Bladder Stone Post-Op 4 days in. Very Concerned.

[Wooity]

Hello,

I'm kind of an emotional and physical wreck and didn't really know where else to turn. I've read a lot of your forums and advice which has been very helpful but I am still struggling and am concerned I may just not be doing enough by my piggie.

It started about 4 weeks ago when he had a dramatic weight loss and diarrhoea. We manage to stem the diarrhoea and get him stable but by that point he had lost a considerable amount of weight. He started roughly 1,480g and finished about 1,217g. We then started to see blood in his urine for which we treated as a UTI for a week. After still no improvement he went for an x-ray and was found to have one very large bladder stone and one small one.

Rufus (boar) went in for bladder stone surgery last Wednesday (3rd April 2019). By the time he went in for surgery he was 1,005g. He was released to me that evening and he was extremely lethargic and had laboured breathing throughout the night. I stayed with him throughout the night and we seemed to be over the worst of it. His breathing was pretty much back to normal the following morning when I took him for his post-op, at which point he peed on the vet! but it was clear so that was okay by her but then the pee started to turn pink again that evening. Now 5 days later he is still not back to normal. He just wants to lay and sleep all the time and doesn't seem to be drinking by himself at all and barely eating. I have seen him try to start eating but then he seems to struggle. He always wants to nibble on the kitchen roll I use when I syringe feed him and chews hard on the syringes when I am feeding/watering him so I feel like he is hungry but is just struggling to do so. I also thought that where he is not getting up and about his body just isn't getting moving again after such a traumatic time.

He came home with 0.4ml Baytril twice a day for 7 days, 0.34 ml of Zantac for his guts but that was for 3 days so finished the day before yesterday and 0.14ml Metacam for Dogs for 5 days which makes today his last day.

I have been syringe feeding him each day and am averaging about 40ml-50ml of Oxbow Critical Care a day and 80ml-100ml of water (not counting the day after surgery where he seemed to still be recovering from the anaesthetic and I could hardly get anything down him at all).

He usually houses with his brother but after surgery we had to separate them. They are in a large cage with a separator down the middle with holes in so they can see and smell each other but can't interact.

I have been trying to monitor his weight using my baking scales. When he had his second post op appointment Saturday morning he was down to 960g. Sunday morning I weighed him and he was 996g but then this morning (Monday) I weighed him before leaving for work and he was 971g. I have had someone with him around the clock until today where I have come to work for the first time for a full day and left him at home. I managed to get 15ml Critical Care and 30ml of water down him over the course of an hour before leaving for work. His next appointment to check on him is Wednesday (2 days time).

To be honest as it has now been just over 4 weeks since it all started, I am exhausted. Just when you think you start to turn a corner, something else bulldozes me back down to earth. I will not give up but this is why I have posted. I just don't know what else to do. It is breaking my heart to see him like this. And as he hates the Critical Care, he pretty much hates the sight of me now, no matter how much attention and cuddles I give him after for being such a good boy.

Sorry for such a long explanatory post but I've seen a lot of these threads and people usually ask for this information so thought I would give as much at the start as I could. If anyone has any experiences/advice, even if it is to prepare me for the worst, I would really appreciate it.

Thank you.

 

[DMS260820]

Anyone help on this? Bumping thread up for you

 

[Wiebke]

Hello,

I'm kind of an emotional and physical wreck and didn't really know where else to turn. I've read a lot of your forums and advice which has been very helpful but I am still struggling and am concerned I may just not be doing enough by my piggie.

It started about 4 weeks ago when he had a dramatic weight loss and diarrhoea. We manage to stem the diarrhoea and get him stable but by that point he had lost a considerable amount of weight. He started roughly 1,480g and finished about 1,217g. We then started to see blood in his urine for which we treated as a UTI for a week. After still no improvement he went for an x-ray and was found to have one very large bladder stone and one small one.

Rufus (boar) went in for bladder stone surgery last Wednesday (3rd April 2019). By the time he went in for surgery he was 1,005g. He was released to me that evening and he was extremely lethargic and had laboured breathing throughout the night. I stayed with him throughout the night and we seemed to be over the worst of it. His breathing was pretty much back to normal the following morning when I took him for his post-op, at which point he peed on the vet! but it was clear so that was okay by her but then the pee started to turn pink again that evening. Now 5 days later he is still not back to normal. He just wants to lay and sleep all the time and doesn't seem to be drinking by himself at all and barely eating. I have seen him try to start eating but then he seems to struggle. He always wants to nibble on the kitchen roll I use when I syringe feed him and chews hard on the syringes when I am feeding/watering him so I feel like he is hungry but is just struggling to do so. I also thought that where he is not getting up and about his body just isn't getting moving again after such a traumatic time.

He came home with 0.4ml Baytril twice a day for 7 days, 0.34 ml of Zantac for his guts but that was for 3 days so finished the day before yesterday and 0.14ml Metacam for Dogs for 5 days which makes today his last day.

I have been syringe feeding him each day and am averaging about 40ml-50ml of Oxbow Critical Care a day and 80ml-100ml of water (not counting the day after surgery where he seemed to still be recovering from the anaesthetic and I could hardly get anything down him at all).

He usually houses with his brother but after surgery we had to separate them. They are in a large cage with a separator down the middle with holes in so they can see and smell each other but can't interact.

I have been trying to monitor his weight using my baking scales. When he had his second post op appointment Saturday morning he was down to 960g. Sunday morning I weighed him and he was 996g but then this morning (Monday) I weighed him before leaving for work and he was 971g. I have had someone with him around the clock until today where I have come to work for the first time for a full day and left him at home. I managed to get 15ml Critical Care and 30ml of water down him over the course of an hour before leaving for work. His next appointment to check on him is Wednesday (2 days time).

To be honest as it has now been just over 4 weeks since it all started, I am exhausted. Just when you think you start to turn a corner, something else bulldozes me back down to earth. I will not give up but this is why I have posted. I just don't know what else to do. It is breaking my heart to see him like this. And as he hates the Critical Care, he pretty much hates the sight of me now, no matter how much attention and cuddles I give him after for being such a good boy.

Sorry for such a long explanatory post but I've seen a lot of these threads and people usually ask for this information so thought I would give as much at the start as I could. If anyone has any experiences/advice, even if it is to prepare me for the worst, I would really appreciate it.

Thank you.

Hi and welcome!

Please take a DEEP breath and calm down! Your boy may have lost a lot of weight, but he is not in any danger of dying. His weight is actually rather nicely stable for this stage of post-op recovery. We have seen plenty other piggies losing up to 150g in the days after a bladder op, just to put things into a bit of a perspective.

Baytril can cause diarrhea and loss of appetite unfortunately; you have sorted that. If necessary ask your vet whether he would switch to sulfatrim/septrin/ US: bactrim as an alternative antibiotic (It is the same, just different brand names. sulfatrim is now officially liecensed for guinea pigs in the UK). It is not quite as harsh on the guts.

Have you got a healthy companion? In this case, I would recommend to try to 'poo soup', that is soaking just made totally fresh health poos in a little water and then syringing the water to the ill guinea pig. If you collect the poos straightaway, the microbiome in them is still alive and will help to restock the devastated guts of your operated boy. This will in turn help with the food absorption. I know that it sounds a bit gross, but in fact it mirrors natural behaviour of recovering guinea pigs and it is very effective as long as the digestive bacteria and microbes reach the gut while they are still active. Ideally you take the companion out and give him some of his veg outside; eating seems to triggera pooing reflex. Do this twice daily with totally fresh poos.
If your boy is a single piggy, then I would recommend a course of fibreplex; it is more effective than plain probiotics and has on several occasions helped operated piggies or piggies whose appetite had been wiped by a strong antibiotic get back to normal.
Probiotics, Recovery Foods And Vitamin C: Overview With Product Links

The weight loss is considerable due to the excruciating pain that a bladder stone can cause, but your boy's weight is not so low that he is in danger and he is not doing too badly, considering. If he has lost such a lot so quickly, then it is very likely that quite a bit of it was fat (overweight); that is best staying off anyway. Please note that it can take weeks or even months after a major operation for the weight to come back on; right now you are aiming for stabilising the weight without top up feeding. Since your feeding amounts are too small to stabilise the weight, this means that he is eating for himself and that his weight has now stabilised.

Heavy breathing from the aneasthesia and pink pee from the operated site are perfectly normal for the first 2-3 days post-op. They should have stopped and normalised by now and your boy's body should have started the healing process. He should be perkier in himself with every passing day. Try to mix his syringe feed formula with some mushed up pellets for a better and more familiar taste and see whether he'll eat that from a bowl. See how he is eating on his own and take it from there to adjust the amount of support feeding he actually needs.

As long as your boy is able to hold his weight without any top up feed, there is nothing to worry. Concentrate on the quality of diet and not the quantity. Make sure that you eliminite all aspects that could contribute to formation of further stones, including water and the amount and quality of pellets you are feeding; more calcium is often coming from that source!
Once your boy is as healthy as can be in himself and his body has settled down, any healthy lost weight will come back on his own unless he is an older gent. Try not to overfeed and please try not to stress out over him; you are not helping his recovery with your panic. Don't fixate on the weight loss; fixate on making sure that you put him on a sustainable low calcium diet to minimise the risk of further stones and to allow him to be as fit and sleek as possible for the rest of his life.

Please take the time to read these guides here. You will find them very helpful.
Long Term Balanced General And Special Needs Guinea Pig Diets (includes tips for a long term bladder piggy diet)
Weight - Monitoring and Management (including advice on how to work out whether/when your boy is a healthy weight for his individual size)

We also recommend to give cystease/cystophan or a similar glucosamine-based cat food supplement to guinea pigs with a bladder stone. This is not a medication, but it helps to support the natural glucosamine coating of the bladder walls, which have taken a battering from the stone. It can make a difference in the comfort in that area, which in turn also helps with the appetite. You can source cystease or similar brands easily online.

And again - please take a deep breath, don't panic and be patient. Things will settle down on their own in their own time if you allow them to.

If it is any consolation, my tiny Ceri went from 800g down to 700g in a week and then over the weekend despite syringe feeding down to a dangerously low 540g; the vet wasn't sure whether she'd make it through when she was operated as an emergency on the Monday. She did (on my 50th birthday) and in fact, recovered so well that she was back up to 700g within two weeks of the operation. Other piggies have taken longer to recover, but recover they all did.

 

[Wooity]

Hi and welcome!

Please take a DEEP breath and calm down! Your boy may have lost a lot of weight, but he is not in any danger of dying.

Baytril can cause diarrhea unfortunately; you have sorted that. Have you got a healthy companion? In this case, I would recommend to try to 'poo soup', that is soaking just made totally fresh health poos in a little water and then syringing the water to the ill guinea pig. If you collect the poos straightaway, the microbiome in them is still alive and will help to restock the devastated guts of your operated boy. This will in turn help with the food absorption. I know that it sounds a bit gross, but in fact it mirrors natural behaviour of recovering guinea pigs and it is very effective as long as the digestive bacteria and microbes reach the gut while they are still active. Ideally you take the companion out and give him some of his veg outside; eating seems to triggera pooing reflex. Do this twice daily with totally fresh poos.
If your boy is a single piggy, then I would recommend a course of fibreplex; it is more effective than plain probiotics and has on several occasions helped operated piggies or piggies whose appetite had been wiped by a strong antibiotic get back to normal.
Probiotics, Recovery Foods And Vitamin C: Overview With Product Links

The weight loss is considerable, but your boy's weight is not so low that he is in danger. If he has lost such a lot so quickly, then it is very likely that quite a bit of it was fat (overweight); that is best staying off anyway. Please note that it can take weeks or even months after a major operation for the weight to come back on.

As long as your boy is able to hold his weight without any top up feed, there is nothing to worry. Concentrate on the quality of diet and not the quantity. Make sure that you eliminite all aspects that could contribute to formation of further stones, including water and the amount and quality of pellets you are feeding; more calcium is often coming from that source!
Once your boy is as healthy as can be in himself and his body has settled down, any healthy lost weight will come back on his own unless he is an older gent. Try not to overfeed and please try not to stress out over him; you are not helping his recovery with your panic. Don't fixate on the weight loss; fixate on making sure that you put him on a sustainable low calcium diet to minimise the risk of further stones and to allow him to be as fit and sleek as possible for the rest of his life.

Please take the time to read these guides here. You will find them very helpful.
Long Term Balanced General And Special Needs Guinea Pig Diets (includes tips for a long term bladder piggy diet)
Weight - Monitoring and Management (including advice on how to work out whether/when your boy is a healthy weight for his individual size)

We also recommend to give cystease/cystophan or a similar glucosamine-based cat food supplement to guinea pigs with a bladder stone. This is not a medication, but it helps to support the natural glucosamine coating of the bladder walls, which have taken a battering from the stone. It can make a difference in the comfort in that area, which in turn also helps with the appetite. You can source cystease or similar brands easily online.

And again - please take a deep breath, don't panic and be patient. Things will settle down on their own in their own time if you allow them to.

Thank you for your reply.

I am sorry to sound so panicked, I know I am just tired juggling work and his care plus running the house so I just needed to hear from someone. Thank you for taking the time. I assure you whenever I am around my piggie I am as calm and reassuring as anything. I just break down in private.

I have him on 100% Timothy Hay and the nuggets he was on already are the lowest ones I could find in regards to calcium intake. We are in a hard water area though so may be worth filtering the water. His favourite veggies were Kale and Spinach which although we have given sparingly, are of course both high in calcium so we were advised by the vet to steer clear of these, plus some others fruit and veg completely. I am trying to tempt him with alternates plus some he already likes so apple, tomato, cucumber, carrot, plum and green bell pepper.

The vets and nurses were saying he would bounce back a lot quicker than this so I was starting to get really concerned there may be something else going on. I'm sure once he is put back with his brother as well that this will stop him feeling so depressed.

I will try the "poop soup" approach as his brother is a fine specimen of a piggie and in complete working order and health so will try this in addition to the Critical Care.

Again thank you for taking the time to help. I understand now that this is completely normal and I just need to be patient and persevere.

I will update on the progress later this week.

x

 

[Wiebke]

Thank you for your reply.

I am sorry to sound so panicked, I know I am just tired juggling work and his care plus running the house so I just needed to hear from someone. Thank you for taking the time. I assure you whenever I am around my piggie I am as calm and reassuring as anything. I just break down in private.

I have him on 100% Timothy Hay and the nuggets he was on already are the lowest ones I could find in regards to calcium intake. We are in a hard water area though so may be worth filtering the water. His favourite veggies were Kale and Spinach which although we have given sparingly, are of course both high in calcium so we were advised by the vet to steer clear of these, plus some others fruit and veg completely. I am trying to tempt him with alternates plus some he already likes so apple, tomato, cucumber, carrot, plum and green bell pepper.

The vets and nurses were saying he would bounce back a lot quicker than this so I was starting to get really concerned there may be something else going on. I'm sure once he is put back with his brother as well that this will stop him feeling so depressed.

I will try the "poop soup" approach as his brother is a fine specimen of a piggie and in complete working order and health so will try this in addition to the Critical Care.

Again thank you for taking the time to help. I understand now that this is completely normal and I just need to be patient and persevere.

I will update on the progress later this week.

x

Please read our diet advice. We feature a long term balanced sample diet, which we have made very good experiences with and with which our long term members have been able to massively reduce the occurrance of bladder stones and increase longevity in health piggies noticeably; there are some small further tweaks for bladder problem piggies.
While I won't go round saying that our diet recommendations are the ultimate solution, we can at least say that they have stood the test of time and are not the worst place to start out from; despite having 20-30 piggies and living in a hard water/high mineral area, I haven't had a bladder stone problem in the last 5 years after a spate caused by diet experimentation. This includes filtering the piggy water, where the majority of the calcium is coming from.
I also would recommend to reassess your diet re. the greens you feed and which should be part of a veg diet, and to feed less fruit overall in your diet (cheilitis risk). Stone fruit are not recommended anyway.

Caring for an ill piggy is extremely draining, especially when it takes that long to figure out what is the problem. Unfortunately, not every recovery goes like clockwork and not all piggies pick up straight away (like I have said in my previous post); I know that . Bladder stone ops in boars are generally a lot more risky and difficult in boars than in sows because they have a longer urethra with an awkward inglenook in which stones often fetch up. Smaller crystals can become embedded in the walls.

Please just keep plodding on and try the tips I have given you. You will get there soon. Just hang on in there; you are not far off the finish line now!

 

[Cavy Kung-Fu]

I just wondered whether it was worth asking for more pain meds? Seems like it was a low dose as well as we have 0.4mls twice daily for my current post op pig? If he’s still not moving around a lot it may be worth revisiting pain management and see if that helps him

 

[Wooity]

Please read our diet advice. We feature a long term balanced sample diet, which we have made very good experiences with and with which our long term members have been able to massively reduce the occurrance of bladder stones and increase longevity in health piggies noticeably; there are some small further tweaks for bladder problem piggies.
While I won't go round saying that our diet recommendations are the ultimate solution, we can at least say that they have stood the test of time and are not the worst place to start out from; despite having 20-30 piggies and living in a hard water/high mineral area, I haven't had a bladder stone problem in the last 5 years after a spate caused by diet experimentation. This includes filtering the piggy water, where the majority of the calcium is coming from.
I also would recommend to reassess your diet re. the greens you feed and which should be part of a veg diet, and to feed less fruit overall in your diet (cheilitis risk). Stone fruit are not recommended anyway.

Caring for an ill piggy is extremely draining, especially when it takes that long to figure out what is the problem. Unfortunately, not every recovery goes like clockwork and not all piggies pick up straight away (like I have said in my previous post); I know that . Bladder stone ops in boars are generally a lot more risky and difficult in boars than in sows because they have a longer urethra with an awkward inglenook in which stones often fetch up. Smaller crystals can become embedded in the walls.

Please just keep plodding on and try the tips I have given you. You will get there soon. Just hang on in there; you are not far off the finish line now!

Thank you. I have had a good read of the recommended forum and will adjust the diet accordingly.

Thank you again for your help.

 

[Wooity]

I just wondered whether it was worth asking for more pain meds? Seems like it was a low dose as well as we have 0.4mls twice daily for my current post op pig? If he’s still not moving around a lot it may be worth revisiting pain management and see if that helps him

I thought it was a bit low myself as he had been prescribed three times that amount in Metacam for a chest infection last year. I will see how he goes and ask on Wednesday at his check up.

Thank you for your help.

 

[Wiebke]

Thank you. I have had a good read of the recommended forum and will adjust the diet accordingly.

Thank you again for your help.

Painkillers are an area where you can give massively higher dosages safely. General vets usually underestimate guinea pig metabolism and the fact that metacam is not impacting on the kidneys the way it does in cats or dogs. You can give safely 0.25 ml dog metacam twice daily and can go up to 0.4 ml twice daily for a kilo piggy in the case of severe pain or inflammation, as is the case with damaged and traumatised bladders.

 

[Wooity]

Painkillers are an area where you can give massively higher dosages safely. General vets usually underestimate guinea pig metabolism and the fact that metacam is not impacting on the kidneys the way it does in cats or dogs. You can give safely 0.25 ml dog metacam twice daily and can go up to 0.4 ml twice daily for a kilo piggy in the case of severe pain or inflammation, as is the case with damaged and traumatised bladders.

Thanks again for your advice. He still seems to be in some discomfort so I will try a second dose this evening to see if that helps. If he is still in pain tomorrow I will carry on until I see the vet Wednesday for his check-up.

You've been so helpful. Thank you so much.

 

[Wiebke]

Thanks again for your advice. He still seems to be in some discomfort so I will try a second dose this evening to see if that helps. If he is still in pain tomorrow I will carry on until I see the vet Wednesday for his check-up.

You've been so helpful. Thank you so much.

Guinea pigs metabolise metacam in around 10 hours in my experience with piggies in pain. In most cases it helps to split the medication into two dosages.

All the best! You and your precious boy will get through it. Now that the stone is out, he can start healing up. It is already a major relief that it is finally out.

 

[Bill & Ted]

Can’t add anymore advice, but I have nursed/syringe fed a poorly post operative dental piggie for 6 weeks and just wanted to offer support, I know how draining it is. You feel like you are on an emotional rollercoaster. Keep your spirits up, you will get there I’m sure x

 

[KayBalor]

Keep going Wooity, you're doing a great job! Like Bill and Ted, I had to feed my Harry around the clock for weeks after dental surgery. It was physically and mentally draining, I even took time off work to stay with him but it was literally one of the happiest moments of my life when he started eating again on his own again. Sending hugs and support!

 

[Merab]

Welcome to the forum
Nursing a post op piggy is very tiring and stressful.
You sound as if you’re doing a fantastic job
I can’t add to the advice but assure you of my support.
This is the place to pour out your heart and anxiety about Rufus - we really do understand

 

[Lady Kelly]

I can't add anything to what our font of health knowledge Wiebke has added. However I send my strength and support. Like others I have spent weeks syringe feeding and medicating ill piggies. Make time for yourself when you can, perhaps run a nice bath.

 

[Swissgreys]

I also just wanted to add some support.
When our guinea pig Ruby was recovering from her bladder op I was so exhausted and ground down that I found myself asleep at the table one night, while sitting waiting for her to pee into a bowl. My hair constantly smelt like Critical Care, and I felt like I couldn't really expamin to a lot of people how hard it was.
I cried a lot too - it's tough and can feel never ending.

You have already had lots of great advice, but what really helped us turn the corner was switching from Critical care to Recovery Formula - this was a total game changer for me.
Ruby hated Critical Care (both types) and most other recovery formulas on offer but for some reason she loved Recovery Formula.
Feeding her became so much easier and faster, plus I am sure she didn't expend half the energy that she usually did fighting every syringe!

So I guess my top tip would be to try different syringe feeds, and hopefully find one that your boy will take willingly.

 

[Wooity]

Thank you so much everyone for your fantastic support. It really has helped reading all your lovely comments.

Last night, after worrying myself silly for leaving him on his own all day for the first time in weeks, I sat down with Rufus on his pillow ready for a feed and all of a sudden that wonderful "wheek" I haven't heard in 5 weeks blurted from his little chops in full force. I was startled! I took him straight to the kitchen and got out some veg as per the brilliant advice already given (Many thanks Wiebke, for the advice and giving it to me straight). He just chomped down for a good hour. I was so stunned I just watched him. I decided he had done so well I would just make sure he had some water to top up for flushing his bladder and even strictly monitored a snuggle between him and his brother before putting him back to rest. I made sure I gave him 14ml Critical Care 3 hours later and left a few pieces of fresh veg in his bowl just in case.

This morning I gave him a feed before work (14ml CC & water) and noticed all the veg had been gobbled up. Luckily (or not so luckily) my partner is having a day off work today due to scratching his cornea at work yesterday so he has said he will check on his eating and provide some fresh veg at lunchtime for him. He would like to help more but unfortunately he is allergic to our two Guinea Pigs Rufus & Curtis (we only realised that was what was making him sneeze about 6 months later!).

Thank you Swissgreys for your advice on the food. The Oxbow was what was provided by the vets but I have had a look after your advice and will see about trying the Recovery Formula. I also notice they do Critical Care in an Apple and Banana flavour instead of Anise so may be worth trying that also. Thanks for letting me know there were other options out there.

I have had guinea pigs before and all have had happy long lives. This is the first time I have had one need surgery or had a serious illness other than poking themselves in the eye with a bit of hay (My Trudie was forever doing that). I obviously realise now that I have been very lucky.

Rufus' pee is still mostly discoloured and only sometimes clear so hoping now we just need to keep on top of this, keep his strength up and continue to hope for the best. I don't want to get too overexcited as I know things can change so quick for them but I am keeping my fingers crossed this could be the start of his turning point...…..hopefully.

 

[Wiebke]

Thank you so much everyone for your fantastic support. It really has helped reading all your lovely comments.

Last night, after worrying myself silly for leaving him on his own all day for the first time in weeks, I sat down with Rufus on his pillow ready for a feed and all of a sudden that wonderful "wheek" I haven't heard in 5 weeks blurted from his little chops in full force. I was startled! I took him straight to the kitchen and got out some veg as per the brilliant advice already given (Many thanks Wiebke, for the advice and giving it to me straight). He just chomped down for a good hour. I was so stunned I just watched him. I decided he had done so well I would just make sure he had some water to top up for flushing his bladder and even strictly monitored a snuggle between him and his brother before putting him back to rest. I made sure I gave him 14ml Critical Care 3 hours later and left a few pieces of fresh veg in his bowl just in case.

This morning I gave him a feed before work (14ml CC & water) and noticed all the veg had been gobbled up. Luckily (or not so luckily) my partner is having a day off work today due to scratching his cornea at work yesterday so he has said he will check on his eating and provide some fresh veg at lunchtime for him. He would like to help more but unfortunately he is allergic to our two Guinea Pigs Rufus & Curtis (we only realised that was what was making him sneeze about 6 months later!).

Thank you Swissgreys for your advice on the food. The Oxbow was what was provided by the vets but I have had a look after your advice and will see about trying the Recovery Formula. I also notice they do Critical Care in an Apple and Banana flavour instead of Anise so may be worth trying that also. Thanks for letting me know there were other options out there.

I have had guinea pigs before and all have had happy long lives. This is the first time I have had one need surgery or had a serious illness other than poking themselves in the eye with a bit of hay (My Trudie was forever doing that). I obviously realise now that I have been very lucky.

Rufus' pee is still mostly discoloured and only sometimes clear so hoping now we just need to keep on top of this, keep his strength up and continue to hope for the best. I don't want to get too overexcited as I know things can change so quick for them but I am keeping my fingers crossed this could be the start of his turning point...…..hopefully.

That is great news! I would recommend to stop support feeding altogether and monitor on the scales (always before you feed veg) whether he is eating enough hay to hold his weight. Overfeeding on formula means mainly eating less hay once the appetite is back.

The colour in the pee is not blood but porphyrine (although the pee can test positive for blood). Your poor boy's bladder has obviously taken quite a battering but he has clearly turned the corner now.
Please get hold of some cystease or vegan glucosamine to help the bladder, up the metacam if possible and things will sort themselves out in time.

I've had plenty of post-op piggies and times trying to get piggies through GI stasis, bloat or other severe illnesses for days and nights on end to understand your exhaustion. Make sure that you get some good sleep now and stop getting up in the night! Caring for an ill piggy around the clock is every bit as draining as caring for an ill child both physically and emotionally.

 

[Wooity]

That is great news! I would recommend to stop support feeding altogether and monitor on the scales (always before you feed veg) whether he is eating enough hay to hold his weight. Overfeeding on formula means mainly eating less hay once the appetite is back.

The colour in the pee is not blood but porphyrine (although the pee can test positive for blood). Your poor boy's bladder has obviously taken quite a battering but he has clearly turned the corner now.
Please get hold of some cystease or vegan glucosamine to help the bladder, up the metacam if possible and things will sort themselves out in time.

I've had plenty of post-op piggies and times trying to get piggies through GI stasis, bloat or other severe illnesses for days and nights on end to understand your exhaustion. Make sure that you get some good sleep now and stop getting up in the night! Caring for an ill piggy around the clock is every bit as draining as caring for an ill child both physically and emotionally.

Thank you so much (again).

Will look into cystease and vegan glucosamine today.

I am also going to weigh him later today and see where we are at in regards to weight. I weighed him this morning before his feed and he was 990g, but that could have just been a full bladder as he relieved himself on his pillow/me during his feed! How wonderful.

I'll see where we are at when I get home from work and go from there.

You have all been amazingly supportive. This community is great and I hope I can help someone else like you have for me.

 

[Wiebke]

Thank you so much (again).

Will look into cystease and vegan glucosamine today.

I am also going to weigh him later today and see where we are at in regards to weight. I weighed him this morning before his feed and he was 990g, but that could have just been a full bladder as he relieved himself on his pillow/me during his feed! How wonderful.

I'll see where we are at when I get home from work and go from there.

You have all been amazingly supportive. This community is great and I hope I can help someone else like you have for me.

At least you know that he is basically holding his weight. Stabilising the weight post-op is always your first priority; then to get the piggy maintaining it on its own. The rest happens naturally as your boy is healing and recovering; it may not happen instantly, depending on how badly the bladder is affected, but it is going to happen at some point.

 

[Bill & Ted]

Aw, that’s so good to hear, I think he’s turned a corner and has got his appetite back. Lovely news x

 

[Lady Kelly]

So good to hear that he is continuing to improve. It's hard to relax just in case but I would take Wiebkes advice and stop the syringe feeding as it sounds like he doesn't really need it now and monitor his weight daily for a while to be sure he is continuing to improve

 

[Wooity]

So the first pic, don’t worry, is a joke. I put Rufus on the side to see what he fancied and he went for the spring greens! I did a selection of pepper, spring greens, carrot, cucumber and a little apple for their dinner.

I have taken @Wiebke's advice and not syringe fed him when I came in from work. Him and his brother both have a salad to chow down on. Thought you might like to see my furry babies in action.

Hopefully they can be back together soon.

Thank you all so much. You have been amazing!

 

[Lady Kelly]

Stunning boys

 

[Wiebke]

It must be SUCH a relief for you to see!

PS: Please do not overfeed veg. About 85% of the daily food intake should be hay. It really makes a difference in life span. A 1 in slice of greens is enough for 1 day together with a mix of some other low calcium veg.

 

[Merab]

They are gorgeous.
So pleased to know that Rufus is improving.
Make sure you look after yourself as well as the piggies

 

[Wooity]

It must be SUCH a relief for you to see!

PS: Please do not overfeed veg. About 85% of the daily food intake should be hay. It really makes a difference in life span. A 1 in slice of greens is enough for 1 day together with a mix of some other low calcium veg.
View attachment 110608

Thank you.

I looked through your post regarding low calcium. I gave one piece of spring greens similar size to yours between the two of them, two slices of cucumber each, a couple of small pieces of apple about the size of a sugar cube each, a slice of pepper about the same size as yours split between them and a couple of slices of carrot. I also bought some coriander in pot which is now on my windowsill which I will try them with another time. I hope I’ve got all that right. I read your post several times to try and get it correct and then split it all between the two of them.

Fingers crossed!

 

[Wooity]

Also have seen him chow down on the hay this evening. I understand @Wiebke what you are saying regarding this and will make sure he continues to eat this also/mostly.

 

[Wiebke]

Thank you.

I looked through your post regarding low calcium. I gave one piece of spring greens similar size to yours between the two of them, two slices of cucumber each, a couple of small pieces of apple about the size of a sugar cube each, a slice of pepper about the same size as yours split between them and a couple of slices of carrot. I also bought some coriander in pot which is now on my windowsill which I will try them with another time. I hope I’ve got all that right. I read your post several times to try and get it correct and then split it all between the two of them.

Fingers crossed!

Good!

Sorry about banging on about it so much; I just want you and your boy to have as smooth a ride from now on as possible.

Diet is the area where you can really influence things to your favour with bladder stone piggies. Calcium absorption is a complex process; so much can go wrong. Not everything can be fully controlled, but it can be at least considerably minimised.
It also takes several weeks for the new diet to really filter through as I know from my own experiences in years gone by (I thankfully haven't had any stones in the last 5 years after it had taken me 2 years to get on top of the ones that were a result of experimentation with my diet. The recommendations have come about by a process of finding what works and what not. )

Make sure that you treat yourself to a few proper early nights now! Somepig has definitely turned a corner. Be very proud and take care of yourself now.

 

[Wooity]

Good!

Sorry about banging on about it so much; I just want you and your boy to have as smooth a ride from now on as possible.

Diet is the area where you can really influence things to your favour with bladder stone piggies. Calcium absorption is a complex process; so much can go wrong. Not everything can be fully controlled, but it can be at least considerably minimised.
It also takes several weeks for the new diet to really filter through as I know from my own experiences in years gone by (I thankfully haven't had any stones in the last 5 years after it had taken me 2 years to get on top of the ones that were a result of experimentation with my diet. The recommendations have come about by a process of finding what works and what not. )

Make sure that you treat yourself to a few proper early nights now! Somepig has definitely turned a corner. Be very proud and take care of yourself now.

No please do “bang on about it” . You told me straight and emphasised what was important. You know your stuff and I appreciate the honesty.

Have decided on an easy dinner and an early night after many of you suggesting it. Thank you all for the concern.

Rufus is back at the vets for a checkup tomorrow evening so we’ll take it slow and go from there. He was in a little discomfort when I got home so even though the vet said stop with the pain medication yesterday, I felt it right to give him a little dose this evening so as not to put him off moving about a little and having a munch.

Thank you all again so much. Everyone’s been so supportive and helpful. I am glad to join a lovely forum like this. It really is amazing.

And now.......