Blood in urine - not infection

[littlebranshill]

My 15:3hh 22yr old mare has just been diagnosed with mild cushings. Now over a week ago I noticed a lot of blood in urine. Vet said possibly cystitis and to give antibiotics. A week later no improvement and if anything has got worse. Her wee looks like liver put in a food blender and added a little water and blitzed - its that bad. I didnt think it was cystitis as she didn't strain to wee and had no problems gushing out a bucketfull when bladder full. Vet came todayand ultrasounded bladder and uretha and couldn't find anything wrong. She has taken more blood to test for unusual cells and to see whether she is now anaemic (which I think she is as her membranes are very pale). Vet is convinced its a bladder problem. A tumour?? Should hear back from vets about blood test tomorrow. Anyone had experience like this? Vet said its unusual. The horse is bright and acting quite normally. Her coat is glossy and healthy looking. Vet said that if infection or stones she should show signs of being unwell. Vet was amazed at the amount of blood and clots in the urine. Am feeling uneasy about all of this

 

[JanetGeorge]

Did the vet examine the vagina? Mares sometimes get bleeds from varicose veins (I have a couple of older mares who regularly scare me by showing blood in their tails!) It's possible that blood is mixing in with urine, I'd guess.

Hope tests find a cause - and that it's not 'sinister'!

 

[flintfootfilly]

No experience of this at all, but hope your mare comes through OK.

Is it definitely blood, rather than myoglobinuria (which can both make the urine look red/brown but have different causes)? I guess the blood result should clarify that and help target treatment most effectively.

Sarah

 

[Box_Of_Frogs]

If she's got Cushings it can cause many weird and wonderful symptoms, all due to problems with the immune system liked to the Cushings. I'd get her on Pergolide/Prascend immediately and you may find the problem clears up on its own.

 

[littlebranshill]

Still waiting for the results of the blood test. Yes, it is definitely blood. Will ask vet about putting her on Pergolide but feel the vet would have suggested this already. I guess she is just waiting for results before deciding what to do next i,e endoscope to find out where the blood is coming from but vet feels that its a bladder problem so that surely would mean either a tumour or infection but surely the antibiotics would have improved matters if it was an infection - its actually getting worse although horse still bright as a button this morning.