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BLADDER STONE - Help! Chipychanga

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PingandChipy

PingandChipy

Teenage Guinea Pig
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Hi everyone,

I really need some expert advice regarding bladder stones in guinea pigs. The Vet called after having a urine analysis done on Chipy and he has a lot of blood in his urine and a lot of crystals. She suspects he has a bladder stone.

He is going in to have his teeth done tomorrow and while he is under she is going to xray him and find out if he does have a bladder stone.

What do they do to treat this? I totally forgot to ask her! What can I expect?

My pig is 7 years old. He is the one in the avatar.

Thanks!
 
Hi, so sorry Chipy is not very well. i have had piggies with bladder stones in the past. sadly bladder issues/stones are not always easy to deal with.

bladder stones and other calcium deposits show up very well on xray but for bests results vets will usually take two views, a lateral view ( piggy on his side) and a DV view ( piggy on his tummy). this is to make sure that a stone is not missed if it is under a bone ( eg on a DV view a bladder stone could be directly under the spine and so not easy to spot) and to help locate its exact position.

if a bladder stone is found on xray usually the best option is to have it surgically removed, unless it is very tiny, as sadly there is no other 'cure'. sometimes vets will leave tiny bladder stones as it is possible the pig will pass them and also they can be difficult for the vet to find when operating. bigger stones, however, are dangerous to leave as there is the possibilty they could move and block the urethra.

surgically removing bladder stones is not an easy op so really it is best if done by a cavy savvy vet who is also a good soft tissue surgeon.

if there are calcium deposits in the kidneys or ureters an xray will also show these but unfortunetly removing them is not usally possible.

xrays may also show that there are no stones or deposits in which case the syptoms are most likely being caused by an infection which can be treated with antibiotics and anti inflamatory pain relief.

even when stones are sucessfully removed there is a possibilty new ones can be formed. i had a piggy who had a stone removed age 4 who then developed an other two years later.again i had it removed but sadly this time it only took two weeks for an other to form.

i would discus all the possibilities with your vet when you take him in :)
 
Pound Shilling & Pig said:
Hi, so sorry Chipy is not very well. i have had piggies with bladder stones in the past. sadly bladder issues/stones are not always easy to deal with.

bladder stones and other calcium deposits show up very well on xray but for bests results vets will usually take two views, a lateral view ( piggy on his side) and a DV view ( piggy on his tummy). this is to make sure that a stone is not missed if it is under a bone ( eg on a DV view a bladder stone could be directly under the spine and so not easy to spot) and to help locate its exact position.

if a bladder stone is found on xray usually the best option is to have it surgically removed, unless it is very tiny, as sadly there is no other 'cure'. sometimes vets will leave tiny bladder stones as it is possible the pig will pass them and also they can be difficult for the vet to find when operating. bigger stones, however, are dangerous to leave as there is the possibilty they could move and block the urethra.

surgically removing bladder stones is not an easy op so really it is best if done by a cavy savvy vet who is also a good soft tissue surgeon.

if there are calcium deposits in the kidneys or ureters an xray will also show these but unfortunetly removing them is not usally possible.

xrays may also show that there are no stones or deposits in which case the syptoms are most likely being caused by an infection which can be treated with antibiotics and anti inflamatory pain relief.

even when stones are sucessfully removed there is a possibilty new ones can be formed. i had a piggy who had a stone removed age 4 who then developed an other two years later.again i had it removed but sadly this time it only took two weeks for an other to form.

i would discus all the possibilities with your vet when you take him in :)
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Thank you so much for this information. Can I ask when the stone formed another time 2 weeks later did your guinea pig have a repeat operation?

I don't know if I want to put him through surgery at his age. He is very frail. It's one thing to have his teeth done but it sounds like a bladder stone removal would be major surgery. Such a worry. :(

Do you think at age 7 years old it is a good idea? I don't know what to do.
 
PingandChipy said:
Thank you so much for this information. Can I ask when the stone formed another time 2 weeks later did your guinea pig have a repeat operation?

I don't know if I want to put him through surgery at his age. He is very frail. It's one thing to have his teeth done but it sounds like a bladder stone removal would be major surgery. Such a worry. :(

Do you think at age 7 years old it is a good idea? I don't know what to do.
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There's no point in worrying about making decisions and such until you know the results of the X-rays, and what you actually need to be worrying about.

If there are any stones, your vet will discuss full options, pros and cons with you.
 
in my case when the stone came back a second time and so soon after surgery i chose not to have him woken up from his anaesthetic but pts. deposits in his ureters had also started to show up (very painful) and i felt he could not be provided with adequate pain management or quality of life.

but as amanda says you do not know what you are dealing with yet and you will need to discuss everything with your vet.

please let us know how he gets on
 
Thinking about Chipy today. Hope you find out more - as said the key thing to try and find out is if he does have stones (your vet only suspects so far) and where they are - which hopefully the xrays will tell you. All the best of luck. He may be quite groggy after the xrays and being prodded about so be ready with favourite veg and recovery food if needed. x
 
Thanks so much everyone for your posts. Its been a trying week. I am also very sick with a sinus infection from sinus surgery and feeling quite overwhelmed. But I managed to get Chipy off to the vets this morning and they will call me later once it is done. I'm glad he is getting his teeth done today and not waiting.

I sent him to the vets with his pellets, hay, grated carrots and parsley. So I hope that will entice him to eat after surgery. It usually takes him a day to really wake up. Especially being an old man.

He was not impressed with being whisked away this morning in the travel carrier and made quite a fuss when I picked him up. I will let you all know what happens later when I know more.

Thank you again. I really appreciate all the support.
 
Pound Shilling & Pig said:
in my case when the stone came back a second time and so soon after surgery i chose not to have him woken up from his anaesthetic but pts. deposits in his ureters had also started to show up (very painful) and i felt he could not be provided with adequate pain management or quality of life.

but as amanda says you do not know what you are dealing with yet and you will need to discuss everything with your vet.

please let us know how he gets on
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Oh I'm so sorry to hear that about your piggie but I think you made the right decision and really it is a gift if we can help our animals to not have any more pain. It must have been very hard for you. ((((hugs))))
 
Update on Chipy

Chipy's teeth surgery went well but he has 3 bladder stones. :(
We have decided to not do the surgery to remove them because of his age, they might grow back, and the expense. We just can't afford it. It was quoted at $2000.

We are giving him pain meds and monitoring him for signs of pain. We will have to take him in eventually have him pts. :(

I'm glad his teeth are fixed and he's comfy in his cage. I feel sad and shocked.
 
Oh I am sorry :( He is a good age though & I am glad his tooth surgery went well. As long as he isn't in pain & has a good quality of life he may live a few years yet, but if he doesn't then he has had a wonderful long life with you. I lost my 7 year old piggy last year & it is very hard. Big ((hugs)) for you both x
 
so sorry to hear Chipy has bladder stones :( i totally understand your decision not to go for surgery, it would be a very big op for such an elderly gentleman to get through and sadly with no guarantees.
i am glad his dental went well, so hopefully with the pain meds for his stones he will have a little while longer of good quality life. i am sure you will know when it is time to let him go, never an easy thing but often the last, great kindness we can give is to help them over the bridge.
((hugs)) xx
 
Really sorry to hear this news for Chipy. S*dding stones. Not a lot useful I can say to you at this time but did not want to ignore your news. Hope the improved teeth and pain meds mean that you can have some more time with him and cuddles.
 
So sorry to hear that. My Mimsi lived to the age of 8 with an embedded bladder stone. As his stone was fused in the bladder wall, I opted not to have surgery as it would havve been more intricate than normal stone removal.
 
Farquhar said:
So sorry to hear that. My Mimsi lived to the age of 8 with an embedded bladder stone. As his stone was fused in the bladder wall, I opted not to have surgery as it would havve been more intricate than normal stone removal.
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Oh I hope that Chipy lives as long as your Mimsi. That would be wonderful. He is such a special piggy. I'm glad at least that I can give him pain meds to help him be more comfortable. He seems less cranky now. I know I get pretty darn cranky when I'm in pain!
 
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