# Help! Blood in urine and all vets are closed!



## I<3Hejji (Aug 29, 2010)

Hi everyone!

My 1 1/2 year old male hedgehog (Hejji) has been healthy and acting normally, but today when I woke up and went to clean his wheel there were definite blood within the urine spots on the paper towel. I immediately woke him up and he is acting completely normal, I looked at his penis and it looks normal, no cuts, no redness, or irritation, nothing stuck inside, and none of his toenails are bleeding. I didn't notice any lumps on his tummy. I got him fresh water and called my vet, of course they are only open M/W/Sat  So I called the emergency general vet and they gave me the names of the 3 other exotic vets in town and all of them are full! I don't know what to do!!! I am a nurse so I know what can cause blood in urine (i.e UTI, kidney stones, bladder cancer...) but I don't know what to expect with a sick hedgehog and am not sure how quickly he could become really really sick. Any suggestions on what I can do until I can get him into a vet? 

Thank you!


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## Kalandra (Aug 25, 2008)

Just watch for other signs that he isn't feeling well. If he stops eating/drinking, becomes less active/inactive, or has a major behavior change (biting, etc), find a vet that will fit him in. Hedgehogs tend to hide they are sick, and if you start to see behavior changes, then they are usually very sick.

Hopefully its nothing more than a UTI that will clear up with a round of antibiotics.

I'd also continue to monitor to ensure where the bleeding is coming from. If the bleeding gets very bad, you may have to find a vet that will fit him in too.


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## I<3Hejji (Aug 29, 2010)

Thank you for your reply and for what to watch for! I was able to get him in at an exotic vet at 4:30 today, I will post an update when we return.


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## Kalandra (Aug 25, 2008)

Excellent! And good luck! Hopefully its nothing but a UTI!


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## I<3Hejji (Aug 29, 2010)

UGH!!!!!!! Immediately after posting the vet called me back and said they made a mistake and they don't take hedgehogs  I am so stressed out! I called back one place and they said I could drop Hejji off in the morning and pick him up in the afternoon. I asked why and she said when they need urine from a hedgehog they put it in a plastic bin until it pees and then they use that to run the test on. I am nervous to leave Hejji at a vet I have never been to before, it is an exotic and bird clinic and I worry that the stress of all the activity would be worse for him. Have any of you had to do something like this? I am just really not feeling comfortable about this... I don't know what to do


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## I<3Hejji (Aug 29, 2010)

OK, found a vet whose receptionist was much better on the phone, said if they really need urine they can always get a sterile sample (which I would think would be more reliable anyway since Hejji has poopy boots). Appointment at 140, update after.


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## I<3Hejji (Aug 29, 2010)

Just got home from the vet. They took x-rays to look for bladder/kidney stones - none found, no tumors seen on x-ray. They then tested urine, they found blood (which could be seen with naked eye) but no bacteria or white blood cells. They think he might have cystitis (bladder inflammation) and sent him home with an anti-inflammatory (metacam) for possible cystitis, and an anti-biotic just in case there is aninfection (Trimeth-Sulfa). Neither vet has seen cystitis in a hedgehog before (I guess it is somewhat common in cats though). One vet said he thought it could be a bladder diverticulum which he has seen in hedgehogs before, and that is a little pouch in the bladder where urine can get trapped and become infected, similar to a bowel diverticulum in humans. They said if the bleeding doesn't stop after the medications in 7 - 10 days to come back from more tests.

Has anybody heard of cystitis in hedgehogs? Any other causes of sudden onset blood in urine? They said no tumor was seen which is great, but I am still worried he could have bladder cancer. 

Anyway, thanks for reading, if you have any input let me know. I was hoping for a UTI so we would at least know exactly what was causing the symptoms...


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## nualasmom (Nov 13, 2011)

I'm sorry to hear about ur hedgie. My female hedgie recently had a UTI which cleared up quickly with antibiotics. I did have to leave her there overnight in a clear bin for them to catch urine. I was stressed the whole time, but she came out of it unscathed. I'm not sure what cystitis is, but my male cat did have a problem with crystals building up in his urethra causing blockages. He had to undergo what I refer to as 'sex change' surgery in which they essentially shortened his urethra, by cutting off his penis. As horrible as it sounds, he recovered beautifully n hasn't had a problem since. That was over 6 years ago. I'm not sure if that's the same thing that ur talking about. 

Is it possible that ur hedgie got adventurous during the night n maybe fell the right way to cause him to bleed a little in his bladder. I know that sounds odd, but Ive heard of men getting kicked in the privates n causing them to have blood in thier urine for a day or so with no outside injuries. In that case, the bleeding would eventually stop n be cleared up on its own. Just an idea. I hope the medicine works!!


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## I<3Hejji (Aug 29, 2010)

Thanks for your response! It helps just to even hear from people who have been through similar situations


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## alsohere (Dec 26, 2011)

I have the same thing your hedgehog has, and it sucks.


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## Kalandra (Aug 25, 2008)

There is at least one thread in the HHC forum archives with a hedgehog who had cystitis and I ran across mention of it in European hedgehogs. So while I cannot comment on how common of a problem it is, I did at least find mention of it, so you are not the first .

Keep us updated, hopefully the blood will disappear after a couple of doses of the metacam.


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## I<3Hejji (Aug 29, 2010)

Thanks Kalandra! This morning I had to syringe feed Hejji his medication, he hated it. He got as upset as he did at the vet  I have read through old posts on tips on how to syringe feed and I am going to give them a try tonight. I am going to use some flax oil to make the plunger move easier, and I am going to try to approach him from the side of his mouth instead of the front. I also think I might dip the tip of the syringe in wet baby food to entice Hejji to eat it. If anyone has other good tips on how to syringe feed I am open ears. Hopefully Hejji will start to get the hang of it.


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## Kalandra (Aug 25, 2008)

If you have too much trouble with the meds, call your vet and ask if they can compound it, or if they can prescribe a different variety that may not taste as nasty. I believe Trimeth-Sulfa has a bad taste, unless they flavored it.

So you might have to get really creative to get it in him, or ask them to give you something a bit more "yummy" tasting.


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## traipse (Jul 18, 2010)

I have a female almost 6 months old . I just found blood in her white paper shavings  . I will be taking her to vet first thing tomorrow . she also does not seem to have proper body weight. Is half a pound not enough weight for a 6 month ? anybody please respond thanks . I'm worried.


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## I<3Hejji (Aug 29, 2010)

Thanks for the advice on the meds Kalandra, luckily putting a little baby food on the tip of the syringe seems to be working. The anti-inflammatory dose is only 0.09mL so it is pretty quick. If he ever needs medication again I am going to ask them to flavor it for sure! They smell disgusting!

As far as Hejji goes, he seems to be improving. He finally wheeled last night and his poop looks normal now. He has not had any blood in his urine since the day I discovered it which is great. He is not eating his kibble so I put some in a bowl and added a little water, mushed it up and he seems to like that a lot. I think he is slowly starting to trust us again, he was so upset after the vet and with getting medication. Last night when we took him out to clean his cage he just layed down and stared at us which looked rather depressing. We are about to wake him up now, I am hoping he is in better spirits! 

Thanks to you all for your advice and support!


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