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Advice Needed Please- Urethral Stone

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JackJack1

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I have just been given the devastating news that my Joe has a urethral stone. He has been battling cystitis for some time and receiving ongoing treatment. He has had 2 ultrasound scans which never showed anything up. However, today he had an X ray and it showed a urethral stone, something that did not show up on his ultrasound. My options are that he face a complicated and difficult surgery, or he is put to sleep. The vet says that he is weeing around the stone at the moment, but potentially this could block off completely if left. So it is operation or pts.
Joe is still bright in himself, but has pain on weeing. He is 5 1/2 years old.

Has anyone else had experience of urethral stones that they could offer some encouragement? The vet that would be doing the surgery would be Ellie at the Alfreton Vet hospital who is listed on the cavy savvy vet list on this web site. She has done these before, but due to the position in the urethra, it is complicated. The vet I saw today, said that the plan would be to push the stone back into the bladder and then remove it from there.

Please, if anyone can give me any words of encouragement, in that they have been successful with this operation, it would help me. I am almost there in that despite being not that well off, I would rather not eat than give up on him and give hiim the best chance.
 
HUGS

I am very sorry for the diagnosis. A urethral stone in a boar is not the kind of news that you want to hear, as boars have got a longer urethra with an awkward inglenook, which can make an operation difficult. Everything hinges on where the stone is located and how easily (or not) it can be got out. If it is possible to get it out fairly easily, then survival and recovery changes are good. By the sound of it, it is not located too far down the urethra, which will hopefully help.

I feel for you, having been through a few "make or break" operations with guinea pigs of my own over the years; some have come off, others sadly haven't. But at least I have given all my piggies a chance, as long as there has been a realistic chance of them making it. That is what counts for me. Personally, I find the anxious wait for news from the operation the worst time as it never gets any easier.

Your boy is in the hands of a competent and experienced vet, so you are giving him the best chance possible.

Make sure that you have got everything ready to syringe feed post-op if necessary and also plan to have light soft bedding (vetbed, fleece or towels) that you can change frequently in the first few days.
https://www.theguineapigforum.co.uk/threads/complete-syringe-feeding-guide.115359/
 
Thanks for the kind words Wiebke. I am crying my heart out typing this. He is booked in for his operation now on Tuesday, when Ellie can do the surgery. I have been sent home with his pain relief as he is still weeing quite well, so not an emergency. The vet said the cost would be very expensive to do surgery at the weekend with all the aftercare team as well and she felt it was not an emergency. I feel a little better knowing that I have an experienced vet surgeon and I will be giving him the best chance. Like you say, at least if he does not make it, I have tried the best I can for him to get better. He will be having extra hugs over the weekend and I will take him in first thing on Tuesday morning. I will need to go to work after that, but I am sure that I will not be able to do anything useful or concentrate very well.

I will give an update on Tuesday, when he has had his surgery.
 
Thanks for the kind words Wiebke. I am crying my heart out typing this. He is booked in for his operation now on Tuesday, when Ellie can do the surgery. I have been sent home with his pain relief as he is still weeing quite well, so not an emergency. The vet said the cost would be very expensive to do surgery at the weekend with all the aftercare team as well and she felt it was not an emergency. I feel a little better knowing that I have an experienced vet surgeon and I will be giving him the best chance. Like you say, at least if he does not make it, I have tried the best I can for him to get better. He will be having extra hugs over the weekend and I will take him in first thing on Tuesday morning. I will need to go to work after that, but I am sure that I will not be able to do anything useful or concentrate very well.

I will give an update on Tuesday, when he has had his surgery.

You are welcome to open a thread for moral support and vibes over the weekend and during the operation; it may help you!
I will be keeping my fingers very firmly crossed!
 
Thank you so much. This forum is such great support and particularly at very difficult time like these.
 
Sending healing vibes. It's horrible when they are ill. I hope he comes through the surgery fine and makes a speedy recovery :)
 
Sending healing vibes. It's horrible when they are ill. I hope he comes through the surgery fine and makes a speedy recovery :)
Thanks so much for the message of support - it really helps that people on here recognise how precious these little ones are and how difficult it all is.
 
sorry to hear this. as wiebke said, if they can access the stone fairly easily, or if they think they have a chance to flush it back into into the bladder and remove it from there, then there is a really good chance he can get through the op (our exotics vet said they generally tolerate ops really well, even major ones) and recover well. the aftercare will be as important but sounds like you have a good vet for this, and i know you will be providing the best care aswell.

i can imagine how worried sick you must be though. sending lots of hugs x
 
sorry to hear this. as wiebke said, if they can access the stone fairly easily, or if they think they have a chance to flush it back into into the bladder and remove it from there, then there is a really good chance he can get through the op (our exotics vet said they generally tolerate ops really well, even major ones) and recover well. the aftercare will be as important but sounds like you have a good vet for this, and i know you will be providing the best care aswell.

i can imagine how worried sick you must be though. sending lots of hugs x
Further update.
It seems Vet Ellie is on holiday next week and so the vet that saw me today will need to do the operation. I think she is a good vet though. She definitely cares for these little ones and she is the one that has given me the definitive diagnosis and got to the bottom of it all using X ray, when the ultrasound showed nothing. She specialises in the small furries and has done these operations before and with Ellie. Whenever I have seen her she has always taken the time to make a full diagnosis and I do not feel rushed in and out. She explained everything showing me the X ray and what she will need to do. She will first use a catheter to flush the stone back into the bladder and then remove it from there. It is a large stone however and she has left me with a realistic picture of doing everything she can, but to be prepared for being telephoned with the operation has not been successful outcome. She told me to give Joe is favourites, anything he wants, to tempt his appetite and build him up for the operation this weekend. So that is what he is getting.

I have started syringe feeding to help him build up his strength also, for the operation. At his age, he will need it to get through it all.

Thanks for the message of support bisandmatt.
 
Further update.
It seems Vet Ellie is on holiday next week and so the vet that saw me today will need to do the operation. I think she is a good vet though. She definitely cares for these little ones and she is the one that has given me the definitive diagnosis and got to the bottom of it all using X ray, when the ultrasound showed nothing. She specialises in the small furries and has done these operations before and with Ellie. Whenever I have seen her she has always taken the time to make a full diagnosis and I do not feel rushed in and out. She explained everything showing me the X ray and what she will need to do. She will first use a catheter to flush the stone back into the bladder and then remove it from there. It is a large stone however and she has left me with a realistic picture of doing everything she can, but to be prepared for being telephoned with the operation has not been successful outcome. She told me to give Joe is favourites, anything he wants, to tempt his appetite and build him up for the operation this weekend. So that is what he is getting.

I have started syringe feeding to help him build up his strength also, for the operation. At his age, he will need it to get through it all.

Thanks for the message of support bisandmatt.

sounds like he will be in good (and realistic) hands. all fingers and paws crossed here. we will be thinking of you both x
 
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