Bleeding from rectum? HELP PLEASE

[rawrimadinno8]

My 3 year old female guinea pig Lily has been fine all day - eating, drinking, playing with her bonded mate - business as usual. I was spot cleaning the cage and noticed some dark red/brown smudges on the fleece. I picked her up trying to figure out what the smudges were and where/who they came from and low and behold her bottom is covered in the same dark red/brown stuff. After cleaning her and the cage up I'm pretty sure it's dried blood (I was concerned at first it was diarrhea). After watching her when I placed her back in the clean cage it looks like she's still bleeding. I'm booking an appointment with our vet ASAP but just wanted to see if anyone had any advice/insight on what this could be - I don't think it's a UTI or a stone since she's not squeaking or straining to go bathroom. Any ideas?

Also any ideas of how best to monitor her until she can get to the vet - we're limiting her veggies and upping her hay for the time being but is there anything else that we should do? Does she need to be separated from her cage mate? Would upping her exercise help?

Any advice is appreciated!

[bpatters]

I wouldn't separate her unless the cagemate is harassing her -- it'll just stress her out even more. And I wouldn't restrict her food, either. It's not likely to be from the digestive tract unless you're seeing poops covered in it.

Actual blood in that area is more likely to come from the reproductive tract than the bladder, in my opinion. Blood coming from the bladder is usually mixed with urine, so is a pale pink, unless it's from a stone that is lodged in the urethra and is very close to the opening. But it will take a vet visit to be sure.

And no, exercise won't help, and may even make it worse. Just let her be and keep a very watchful eye on her in case it gets worse.