Bladder stone op recovery - limp and rolling to one side - bereavement

machuandpicchumummy

machuandpicchumummy

Junior Guinea Pig
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My boy Picchu has surgery to remove a 4mm bladder stone yesterday. He came round really quick from anaesthesia and was eating very quickly after as well. He had a good night and was eating and moving around. At 5:10 this morning he started rolling over onto his back and then was limp and on his side, his legs didn’t seem to want to start working so we rushed to emergency vet. I thought he’d had a fit or stroke. In the car on the way there he came completely back to normal and the vet couldn’t see anything wrong immediately. He was walking fine and acting normally.

The We got back about 15 mins ago and as soon as we placed him back in the cage he had a few bites of lettuce and then started doing it again. I now have him on his bed and he’s eating hay and seems fairly normal. I will call our normal vet who did the op at 8:30 when they open but has anyone seen this in a post-op pig before?
 
He is on 0.36ml Metacam twice a day and 0.2 gabapentin twice a day. He had these last around 11pm last night.
 
machuandpicchumummy said:
My boy Picchu has surgery to remove a 4mm bladder stone yesterday. He came round really quick from anaesthesia and was eating very quickly after as well. He had a good night and was eating and moving around. At 5:10 this morning he started rolling over onto his back and then was limp and on his side, his legs didn’t seem to want to start working so we rushed to emergency vet. I thought he’d had a fit or stroke. In the car on the way there he came completely back to normal and the vet couldn’t see anything wrong immediately. He was walking fine and acting normally.

The We got back about 15 mins ago and as soon as we placed him back in the cage he had a few bites of lettuce and then started doing it again. I now have him on his bed and he’s eating hay and seems fairly normal. I will call our normal vet who did the op at 8:30 when they open but has anyone seen this in a post-op pig before?
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Hi

Please give your vets a call right now or as soon as their phone lines open. This is a life or death emergency. I am so very sorry.

List Of Life And Death Out-of-hours Emergencies

BIG HUGS

My thoughts are with you.
 
Wiebke said:
Hi

Please give your vets a call right now or as soon as their phone lines open. This is a life or death emergency. I am so very sorry.

List Of Life And Death Out-of-hours Emergencies

BIG HUGS

My thoughts are with you.
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I’ll give them a call as soon as the phone lines open in 20 mins. It seems strange he keeps going back to normal. I wasn’t sure if it was just the last of the anaesthesia wearing off or if it’s a sign of pain or something.
 
machuandpicchumummy said:
I’ll give them a call as soon as the phone lines open in 20 mins. It seems strange he keeps going back to normal. I wasn’t sure if it was just the last of the anaesthesia wearing off or if it’s a sign of pain or something.
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Try now - most UK vets have emergency slots but they tend to go fast. Some open their phone lines a bit earlier for those cases but it varies from clinic to clinic. You may want to enquire at the reception what the rules are for the clinic you are using.
 
Wiebke said:
Try now - most UK vets have emergency slots but they tend to go fast. Some open their phone lines a bit earlier for those cases but it varies from clinic to clinic. You may want to enquire at the reception what the rules are for the clinic you are using.
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Waiting outside the vets now for them to open. He has an appointment at 9am.
 
Wiebke said:
I am keeping my fingers firmly crossed for you and your poor boy but good that they are seeing him straight away as an emergency.

Keeping you in my heart.
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The exotic vet we usually see wasn’t in but the Saturday vet got him on the phone and he didn’t seem overly worried. Just seemed to think it was after effects of the anaesthetic/ anaesthetic wearing off. He’s had a couple of much smaller turns since coming home (walking like he’s drunk) which soon wear off which were way less extreme than the previous two this morning so I just hope it’s hangover from the medication. We also have buprenorphine to give him if it happens again. Fingers crossed he doesn’t keep doing it, I so want him to make it.
 
weepweeps said:
It’s such a worrying time. Is he walking about or just sitting in one place?
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Mostly sitting in one place but goes off for a bit of a wander some times. He’s very wobbly. I think it’s just so worrying as he was walking better yesterday but as the vet says probably because the anaesthetic is now fully coming out of his system and was still in a little last night.
 
Bless him. You’re doing all you can. Just make sure he’s eating. Hopefully he will soon be back to his normal cheeky self.
 
weepweeps said:
Bless him. You’re doing all you can. Just make sure he’s eating. Hopefully he will soon be back to his normal cheeky self.
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He was eating fine before but hasn’t had as much for the last couple of hours. I have some critical care I can give him
 
He just looks so rough, it’s horrible to watch. I’ve never had a pig have surgery before so I had no idea what’s normal and what’s not and with it now being a bank holiday it’s even scarier. I just feel sick.
 
machuandpicchumummy said:
The exotic vet we usually see wasn’t in but the Saturday vet got him on the phone and he didn’t seem overly worried. Just seemed to think it was after effects of the anaesthetic/ anaesthetic wearing off. He’s had a couple of much smaller turns since coming home (walking like he’s drunk) which soon wear off which were way less extreme than the previous two this morning so I just hope it’s hangover from the medication. We also have buprenorphine to give him if it happens again. Fingers crossed he doesn’t keep doing it, I so want him to make it.
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Please be aware that the buprenorphine will space him out even further. Fingers firmly crossed.
 
Keeping everything crossed for you, post op is a horrible time especially if they don’t react well post surgery. One of my had a very bad reaction to the anaesthetic, she went stiff as a board, didn’t recognise me, freaked out at absolutely everything and was very odd for about 48 hours then went straight back to normal. Bladder stone surgery is also very painful he may be reacting to the pain?

Sending healing vibes to you both. Xx
 
To add, sometimes a warm pad can sometimes help them. My original girl had a huge bladder stone op with a number removed and a very low expectation of recovery. she spent every night for 2 days asleep on my chest on the sofa. It was exhausting but she pulled through, I think the warmth and comfort helped her tremendously.
 
machuandpicchumummy said:
He was eating fine before but hasn’t had as much for the last couple of hours. I have some critical care I can give him
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Giving him the Critical Care is a good idea. Is he drinking? Perhaps some cucumber. You can get vitamin C drops for rodents to be prepared as a drink. He might take that from a syringe as it tastes pleasant. I hope Picchu gets better soon, poor boy 💜
 
machuandpicchumummy said:
He’s been admitted to the vets for observation and warming up and feeding. That way he’s in the best place if anything goes wrong.
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HUGS

I am relieved to hear that. I am so very sorry that he has taken a turn for the worse overnight but you have done the all the right things to get him into competent hands.

Try to calm down and - if your adrenaline that is still pumping through your body allows you - rest up yourself and try to do some Mindfulness in the form of sending your little one green, soothing healing vibes that you pull up from the ground and then send off via the center in your body. I have found that this has helped me during those anxious times when things were out of my hands.
 
machuandpicchumummy said:
Unfortunately he passed away 💔💔 he waited for us to arrive to see him and send him on his way.
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HUGE HUGS

I am glad that you could at least say goodbye to Picchu.

Anyway, I am so very sorry. This kind of post-op reaction is not usual. It's not something you can foresee or prevent, especially when the alternative with a bladder stone spells high pain levels and euthanasia. Talk about the choice between a rock and a hard place.

But you have bought him the chance to live. What we sadly never have any control over is the outcome. Not your fault and not your wrong decision. :( :( :(

If you struggle with the traumatic circumstances, please feel free to start a support thread in our new End of Life and Bereavement Community Support section which we can let run for as long as you need it; especially in view that this is a bank holiday and the Blue Cross services won't be accessible until Tuesday. We are here for you with our understanding and moral support, as well as for all the little and large questions and decisions you are confronted with.

Give yourself time to deal with both the shock and the loss and be kind with yourself as you mourn the loss.
End of Life and Bereavement Support Corner
 
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