywhere. With hard water you have to filter the water and with soft water you have more leeway with calcium and oxalate high veg in the diet; especially if you reduce your pellets to 1 tablespoon per piggy per day.

However, any dietary changes take time to filter through and there is nothing you can do immediately; especially if the stone is the result of something in the very complex calcium absorption process going wrong.

What you can do about any damage to the walls of the urinary tract is glucosamine, which is classed as a food supplement and not as a medication in order to strengthen the natural isolating glucosamine coating that prevents the highly corrosive urine from coming into painful contact with raw tissue.
We recommend it for both after stone care as well as for use in any of the urinary tract infections, so it works for any of the scenarios you are possibly facing. Again, it is not a quick fix as it needs to build up but it is effective for longer term comfort.

 

[grotty]

PS: Have you reviewed the diet? The problem with stones is that they can also happen when the diet is just that little bit too low in calcium. Most calcium in the diet comes with water (especially the harder it is) and with the pellets, even not calcium enriched ones - they are still higher in calcium weight for weight than kale. That is also the reason why there is not an ideal diet that works everywhere. With hard water you have to filter the water and with soft water you have more leeway with calcium and oxalate high veg in the diet; especially if you reduce your pellets to 1 tablespoon per piggy per day.

However, any dietary changes take time to filter through and there is nothing you can do immediately; especially if the stone is the result of something in the very complex calcium absorption process going wrong.

What you can do about any damage to the walls of the urinary tract is glucosamine, which is classed as a food supplement and not as a medication in order to strengthen the natural isolating glucosamine coating that prevents the highly corrosive urine from coming into painful contact with raw tissue.
We recommend it for both after stone care as well as for use in any of the urinary tract infections, so it works for any of the scenarios you are possibly facing. Again, it is not a quick fix as it needs to build up but it is effective for longer term comfort.

Oh, yeah! I think she just got unlucky. Although, she is a rehome and I do not know what they were feeding her for her first year or so of life. Shes about 3-4 now. We do have hard water here so I have a filter and I feed all my piggies oxbow pellets using the recommended portion size.

Her pee is looking clear this morning thankfully. Would the oxbow urinary support tablets be a good choice?
Thanks!

 

[Wiebke]

Oh, yeah! I think she just got unlucky. Although, she is a rehome and I do not know what they were feeding her for her first year or so of life. Shes about 3-4 now. We do have hard water here so I have a filter and I feed all my piggies oxbow pellets using the recommended portion size.

Her pee is looking clear this morning thankfully. Would the oxbow urinary support tablets be a good choice?
Thanks!

Oxboy urinary support tablets are at the lower end but as long as you are not dealing with a more serious long term complain like sterile cystitis, they are OK.

Right now it is a bit of a wait and see situation as to whether it is a one off or wether there will be more in coming days.