Bladder stone in urethra

[Bekki2782]

Hello, I am new here and wanted first to say hello! I joined to become a better piggie mom and get some advice from other stellar pig parents here.
Last night I noticed a mass near my guinea pigs vulva, she's been acting normal, good appetite ect but I took her in to work with me this morning for an emergency check-in. I work for a small animal vet, I'm a tech of 18 years specializing in feline medicine. I am NOT a cavy expert and neither is my boss, we were stumped. Couldn't get a needle into the mass to biopsy it was too hard. Took an xray and it has dark density. Losing my brain and 2 decades of knowledge is my norm when my own pets are ill so, I took her to an exotic vet down the street tonight. They diagnosed her with a bladder stone in her urethra. They gave her pain meds and sedatives in hopes it will pass tonight but we scheduled surgery for tomorrow just incase it doesn't. Also have recovery food and oral antibiotics. I'm stressed guys, the vet says it should manually pop out after manipulation and being under anesthesia but I'm still scared. My pig is 6 years old! She is still urinating and eating tonight and I'm prepping myself for her procedure tomorrow. Has anyone had this done? A minor surgery to remove a urolith in the urethra?
I anesthetize cats and dogs for a living, I do it 4 times a day, and here I am a nervous nelly and I feel silly. Not to mention, a vet techs wages hardly cover enough to pay for all of this so there goes my rent money. Worth every penny though and didn't take a second thought! She's my girl, no money replaces an animals life or quality of life. But damn, 700$ guys, ouch.
Thanks for chatting and support, its so nice to find a group like this! Good night everyone!
Bekki

 

[Bekki2782]

Xrays for anyone curious

 

[GPTV]

Hi there
Welcome to the forum

Here's an old thread of my Grace's she was 5ish I think when she had a 5mm sized stone, although your guineas looks a lot bigger Grace's was from the x-rays!

Grace did really well after the op & I lost her about 12-18months later due to unrelated causes.

Grace Has A Bladder Stone :(

Theres some helpful info, including post op & medication names etc that might help your little lady too.
I think we're all nervous when it comes to our pets needing veterinary treatment, no matter what job you do

I know veterinary care in the States is a lot dearer in comparison to the UK, I think Grace's was about £200, although her stone does seem smaller than yours, so it was chipped away mostly, then the central bit removed by the sounds of it, as opposed to being removed whole.

Fingers crossed & healing vibes by the truck load being sent your way
X

 

[piggieminder]

Sending healing vibes to your girl and very best wishes to you both.

I've just had a piggy go through an abcess removal, he sailed through the surgery, but the after care is proving a little difficult due to his very nervous disposition. It's cost us £600 so I know how you feel about the cost!

Grace may need syringe feeding after the surgery. I am going to add some links here to the care and how to guides.

Illness Support Care Guides

 

[Bill & Ted]

Hello and welcome
So sorry your little piggie is poorly. I have no experience of this but wishing her well for tomorrow and a speedy recovery x

 

[VickiA]

One of the mature sows who came into the rescue recently had a urolith in her urethra. Under anaesthetic it wouldn’t come out with manipulation alone so she had a small incision. She made a fabulous recovery and was right as rain in no time. We were gobsmacked by its size and that she was able to wee and poop without any problems

 

[Sappyshelly]

Hello! My dear rainbow bridge piggie Farley had a bladder stone as well. He also had surgery but it was a lot cheaper! $700 is very expensive! One thing I will point out is recovery. Make sure to lower the calcium in take that your little one is getting, as that’s a factor to stones. I don’t want to scare you, but Farley ended up getting another stone a month after the surgery and sadly had to be put down since he recovered from his first surgery just about a two weeks before, and the vet thought surgery was way too risky and could cause more problems even if he recovered (because of where the stone was). If you notice any problems in your pigs recovery I would definitely take it to the vet to make sure everything is smoothly. Wishing you and your piggy luck and a safe recovery.

 

[Wheekallweek]

Good luck piggy! Our elderly sow Toffee had one and passed it herself, but it was nowhere near that big. Hope she's OK! X

 

[Bekki2782]

Hello again everyone thanks for all the replies, you all made me feel so much better! I've been at my own job all day but I just heard from Peaches' vet and all went well! She did infact need a small incision to remove this massive stone but her vet thinks it should heal quickly. She soared through her anesthesia like a champ (and boy am I glad I wasn't there because I would've had a panic attack). I pick her up in a couple hours and will check in and let you all know how she's doing. Your words of encouragement and prays are much appreciated, thank you all so much! And for the info on post op care and advice on lower calcium, I'm hoping some diet changes will prevent a recurrence of stones. At the very least Ive learned something on pig care, my boss seems confident if it hapoens again we can handle it, especially now we know whats going on. I had the vet save the stone, this thing must be massive. I can't beleive I didn't notice sooner I feel so terrible
Thank you all again, pictures of Peaches and her massive stone to follow.

 

[VickiA]

I’m so pleased to be reading your post. Hope Peaches is soon feeling much better x

 

[Betsy]

Hope she's feeling much better soon hugs to you and healing wheaks for Peaches x

 

[Sappyshelly]

Great to hear she’s doing good!

 

[Bekki2782]

Peaches is home and well! We have her on Hydrochlorothiazide and Potassium Citrate and was advised to continue as a life long treatment to prevent a repeat. She's also getting sq fluids daily for the next 2 weeks and good news for Peaches, doctors orders are to increase fresh produce. The only good news little piggie has gotten all day lol.
Thanks again for all the support, you guys have been awesome. It's hard to find people that understand even our tiny pet creatures are worth the expense of saving. Some more good news, I got approved for Care Credit (a health credit card) so that helped dearly with the expense....about 800$ for both days treatments.
Hope everyone's evening goes well and everyone's piggies stay healthy! Thank you all!
Bekki

 

[Livia Rabideau]

Hello again everyone thanks for all the replies, you all made me feel so much better! I've been at my own job all day but I just heard from Peaches' vet and all went well! She did infact need a small incision to remove this massive stone but her vet thinks it should heal quickly. She soared through her anesthesia like a champ (and boy am I glad I wasn't there because I would've had a panic attack). I pick her up in a couple hours and will check in and let you all know how she's doing. Your words of encouragement and prays are much appreciated, thank you all so much! And for the info on post op care and advice on lower calcium, I'm hoping some diet changes will prevent a recurrence of stones. At the very least Ive learned something on pig care, my boss seems confident if it hapoens again we can handle it, especially now we know whats going on. I had the vet save the stone, this thing must be massive. I can't beleive I didn't notice sooner I feel so terrible
Thank you all again, pictures of Peaches and her massive stone to follow.

Filtered water helps a lot too. I use a Brita water pitcher. So glad it went well.

 

[Betsy]

Is that the stone that came out of your piggy?!?!? It's enormous! she'll feel so much better now that has gone.

 

[VickiA]

Oh my goodness. That stone is huge. I’m sure she must feel better without it. Good idea to try to prevent future stone formation. I now use grain free pellets, filtered water and I follow the low calcium diet to help keep things stable. Long Term Balanced General And Special Needs Guinea Pig Diets
Peaches is a beautiful lady and lucky to have such a caring owner. On this forum we really do understand the link between slaves and their piggies, so you are in good company.
Here’s hoping she goes from strength to strength.

 

[rhymer]

Glad all when well and Peaches is back home. Sending healing vibes for a speedy recovery.
That stone is massive! Peaches must feel so much better without it.
Sending hugs.xx

 

[Wheekallweek]

Yay Peaches! So glad she's better and back home with you x

 

[Bill & Ted]

Aw, so glad everything went well for Peaches, that stone is huge!

 

[Bekki2782]

Hello again everyone, just wanted to update on Peaches. She is not eating on her own at all but I'm getting the recovery food into her without issue. We are just syringe feeding small amounts every few hours. I suspect she's sore and while she's getting pain medication (meloxicam) it may still bother her some. I'm tempted to give another dose of Buprenorphine (doctor used it yesterday post op and the night prior) but if her symptoms are post anesthetic related more sedation may do the opposite of help. I try to keep in mind my dog and cat patients take up to 2 days sometimes to recover themselves but ofcourse the seasoned vet tech loses it when it's her own pet lol. She got her antibiotics, NSAID pain relief and sq fluids already this morning.
Did your piggies eat the next day on their own guys?
And yes that stone is huge huh? Egh I can't imagine a dog passing that let alone a 500g piggie! It blows my mind.
Another possibility that entered my mind is NSAID can cause upset tummy in dogs (we don't use then in cats very often).
I'll keep the feeding going and we check in for a re check with the vet tomorrow (they are closed today)
Many thanks everyone, couldn't do this without you all!
❤

 

[VickiA]

Most of my post op piggies have needed syringe feeding support for at least the first 24 hours. And they often look very sorry for themselves if they are sore. A generous dosage of metacam twice a day helps keep the swelling and pain under control. I’ve never known it to upset a piggy’s tummy. Hope she soon perks up.

 

[Betsy]

I had to syringe feed Christian for 3-4 days after his abscess removal last year and he had gut motility drugs and a heavy dose of Metacam. His abscess was HUGE.

 

[Bekki2782]

Most of my post op piggies have needed syringe feeding support for at least the first 24 hours. And they often look very sorry for themselves if they are sore. A generous dosage of metacam twice a day helps keep the swelling and pain under control. I’ve never known it to upset a piggy’s tummy. Hope she soon perks up.

Thank you Vicki that makes me feel much better. She's very lethargic and immobile. She moved a little when her doggie friend came in for concerned kisses and then went snuggled with her for an hour. They are the most bizarre of friends, they snuggle every evening for 5 years ❤ She won't eat her favs but I will keep doing the syringe feeding as needed.

 

[Bekki2782]

I had to syringe feed Christian for 3-4 days after his abscess removal last year and he had gut motility drugs and a heavy dose of Metacam. His abscess was HUGE.

View attachment 118070View attachment 118071

Oh my poor little Christian! So glad he had a good pig parent! You and Vicki have definetly eased my concerns, I'll keep trucking away until her appetite picks up. And thank you for bringing up gut motility, that was a concern of mine also. I'll bring it up with the exotic vet tomorrow. I have metoclopramide at home just incase she recommends it. I did give her some Buprenex for the discomfort, just a hint in the muscle so hopefully it eases her pain some.
I haven't had another vet treat any of my pets for over a decade besides my boss and this ordeal has given me new light on how helpless my clients can feel with a sick animal they have no medical background education on how to treat. I absolutely have more sympathy for the pet parent who generally isn't lucky like me and has all dog and cat vet expenses comped by my boss. Makes me grateful for my own boss in alot of ways, he lets anyone make payments when they can't afford care and we never turn anyone in need away. The exotic hospital I went to does not offer this but most clinics don't so I wasn't expecting it. My compassion for concerned pet parent clients has increased 10 fold I can say, and my appreciation for my generous cat/dog vet boss has also greatly increased.
Thank you for your support and helpful info, all of your knowledge and compassion just blows me away. Many hugs to you all!

 

[piggieminder]

I'm having problems with a post op piggy not eating for himself at the moment. He had Buprenorphine despite my telling them he'd reacted badly to it before. It seems to cause him a reaction 8 - 10 hours after use and last for days afterwards. He gets worse as the days go on despite 2 hourly syringe feeds. I'd be very wary of this stuff if she's not eating, I've seen other's say their piggies have had a reaction too.
Wishing you and your girl all the best for a speedy recovery.

 

[Bekki2782]

I'm having problems with a post op piggy not eating for himself at the moment. He had Buprenorphine despite my telling them he'd reacted badly to it before. It seems to cause him a reaction 8 - 10 hours after use and last for days afterwards. He gets worse as the days go on despite 2 hourly syringe feeds. I'd be very wary of this stuff if she's not eating, I've seen other's say their piggies have had a reaction too.
Wishing you and your girl all the best for a speedy recovery.

Hi, I will definetly that advice and not continue it again. Especially 2 days post op (tomorrow) the metacam should be doing it's job with inflammation pain control. It absolutely could be Buprenorphine with both our pigs, I know dogs are different but many react poorly to it as well (cats love the stuff, its weird). While pain control is important ofcourse it seems to inhibit recovery time in my experience as well with many patients. Thanks for the tip we will hold off on Bup and see how things go!
Hope your little piggy gets on the mend soon also!

 

[helen105281]

Hope she starts to eat soon, high strength pain meds can make them drowsy. My Sophie had a stone a fraction smaller but it was a few years ago and I can't remember how she was after it was removed. She did recover well in time though.

 

[Bekki2782]

I am very sad to report little Peaches didn't make it. I woke up to her not being able to use her back legs and was very weak. We didn't even make it into the vet as she passed in my lap on our way in not 10 minutes later. I'm not sure what happened and not sure I want to know. A last thank you to everyone that helped me through this, you guys were amazing. ❤

 

[Merab]

So very sorry to hear this news.
Please feel free to post a tribute to Peaches on the Rainbow Bridge thread.
Does she leave a piggy companion behind?

You did everything you possibly could for her and she was a good age. Be gentle with yourself as you grieve

 

[piggieminder]

Sending you hugs, I am so sorry. You did the very best that could be done for her, no one can do more.