Extremely worried about my piggy

Question
I have a female guinea pig who recently turned three years old. Last night after I put her down on her carpet area, she started to pee, I looked at the spot where she peed and it looked like blood. I started to panic, because it has never happened to her before at all. Also, when I woke up this morning, I decided to see if she did it again. Luckily I haven't seen anymore blood, although her poop is looking a bit unusual. It is a little longer then normal, and it has a little tip at the end. Please help, because I am really worried about her.

Answer
Hi Sandra,

First of all; don't panic. Although blood in the urine is obviously not a good sign, it is not always an indication of a serious illness, and it sounds like you've noticed the problem early, so your piggy will have a very good chance of making a full recovery.

As your guinea pig is female, it is possible that she is just in season, especially if she didn't seem in any pain when she was peeing. Guinea pigs do not have a monthly period like humans, but it is normal for them to show a little blood. However, as you've noticed a difference  in her poop as well, this is not likely to be the case.

For the future, I recommend you get a copy of "Piggy Potions" by Peter Gurney. It is filled with help on diagnosing and treating mild illnesses in guinea pigs yourself at home. This can save you lots of vets bills, and eliminate the frustration of dealing with a vet who doesn't know very much about guinea pigs!

As you are worried about your piggy, and because blood in the urine can be a sign of serious illness (although it is most likely to be just cystitis, or another bladder/kidney infection) I suggest you take her to a vet, who will be able to investigate for you. It may help if you can collect one of her unusual stools to take with you. Try to find a specialist small animal or exotics pet vet. A lot of surgeries will have one, so ring up and ask. A specialist vet will be much better at recognising health problems in a guinea pig than a general pet, and may also charge a lower consultation fee.

If you have any other questions ... just ask!

Good luck and best wishes,
Jenny.