Guinea Pig Male Bleeding

[itsmollydempsey]

I just noticed that my male guinea pig, Oliver, is bleeding. It seems to be coming from the anus area, and I noticed it because his nose and face were covered in blood. I think it's because he keeps messing with it? Aside from the bleeding, the area looks completely normally, and Oliver is also acting normal. This sort of came out of nowhere, so I am not sure if it could be an infection or an injury.

Any advise on what to do here would help because the nearest guinea pig vet is an hour and a half drive, and they will be closed tomorrow (Sunday), so the earliest I am going to be able to take him is Monday, assuming I can get an appointment. There are a couple of emergency vets near me, but they are not exotic vets, so I don't know if I should take him to one of those tomorrow morning?

Also some helpful information - Oliver is about 10-12 months old, and he is not neutered. He lives with one other male. They live in a C&C cage with fleece bedding. Diet is Oxbow timothy hay, Oxbow pellets, and variety of fruits and veggies daily. I did introduce oranges into their diet (just a couple of tiny pieces) over the past 3 days.

Thanks for your help!!

[bpatters]

Have you examined his anal sac and penis sheath? He may have hay stuck in either place, or he may have bitten himself while masturbating (I guess that term applies to species other than human!). Or there may be something stuck somewhere in there he's trying to get out, and has injured himself in the process.

Here's a video one of our users did that shows how the clean the sac and penis sheath:

[Lynx]

That's a great video, bpatters! Wonderful and clear instructions for a male guinea pig that needs a routine cleaning. I am guessing sitting in front of a mirror would help one see what they are doing (the positioning of the guinea pig is excellent, despite his protestations).

[bpatters]

That's eschimpf's (spelling?) video. Wonder how she's doing.

[Lynx]

I may actually have seen it before but with my memory - it would have disappeared!

[itsmollydempsey]

Thank you so much for the video! I followed it and cleaned both of my males this morning, and I will start doing this once a month. Oliver looked much better today - no bleeding, redness, or swelling. I did find some hay and hair, so I’m glad I went ahead and cleaned both of them.

[bpatters]

You really need to check weekly, but only clean as needed. Too much, or over-zealous, cleaning can stretch the sac muscles, causing more problems down the line.