Guinea Pig health question

Question
Hi,

We are new to guinea pigs. We got our daughter one from someone that was giving it away with a very nice cage. It is supposed to be a male, which I have no reason to doubt. It seems very healthy in all aspects, but it has been bleeding some from its rectum area. Do you have any idea what might be causing this and is it serious enough to warrant real concern?  Its not bleeding constantly, but enough to leave blood spots in the cage..

thanks

Doug


Answer
Has his poop been softer or shaped differently? Also is the blood thin and runny, like you would expect from actually getting a cut, or is it slimy? If it seems to be coming out with his poop and is slightly slimy then he most likely has an intussusception, which is where the intestine will twist or over-lap on itself. These usually clear on their own, but often vitamins and 1/8 tsp of children's kaopectate once a day will help. If the blood seems to be runnier then it might be from a kidney infection, or a bladder stone, he would also most likely cry when urinating with this. Let me know if you have any more questions.
Brittany