Possibly blood in wee

[AidaB]

Hello!
We have been wondering for the last couple of days if one of our guinea pigs had blood in their wee.
I keep finding dark patches on the few puppy pads we use under their favourite spots.
Finally got a wee at lap time from both last night. Both clear to start with. Then within 5mins Hamish’s went a colour I associate with old blood. We have had a few darker than this one.

Hector’s has dried clear.

I tried our local vet yesterday morning, but they have had to shut due to a Covid case. ( I was offered a telephone appointment, despite me saying it was a guinea pig, there was no offer to refer me to the practice they are using for emergencies.) Another local vet is not taking any new registrations.

So we are left with a possible trip to Cat and Rabbit clinic were the boys are also registered.
I guess my question is, do we need to take Hamish to the vet, or am I being paranoid?
I have attached a photo of last nights wee, (and the culprit!)

 

[Piggies&buns]

I'm not seeing anything that looks like blood on the picture.
When urine comes into contact with air it starts to oxidise which causes it to become darker/rusty orange/brown. This is entirely normal.
Of course, you do need to see a vet if you are concerned though.

 

[Wiebke]

Hello!
We have been wondering for the last couple of days if one of our guinea pigs had blood in their wee.
I keep finding dark patches on the few puppy pads we use under their favourite spots.
Finally got a wee at lap time from both last night. Both clear to start with. Then within 5mins Hamish’s went a colour I associate with old blood. We have had a few darker than this one.

Hector’s has dried clear.

I tried our local vet yesterday morning, but they have had to shut due to a Covid case. ( I was offered a telephone appointment, despite me saying it was a guinea pig, there was no offer to refer me to the practice they are using for emergencies.) Another local vet is not taking any new registrations.

So we are left with a possible trip to Cat and Rabbit clinic were the boys are also registered.
I guess my question is, do we need to take Hamish to the vet, or am I being paranoid?
I have attached a photo of last nights wee, (and the culprit!)


View attachment 181218View attachment 181219

Hi!

It looks like rather diluted normal urine with mild oxidation to me? Guinea pig urine does go orange and then rusty shades as soon as in contact with air; that is very normal and nothing to worry about.
Occasionally, veg of any colour can turn the urine orange. Beetroot always comes out as a strong pink drying into purple with purple poos.

Blood or porphyrine (natural intensely red colourant that often appears in connection with a developing urinary tract infection) in urine generally separates out when it dries and appears as small reddish/pinkish spots drying into brown in a pee puddle or - if there is really a lot - into reddish/pinkish ring around the pee puddle that dries brown in a distinctly different colour to the drying pee puddle and not just as a darker ring in the same shade.

Please take a deep breath; there is nothing wrong. You have just noticed a natural phenomenon for the first time, since it is much more obvious on a white absorbent surface.

 

[AidaB]

Thank you for your kind replies. Just felt it was strange, as until recently we have had no staining on the puppy pads, and they are all usually tucked away under fleece.

It was worrying when his brothers wee had dried clear.

 

[Free Ranger]

I was in your position, and my boy's wee ended up being completely normal - it was just oxidation. To get a sample for the vet I put my George in a plastic tub until he peed and then transferred it into a clear tube that they had given me. I was embarrassed at how clear it looked - just a very pale yellow tinge. I put the sample in the fridge for a few hours until it was time for the appointment. When I got it out again it was an alarming dark, rusty orange! If it had been anything like blood it would have looked bad straight away. George got the all-clear and has been cheerfully peeing pints ever since. It was strange how I suddenly started to see it but I guess their metabolism changes as they get older. it was like that for a few months - now it's not at all obvious and I can't tell his pee from his cage-mate's!

 

[AidaB]

I was in your position, and my boy's wee ended up being completely normal - it was just oxidation. To get a sample for the vet I put my George in a plastic tub until he peed and then transferred it into a clear tube that they had given me. I was embarrassed at how clear it looked - just a very pale yellow tinge. I put the sample in the fridge for a few hours until it was time for the appointment. When I got it out again it was an alarming dark, rusty orange! If it had been anything like blood it would have looked bad straight away. George got the all-clear and has been cheerfully peeing pints ever since. It was strange how I suddenly started to see it but I guess their metabolism changes as they get older. it was like that for a few months - now it's not at all obvious and I can't tell his pee from his cage-mate's!

Thank you! After much discussion between the humans. Hamish is pleased to be avoiding the vets for now, he’s doing mini wheeks every time I walk past.
We will just keep an eye on him for now.