Urine Blood in Urine?

[amberhale08]

I noticed this red spot, about the size of a dime, that looks like blood on the fleece of my guinea pig cage. I examined both pigs to look for injury and did not see anything. I then looked through their hay bin as there is white shredded paper bedding under they hay. I noticed another spot of red. Both Guinea Pigs are 1 year and 1 month old and healthy with no previous issues. They seem normal, eat, sleep, poop normal. My question is does this look like blood in the urine form the picture? They did not have anything red to eat the day before. I did bring them to the vet but the vet said they would need to be sedated for a urine sample or xrays and sent me home with medicine to treat a URI. I asked if it was OK if I separated them to try to figure out which ones is possibly peeing blood so I didn't medicate a GP that didn't need medication. So I separated them yesterday for about 8 hours. They both peed in their separate enclosures and all the pee spots for both piggies looked normal. If the picture does in fact show blood in the urine is it possible for the blood to not always be visible in the urine? So since they both seem healthy at the moment and I really don't want to medicate unnecessarily I have ordered urine test strips to be delivered today and plan to put both piggies in a plastic bin/Tupperware and test their pee. If one of them comes back showing blood in the urine I will then proceed to give the medication that the vet prescribed.

Thanks for any help or suggestions. And really what does this red spot look like to you? Also, again found it in the hay bin/kitchen/litter area.

 

[bpatters]

Male or female pigs?

 

[amberhale08]

Male or female pigs?

Female! Just turned 1 year old last month.

 

[bpatters]

Most guinea pig sows don't bleed during their heat periods, but occasionally you'll run into one that does. That's what that looks like to me. It's not a blood clot, and a blood urine stain would probably be larger than that and not so dark. That's not to say that it absolutely can't be from urine, but I don't think it is

Keep an eye on her. If it's heat related, it'll be on a 14-16 day cycle. You may see it, you may not. If it's not heat related, you'll likely see several more over the next few days, and you'll need to see a vet.

 

[amberhale08]

Thank you! I did take them to the vet yesterday because I was worried and everyone says if ill they can go downhill quickly and usually need to be seen. The vet did a physical exam but did not do a urine check or xrays. They prescribed meds for a UTI but I am waiting to do a urine test myself later today or tomorrow once i receive my urine strips. Crossing my fingers it's what you say above and just a rare case of blood from being in heat. That's why I wanted to show the photo. I wasn't able to show the Vet betcause of COVID I had to wait out in the car and just talk to the vet over the phone.

 

[bpatters]

Well, you could have emailed the picture to the vet. Guess he didn't think of that.

I wouldn't give mine an antibiotic based on that drop of blood. Guinea pigs can have problems caused by the antibiotics themselves, and I don't like to give them unless I know there's some kind of infection.

Just so you know, urine strips can give all sorts of false readings when used on herbivores, which guinea pigs are. Human urine is naturally acidic, guinea pig urine is naturally basic, and that can throw the strip readings way off. I wouldn't put too much faith in them. Readings for blood are no more than about 60% accurate under the best of circumstances.