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Blood in urine.

Jessika Wilson

Jessika Wilson

New Born Pup
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My piggy James hasn't been very well for a few weeks, he has been treated for a UTI although the past 5 days he has not eaten, depending on syringe feeding critical care, little poos, little activity and is on Metacam and Emeprid till we have a xray either tomorrow or Tuesday to identify illness and take next steps. We have just been to clean out James and he has blood in his urine with small clots present. Today James has been very lethargic. Blood hasn't been present like today and I'm worried that he may not make it till the vets see him tomorrow. Does anyone have any advice on what I can do to try and help James as much as possible before the morning.
Thanks
 
Is he standing ok? And look bright eyed? If so and you are keeping up the critical care, I'd say he will make it to the appointment. I hope so. 👍
 
SkyPipDotBernie said:
Is he standing ok? And look bright eyed? If so and you are keeping up the critical care, I'd say he will make it to the appointment. I hope so. 👍
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He is hunched but has been for a few week, his eyes look okay. I have everything crossed. Thank you for your reply!
 
Jessika Wilson said:
He is hunched but has been for a few week, his eyes look okay. I have everything crossed. Thank you for your reply!
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Can you get an emergency because eileen is right. I should have said it myself, I've had a boar go like this before and it was 3 stones. Hopefully it isn't though
 
I feel so terrible but I cannot take James tonight, my partner is working away and I have a little one in bed and I have no one to take James for me or I would be taking him straight there! I just hope he can make it to the morning 🤞
 
Jessika Wilson said:
I feel so terrible but I cannot take James tonight, my partner is working away and I have a little one in bed and I have no one to take James for me or I would be taking him straight there! I just hope he can make it to the morning 🤞
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You can only do what you can do at then end of the day. I'd say he has good chances, but you never know
 
SkyPipDotBernie said:
You can only do what you can do at then end of the day. I'd say he has good chances, but you never know
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I feel so awful! But I dont think an emergency vet is somewhere my little boy should be as if the worst comes to the worst he would be traumatised, he saw out last piggy die in my arms after an eye op and it took him months to get over it 😞 please all pray that James makes it 💗
 
🙏 Let us know how he gets on. You ar doing all you can. Just make sure he's not going hungry 👍 I've been in this exact position before. For the whole month. It really is crap. I did find that my boy who did have bladder stones, would eat grass
 
SkyPipDotBernie said:
🙏 Let us know how he gets on. You ar doing all you can. Just make sure he's not going hungry 👍 I've been in this exact position before. For the whole month. It really is crap. I didn't find that my boy who did have bladder stones, would eat grass
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I will do! I will be up all night making sure he's okay! A month is a long time 😞 that must of been hell! I hope it was a happy ending for your piggy! Grass is something James would never eat but I will definitely have a try of it now.Thanks for all your help it really is appreciated x
 
Jessika Wilson said:
I will do! I will be up all night making sure he's okay! A month is a long time 😞 that must of been hell! I hope it was a happy ending for your piggy! Grass is something James would never eat but I will definitely have a try of it now.Thanks for all your help it really is appreciated x
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No it was a sad ending I'm afraid, they were inoperable stones. But that doesn't mean your boy even has them or if he does that they are inoperable. Best wishes 👍
 
Had some CC and now settled down for a long night ahead with everything crossed 🤞💙
IMG_20191124_225158_767.webp
 
Jessika Wilson said:
My piggy James hasn't been very well for a few weeks, he has been treated for a UTI although the past 5 days he has not eaten, depending on syringe feeding critical care, little poos, little activity and is on Metacam and Emeprid till we have a xray either tomorrow or Tuesday to identify illness and take next steps. We have just been to clean out James and he has blood in his urine with small clots present. Today James has been very lethargic. Blood hasn't been present like today and I'm worried that he may not make it till the vets see him tomorrow. Does anyone have any advice on what I can do to try and help James as much as possible before the morning.
Thanks
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Hi!

Here are our emergency and bridging care tips, including what to do when it comes to the worst: Emergency, Crisis and Bridging Care until a Vet Appointment

It is very likely that a stone has moved into the urethra and is blocking the flow of urine. Boars have got an awkward inglenook in theirs where stones often fetch up and can cause the kind of sudden deterioration you are reporting. Sadly this is always an emergency. :(

Fingers very firmly crossed!
 
Aw how is your boy this morning? Please get him to a vet ASAP. My Dexter cat had a back flow of urine after his bladder became blocked and sadly, it was fatal even though we took him to the vet as an emergency, it was still too late x
 
James did amazing through the night, got him straight to the vet and had an xray. James has calcium in his urethra, but not fully blocking so he is still able to wee but the poor little thing is in lots of pain 😞 piggy hospital for tonight to get his hydration back up and injections and fingers crossed he can have surgery tomorrow. Has anyone had experience with this? 💗
Thanks again
 
I Havnt, but this is a much better outcome than stones obviously. Now I would like to ask, what is his diet like and are you filtering water?

I think this is good news compared to what it could have been. 👍
 
I have read some horrible stories on here about stones 😞 he is in the best place I just hope I can be with him soon! He is very picky, likes leafy greens and carrot and apple that's about it! He does eat alfalfa nuggets which arent very good for them I've read? I give him tap water, is that bad? I have only had piggies for 2 years so still learning 😊
 
Jessika Wilson said:
I have read some horrible stories on here about stones 😞 he is in the best place I just hope I can be with him soon! He is very picky, likes leafy greens and carrot and apple that's about it! He does eat alfalfa nuggets which arent very good for them I've read? I give him tap water, is that bad? I have only had piggies for 2 years so still learning 😊
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While there are lots of veg that are too high in calcium to be fed daily, piggies get a lot of their calcium from pellets and unfiltered drinking water.

Alfalfa is high in calcium, and best avoided. A grass/hay based pellet is best. They should only be fed in limited amounts of one tablespoon per day
What leafy greens does he eat? Spinach, kale, parsley - these are also high in calcium.
Tap water needs to be filtered first to remove the calcium,
 
It depends on your area but tap water can be bad especially in a hard water area as it contains lots of minerals including calcium. I live in a soft water area and still filter the piggies water. I use a Brita filter jug but you can get cheaper alternatives.

Please also stop feeding the Alfalfa nuggets as these too contain a lots of calcium. A Timothy hay based pellet is much better.

As for veg, cut down on the leafy greens as I’m afraid that things like spinach and kale are very high in calcium

But overall, his diagnosis is much better than stones
 
As a said above. Start filtering water, go and buy a brita filter or a wilko own one, they are cheaper, which you may want after an expensive operation cost.

Then switch to science selective grain free pellets ( pets at home sell them £7 a bag and are Timothy based )
Feed only one tablespoon per pig per day. Don't worry if one hogs the bowl and gets a bit more, I scatter feed round the cage to avoid this issue.

These two things ( hard tap water unfiltered, alfalfa based pellets) are the main problems and could well be the cause of what has happened.

Please look around the base and nossel of you're kitchen tap, or any other. does it have limescale around it? If so you have hard water. My water is stupidly hard.
 
I have already changed the nuggets when I read it. I didn't know about the water, I feel so bad now! Nuggets aren't James' favourite and usually have to feed them out of my hand so I dont think I'm over feeding them. I've had a look at the tap and it seems fine but I am very OCD with the sink area!
He likes all the stuff he shouldn't be having but I do try limiting spinach and parsley as I've read that they aren't good for them if they always have it.
I am hoping that it is just calcium as it seems very promising that he will survive, I am so scared we are going to loose him, the last piggy we lost to an op devastated us all. I selfishly just got them as a pet as my son likes Guinea's just to give him some responsibility, I didn't realise how much heartache they would bring when they are ill. Pray for James tonight please guys 💙
 
Jessika Wilson said:
I have already changed the nuggets when I read it. I didn't know about the water, I feel so bad now! Nuggets aren't James' favourite and usually have to feed them out of my hand so I dont think I'm over feeding them. I've had a look at the tap and it seems fine but I am very OCD with the sink area!
He likes all the stuff he shouldn't be having but I do try limiting spinach and parsley as I've read that they aren't good for them if they always have it.
I am hoping that it is just calcium as it seems very promising that he will survive, I am so scared we are going to loose him, the last piggy we lost to an op devastated us all. I selfishly just got them as a pet as my son likes Guinea's just to give him some responsibility, I didn't realise how much heartache they would bring when they are ill. Pray for James tonight please guys 💙
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Yes give spinach and Parsley less, my old boar got stones after we moved from a soft water area to a hard water area. I didn't know about filtering back then and also I was feeding Parsley alot and kale and spinach. They can't be fed everyday. Maybe twice a week
 
It’s good that you have already changed the pellets and it doesn’t sound like you’re over feeding them on pellets but start to filta the water. As said, I use brita but @SkyPipDotBernie has given you a great cheaper alternative.

Spring greens are good in small amounts as is lettuce (not iceberg) have you tried cucumber, pepper, green beans and coriander? All these are good to feed and have very little calcium.

You’re not selfish at all. These little munchkins really do melt our hearts. All the best for his op tomorrow. I’ll be thinking if you x
 
James had a big turn around at the vets last night, eating and drinking alone and being more active and being curious about his surroundings. Unfortunately when bloods came back this morning it showed kidney failure, this afternoon he has been in so much pain and when an exotic vet saw James he had massively gone down hill and the calcium build up has come back as bladder stones. James wasnt strong enough to have the surgery or wouldn't be in the near future as they were awfully concerned about his kidneys that were functioning 16% less than what they should of been. So we made the heartbreaking decision to get rid of the pain for James and put him to sleep. 😔💙 Nothing comes close to that moment when your cuddling them knowing that in a few minutes they would be gone, something I hope we never have to experience again.
Sweet Dreams James and thank you for all your help you've been amazing xxIMG_20190703_194318_216.webp
 
I am so sorry to hear this. You gave him that final act of love and he is no longer in pain. Take care of yourself and popcorn free James x
 
Jessika Wilson said:
James had a big turn around at the vets last night, eating and drinking alone and being more active and being curious about his surroundings. Unfortunately when bloods came back this morning it showed kidney failure, this afternoon he has been in so much pain and when an exotic vet saw James he had massively gone down hill and the calcium build up has come back as bladder stones. James wasnt strong enough to have the surgery or wouldn't be in the near future as they were awfully concerned about his kidneys that were functioning 16% less than what they should of been. So we made the heartbreaking decision to get rid of the pain for James and put him to sleep. 😔💙 Nothing comes close to that moment when your cuddling them knowing that in a few minutes they would be gone, something I hope we never have to experience again.
Sweet Dreams James and thank you for all your help you've been amazing xxView attachment 127390
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I am so sorry to hear this! James was a gorgeous and clearly much loved and cared for boy!

Kidney failure is sadly not at all uncommon in guinea pigs and it is not curable or can be well treated. I have a lost quite a few piggies to it. :( Dietary changes take unfortunately a quite while to come through, especially if the complex calcium absorption process is disturbed by other factors as well. Water and pellets are angles that are overlooked by most people (the UK is one of the countries with perhaps the most hard water areas so we are most affected), so please don't beat yourself up about it. It rather sounds like there was more in play than just dietary issues. :(

Human Bereavement: Grieving, Coping and Support Links for Guinea Pig Owners and Their Children
Looking After a Bereaved Guinea Pig
 
I just looked at this and said what! Out loud. Gut wrenching. I am really sorry for youre loss, I thought he would be ok, as you know from a post of mine, I have been through this exact thing before, but I made the bad decision of trying to save him myself with antibiotics and syringe feeds. I didn't know of a good vet back then. Your boy got given the best way out of a bad situation. You did everything you could x don't let this put you off of Guinea pigs ❤
 
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