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Specialist Bloat and hernia

Patch89

Patch89

Junior Guinea Pig
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We are under the care of exotics vet. Dede (pictured below) has survived his 9th (if not more) episode of bloat and fur falling out but re developed a hernia on the same site that was operated on less than a year ago. Its affecting his toileting.

He doesn't have a good track record with anesthetic either.

Has anyone else been in a position where exotics are reluctant to operate but he is still happily popcorning so it's not goodbye time yet either.

I've had many piggies but he by far is the most complex I've owned / had in reacue.

Thank you in advance for any advice offered. I live Midlands UK if that helps with advice.
 
Pic below. He looks bigger than he is. He just sits like this on his wood.
 

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Patch89 said:
Pic below. He looks bigger than he is. He just sits like this on his wood.
Click to expand...

I am very sorry. Hernia operations are very tricky and can cause more problems than they solve. If adhesion issues etc. impede the bowel movement, then there is very little you can you. :(

Does he have a specific food that could trigger the acute episodes or do they come on perfectly randomly depending on what is happening in his body? Would an x-ray or scan help to see what is going on and if there is a blockage or narrowing of some sort? They could be done without sedation with frail/at risk piggies if not quite as well as you need to place any pet sideways and on its belly in order to locate any problem inside the body.
Frail and older guinea pigs can develop a very iffy digestion with frequent bloating; an operation or illness in an adjoining area can be a trigger.

The only other advice I have is in the bloat guide.
 
He has had untra sound and xrays. Neither showed anything significant, just slight swelling of the kidney but that is due to his meds. Also a small shape change in bowl (but hernia has developed since)

We kept a 6 month food diary and found no pattern. We went veg free for a month and he still bloated. All we know is broccoli is a trigger for one of our others so its never given.

They have tried to get repeat bloods but the fat on his neck made it impossible without sedating or anesthetic of which they are reluctant to do either.

When he is bad he is now vocal about his pain and refuses to move but in between he is as happy as anything.

Just feel for him.

Thank you for replying.
 
Patch89 said:
He has had untra sound and xrays. Neither showed anything significant, just slight swelling of the kidney but that is due to his meds. Also a small shape change in bowl (but hernia has developed since)

We kept a 6 month food diary and found no pattern. We went veg free for a month and he still bloated. All we know is broccoli is a trigger for one of our others so its never given.

They have tried to get repeat bloods but the fat on his neck made it impossible without sedating or anesthetic of which they are reluctant to do either.

When he is bad he is now vocal about his pain and refuses to move but in between he is as happy as anything.

Just feel for him.

Thank you for replying.
Click to expand...

It is very frustrating when you come to the limits of what you can do! :( :( :(

Try to remove any grain products from the diet. Some members have found that it helps. But otherwise you seem to have covered all the things I can think of already.
 
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