• 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

Perry toilet squeaking, blood in urine

Spaniel

Spaniel

Teenage Guinea Pig
Joined
Aug 31, 2021
Messages
636
Reaction score
695
Points
525
Location
North West
I mentioned on another thread that Perry was being fussy with his hay and not eating enough. I made a vet appointment for Monday as had a feeling we might need it and unfortunately he’s done a couple of toilet squeaks and there was a little bit of blood in his urine. Also a stale smell :(

He had this last June and thankfully a two week course of treatment cleared it up and x-rays showed nothing else going on so I really hope it’s the same this time.

He’s still eating veg normally and had some grass. He’s on and off grazing on hay but not enough so he’s also having recovery food out of a little bowl which he loves 💙
 
Spaniel said:
I mentioned on another thread that Perry was being fussy with his hay and not eating enough. I made a vet appointment for Monday as had a feeling we might need it and unfortunately he’s done a couple of toilet squeaks and there was a little bit of blood in his urine. Also a stale smell :(

He had this last June and thankfully a two week course of treatment cleared it up and x-rays showed nothing else going on so I really hope it’s the same this time.

He’s still eating veg normally and had some grass. He’s on and off grazing on hay but not enough so he’s also having recovery food out of a little bowl which he loves 💙
Click to expand...

All the best. Please weigh him daily on your kitchen scales first thing in the morning and then supplement as necessary over the course of the next 24 hours.

All the best for his vet trip.
 
Wiebke said:
All the best. Please weigh him daily on your kitchen scales first thing in the morning and then supplement as necessary over the course of the next 24 hours.

All the best for his vet trip.
Click to expand...
Thank you, I will do :)
 
Spaniel said:
Thank you. I feel awful for just assuming he was being fussy with his hay now :(
Click to expand...
Don't feel guilty. If you'd taken him to the vet he would have got a general health check, the symptoms were very vague and chances are you'd have gone home being told there was nothing wrong.
It needed another symptom to track the problem down. Shame it happened on a weekend and he can't be seen until Monday.
 
There hasn’t been anymore squeaking or blood. Following the same pattern as last time. He’s doing ok.

Feeling so nervous about tomorrow though. Seeing a vet we haven’t seen before and there’s always that worry that they’ll find something serious going on. Really hope they don’t. At least if they need to do scans they can also check on his arthritis to see if that has changed at all. Hoping for a course of anti-inflammatories again and a smooth recovery 🤞
 
They are a worry. Hope it’s easily resolved. Good luck at the vets.
 
The appointment went well today. We hadn’t seen this vet before but she was really good and thorough.

She thinks that Perry has had an arthritis flare up which has then caused the bladder issues rather than the bladder being the main cause like last time. His bladder felt fine, he didn’t have any discomfort when she felt it. She said he looks really healthy, he’s a good stable weight, nothing else obvious found. Said he’s handsome too :)

She’s prescribed a two week course of metacam, said to try that for four days and if the bladder issues haven’t settled then we can pick up some cerenia for him as well. After that, we can give him metacam as and when needed for arthritis flares and he will at some stage need to go on metacam daily. He is 5.5 now so I think he probably will need full time metacam soon.
 
I’m not completely happy with how Perry is doing. He started off great, then dipped a little, he’s ‘ok’ but even with the metacam I don’t feel like he’s completely comfortable.

So the obvious thing is that his bladder isn’t settling enough so I’m going to order the cerenia today and I think it’s looking likely that he will stay on metacam now so I will ask for that too.

Other issue is that he won’t take the metacam without recovery food so that’s not ideal as he isn’t allowed pellets and recovery food seems like a version of those types of ingredients to me. He also eats some from a little bowl after his metacam which I think he does need. It’s strange because his weight is stable yet he doesn’t seem to be eating as much hay.

He also just seems that bit older now. Like he’s moved into a new phase. He’s 5.5. He does have his bright, rumbly moments still but it’s worrying when they get older.
 
Spaniel said:
I’m not completely happy with how Perry is doing. He started off great, then dipped a little, he’s ‘ok’ but even with the metacam I don’t feel like he’s completely comfortable.

So the obvious thing is that his bladder isn’t settling enough so I’m going to order the cerenia today and I think it’s looking likely that he will stay on metacam now so I will ask for that too.

Other issue is that he won’t take the metacam without recovery food so that’s not ideal as he isn’t allowed pellets and recovery food seems like a version of those types of ingredients to me. He also eats some from a little bowl after his metacam which I think he does need. It’s strange because his weight is stable yet he doesn’t seem to be eating as much hay.

He also just seems that bit older now. Like he’s moved into a new phase. He’s 5.5. He does have his bright, rumbly moments still but it’s worrying when they get older.
Click to expand...
Has your vet tried cystease or something similar that has glucosamine in it? It can help both bladder and joints.
 
Piggies2023 said:
Has your vet tried cystease or something similar that has glucosamine in it? It can help both bladder and joints.
Click to expand...
Thanks. They tend to use metacam and cerenia together so it might be their version of a similar thing?
 
Ordered the cerenia which will be ready to collect later today. Will be good to get Perry started on it asap.
 
Spaniel said:
Thanks. They tend to use metacam and cerenia together so it might be their version of a similar thing?
Click to expand...
Cystease is definitely much more common you can buy it without prescription and is more of a supplement. I don't get I through the vets anymore. It is meant to help the bladder lining. I don't know a lot about cernia other than it can be anti-inflammatory. It's not one we've had.
 
Pesky rascal won’t take the cerenia straight from the syringe, even with my attempted cunning disguises! (Recovery food, fruit juice, poking the syringe in a pepper!)

He’s looking bright this morning though so that’s great. Whether that’s from one dose of cerenia or just a coincidence I don’t know but I’m glad whatever the reason.
 
Perry has been like a different pig today. Like his usual self :yahoo:

I don’t want to get too excited too quickly but it’s looking like he did need the cerenia and it was his bladder as well as his arthritis flaring up.

Feeling more hopeful for now anyway and really hoping I haven’t jinxed things by posting this!
 
He took it this morning.. reluctantly but still, that’s ok. Tonight he really didn’t want it lol. He looked so mad poor thing.

One more dose tomorrow morning and he’s finished the course though 🤞
 
Spaniel said:
He took it this morning.. reluctantly but still, that’s ok. Tonight he really didn’t want it lol. He looked so mad poor thing.

One more dose tomorrow morning and he’s finished the course though 🤞
Click to expand...
Oh I didn't realise it was a course. I assumed it was a daily thing like cystease is. Maybe it's more similar to cartrophen
 
Piggies2023 said:
Oh I didn't realise it was a course. I assumed it was a daily thing like cystease is. Maybe it's more similar to cartrophen
Click to expand...
It can be. I’ve had two pigs on it longer term. Hoping Perry will stay as only needing shorter courses. He has much milder symptoms than the others had though.
 
Last dose of cerenia done this morning. Perry’s been doing great. The metacam was due to finish yesterday morning but we are carrying that on for now just to be sure then we need to decide whether to try him off it completely and treat any flare ups as they come or whether to keep him on it for good now but find the lowest dose that keeps him comfortable.

What would you choose in our situation?

Perry is 5.5 years old. He has arthritis in his spine and one knee. Diagnosed last June as early stages. A two week course of metacam settled it from June until January. In those seven months I would say there were 3 or 4 occasions where he seemed on the verge of needing metacam but then settled again. Without another X-ray we won’t know if it’s progressed but I would say it’s most likely still mild. Both times he has had an arthritis flare and bladder flare at the same time so likely I think from toileting position or stress from feeling sore and achy? Can’t say for sure.

My feeling is maybe to keep him on the higher dose for a bit longer, then hopefully if no bladder symptoms return, to gradually reduce to see how he copes?

The vet gave a prescription for a big bottle of metacam so that’s good.
 
Spaniel said:
Last dose of cerenia done this morning. Perry’s been doing great. The metacam was due to finish yesterday morning but we are carrying that on for now just to be sure then we need to decide whether to try him off it completely and treat any flare ups as they come or whether to keep him on it for good now but find the lowest dose that keeps him comfortable.

What would you choose in our situation?

Perry is 5.5 years old. He has arthritis in his spine and one knee. Diagnosed last June as early stages. A two week course of metacam settled it from June until January. In those seven months I would say there were 3 or 4 occasions where he seemed on the verge of needing metacam but then settled again. Without another X-ray we won’t know if it’s progressed but I would say it’s most likely still mild. Both times he has had an arthritis flare and bladder flare at the same time so likely I think from toileting position or stress from feeling sore and achy? Can’t say for sure.

My feeling is maybe to keep him on the higher dose for a bit longer, then hopefully if no bladder symptoms return, to gradually reduce to see how he copes?

The vet gave a prescription for a big bottle of metacam so that’s good.
Click to expand...

I would recommend to keep him on a low once daily maintenance dose of metacam (once daily is enough in milder cases as it also builds up in the body)

I would recommend to look into getting Johnsons 4joints liquid for dogs (UK brand) - the extra glucosamine really helps with the arthritis, as I know from my own arthritic oldies; but it should also help with any discomfort in the urinary tract as it builds up. The liquid has the advantage of being easiest to give.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top