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Dennis possible UTI bladder stones :(

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crazyaboutcavys

crazyaboutcavys

Adult Guinea Pig
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ok, so I noticed dennis squeeking when passing urine about 3 days ago yesterday we took him to the vet and he said it could be either cystitis a urine infection or bladder stones (not very specific!) he didn't ask for a sample. and dennis is now on a 0.3ml dose of baytrill twice daily (he is aroung 1190g) the vet also recomended giving him dandilion as its a diuretic (we did already know this aswel)
later we asked about having an x-ray for possible bladder stones they said they would'v had to anethatise (sp? sorry) him to x-ray but i don't think this is usual as i'v read post saying they should x-ray without anaesthetic, but dennis is all well within himself except the issue at hand
we are also giving him cranberry juice to help :s I'm not sure what to do and i'm very worried about poor den! can anybody please help :)
 
My piggie Mimsi had an x-ray years ago when a bladder stone was revealed. The vet wanted to give him a GA, but I refused. Lo and behold they got three x-rays fine. They tie a weight around the piggie to immobilise him and this usually calms the piggie and keeps them still. Ask them to try the x-ray without GA and I bet they manage fine. It maybe just a UTI rather than a stone. Good luck and let us know how you get on..
 
There is No Need at all for aneathetising a guinea pig for an xray. You simply need a small piggie sized cardboard box or a piggie bag and you can take a snap. I cant believe vets are still saying this these days. We (in the veterinary world) do conscious xrays on dogs and cats occationally and they are far harder to keep still.

x.
 
I'm sorry but I beg to differ. The hard-line "no GA for Xray" is not, I think , in the best interets of piggie welfare. Yes it is preferable not to have a GA..(It's the same for us humans)..but there is no "MUST" or "MUST NOT" about it.

It "might" be necessary to GA for an Xray - specifically when searching for stones/urinary problems. Having discussed this at length with my very experienced cavy savvy vet who WILL/CAN X ray without GA.....you need to be aware of the risks of not using a GA (gas..not the injectable one which is the most risky)..or mild sedation as an alternative... if it is stones you are looking for.

When Xraying for stones, it is important to ensure the piggies legs are not blocking the view.....if the pig is co-operative then this is fine - but in all cases I have experienced when we do it without GA, (even with towel wrapping, specially-designed cardboard boxes whatever..and we have come up with a few weird constructions in our time..), we end up with sub-standard X rays and can never be sure we haven;t "missed" the all important tiny stone that can wreak havoc...(Unless of course it is a whopper, then it is easy to spot)

It is more important with dental pigs that need regular treatment to find a vet that is confident they can perform this procedure without GA as the piggie should not be exposed to [*]multiple[*] GA's.

A one-off GA (given a competent vet, competent vet nurse and healthy piggie without heart or respiratory probs) shouldn;t be too much of a problem given the repurcussions for the piggie of an undiagnosed stone..

HTH
x
 
my guinea was given an ultra sound instead of an xray. It was cheaper and she did not need a GA. She is sufferin bladder stones at the moment. Another trip to the vet tomorro for me and my girl. I hope its not bladder stones for your dennis x
 
thanks for the advise :) hes just munching on hay at the moment he still seems a bit under the weather, :( after 5 days baytril course we will take him back to the vet hopefully :)
 
Aw, know exactly where you are with this :)
After Baytril had no effect on my piggy, the vet prescribed Septrin and Metacam pain relief for Cystitis for 10 days - now on day 5.
It plays havoc with their digestion and my boy is currently on critical care due to his lack of interest in food :( He has gone from a cheeky, lively boy to being quiet and noncholant and just want him strutting his stuff again with his brother :...
Please be aware of this if you have not experienced a piggy on antibiotics like us. My poor Harley has to be cleaned every time he has a poopy as it is really soft despite probiotics.
On the plus side though, he is getting even more cuddles and fuss than before :)
Get well very soon Dennis - hugs to you all :)p
 
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