• Discussions taking place within this forum are intended for the purpose of assisting you in discussing options with your vet. Any other use of advice given here is done so at your risk, is solely your responsibility and not that of this forum or its owner. Before posting it is your responsibility you abide by this Statement

GP with thickened bladder and GI stasis

I

IndiPigMum

New Born Pup
Joined
Oct 14, 2021
Messages
10
Reaction score
21
Points
160
Location
Australia
Hello

Last night our guinea pig Ernie suddenly started making strange squeaks and when we checked he was straining to urinate and his urine contained blood.

We took him immediately to the emergency vet and he has had x-rays and a urine test. The emergency vet also prescribed him antibiotics and painkillers.

This afternoon we saw a specialist guinea pig vet who noted he does not appear to have bladder stones, but he does have GI stasis and a thickened bladder wall.

He has now been prescribed medication for the GI stasis and we are feeding him hourly with critical care and will do so through the night. He has urinated (and it is clear) but he has not pooped. We don't think he has pooped for at least 12 hours.

He is lethargic and won't eat anything - we are having to force feed the critical care.

His brother has no symptoms and seems fine.

Has anyone had anything similar happened with their guinea pig? What was the outcome?

Tomorrow morning we will be looking to next steps, but we are obviously very worried.

Thanks

Indi
 
IndiPigMum said:
Hello

Last night our guinea pig Ernie suddenly started making strange squeaks and when we checked he was straining to urinate and his urine contained blood.

We took him immediately to the emergency vet and he has had x-rays and a urine test. The emergency vet also prescribed him antibiotics and painkillers.

This afternoon we saw a specialist guinea pig vet who noted he does not appear to have bladder stones, but he does have GI stasis and a thickened bladder wall.

He has now been prescribed medication for the GI stasis and we are feeding him hourly with critical care and will do so through the night. He has urinated (and it is clear) but he has not pooped. We don't think he has pooped for at least 12 hours.

He is lethargic and won't eat anything - we are having to force feed the critical care.

His brother has no symptoms and seems fine.

Has anyone had anything similar happened with their guinea pig? What was the outcome?

Tomorrow morning we will be looking to next steps, but we are obviously very worried.

Thanks

Indi
Click to expand...

Hi!

Please read our GI stasis care advice in this link here: Digestive Disorders: Diarrhea - Bloat - GI Stasis (No Gut Movement) And Not Eating

You will find it hopefully very helpful. It will also help you if you think of the gut as a conveyor belt that has stopped and may only start working again very slowly if there are other underlying causes that have created the stasis. The stasis is making a gap in what comes out at the other end; not just from the gap in the feeding but also the time it had stopped. This means that poo output may be some time. At first it it will be normal poos from before the stasis event; this means that the gut has started moving again. Then you will see the gap that represents the gap in the feeding during the stasis and some very funny, small poos.
The GI stasis chapter also contains a link that documents when my Pili Pala had a bad stasis event in 2017.
Unfortunately, stasis can be a killing disease. All you can do is hang in there and keep feeding every 2 hours during the day as much as your piggy will take and then once during the night. You are aiming at ideally 60 ml in 24 hours or even a bit more but at a very minimum of 40 ml if at all possible. It is very draining and dispiriting when exhaustion sets in after several disrupted nights but the only chance you have.

As to the thickened bladder: There are two different things that can cause it: A stone that may have passed or sterile interstitial cystitis. Metacam and glucosamine (like oxbow bladder supplement, which is available in your country) should help in either case but it is not a quick process.
Please review your diet (see chapter special diets): Long Term Balanced General And Special Needs Guinea Pig Diets
 
Thank you so much!

We are still incredibly concerned. We have been force feeding critical care since Thursday and he has lost 250 grams (1 kg on Thursday and now 740 grams).

We are feeding about 3 dry tablespoons (mixed two to one with water) each day spread evenly over 8 - 10 sittings.

What else can we do?

We are so concerned 😭
 
I’m so sorry your piggy is unwell. If he’s still losing weight then you need to feed more. You are doing a great job. It must be so hard but hopefully he will soon start to feel better and eat for himself. But for now you have to do it for him. Is he still on pain medication? I’d take him back to the vets if there has been no improvement.
 
Thank you so much @weepweeps.

We are now going to start feeding 50% more than we are currently feeding - every two hours with six hour interval overnight so we can rest/he can rest.

Ernie is on antibiotics, meloxicam and a gut motility medication. He saw the vet last Wednesday and Thursday and on Friday we talked to the vet. He is going back to the vet tomorrow for more advice.

Thanks again - we really appreciate being able to talk to people about him. It's our first time having guinea pigs and the first time one has been sick.
 
It is awful when they are poorly. You definitely feel the pressure to get them well. I’m really glad there people are on here giving advice or just positive words of encouragement. Good luck at the vets tomorrow. I’m sending Ernie healing vibes. ❤️
 
IndiPigMum said:
Thank you so much @weepweeps.

We are now going to start feeding 50% more than we are currently feeding - every two hours with six hour interval overnight so we can rest/he can rest.

Ernie is on antibiotics, meloxicam and a gut motility medication. He saw the vet last Wednesday and Thursday and on Friday we talked to the vet. He is going back to the vet tomorrow for more advice.

Thanks again - we really appreciate being able to talk to people about him. It's our first time having guinea pigs and the first time one has been sick.
Click to expand...

Hi

I am very sorry. It is so draining and heart-wrenching isn't it?

How is the poo output? Is the gut working again or not?

Please aim for 60-90ml in 24 hours to stop or at least slow the weight loss. I know how hard it is with a piggy that is fighting every ml.

It all depends however on whether there is an underlying issue that is causing the GI stasis and the weight loss.
 
Wiebke said:
Hi

I am very sorry. It is so draining and heart-wrenching isn't it?

How is the poo output? Is the gut working again or not?

Please aim for 60-90ml in 24 hours to stop or at least slow the weight loss. I know how hard it is with a piggy that is fighting every ml.

It all depends however on whether there is an underlying issue that is causing the GI stasis and the weight loss.
Click to expand...
Thank you so much for responding - it's heartbreaking as he and Bert have always been so healthy!

We are getting 2 - 4 small poops every couple of hours.

We are doing 8 x 15 ml per day. We are calculating 15 ml as 1 tsp of powder with 10 ml of water. Is that correct?
 
IndiPigMum said:
Thank you so much for responding - it's heartbreaking as he and Bert have always been so healthy!

We are getting 2 - 4 small poops every couple of hours.

We are doing 8 x 15 ml per day. We are calculating 15 ml as 1 tsp of powder with 10 ml of water. Is that correct?
Click to expand...

I measure the volume by what your piggy taking by syringe. It should be enough to stabilise the weight.

But it is good news that the gut is working again. It may just still run a bit slow? Are the poos normal looking or still thinner and smaller than they should be. Thinner and smaller means not enough feed. Normal size and thickness means that there is enough feed and that the gut is essentially working again, so the problem may perhaps lie elsewhere?
 
Thank you - we will make note of mls per session 😊

They are still smaller than normal, so sounds like we need to get more critical care into him.
 
Is he interested in any food, like just a little bit of coriander or parsley after a couple of syringefuls? Herbs are a good way of testing whether the appetite is starting to come back.

Please keep in mind that it is going to take a day or two until the higher volume in feed comes out at the other end.
 
So sorry that you have a piggy that isn't well. It's exhausting syringe feeding round the clock. I even took a guinea pig on holiday in my caravan so I could carry on with the syringe feeds!
 
Hi Everyone

Ernie is doing a lot of small poops now, but is straining a bit.

He had 120 ml of critical care yesterday.

Also, in wonderful news, turns out because I had the scale on a towel, the reading was wrong! So he hasn't actually lost any weight and is still about a kilo.

He ate one spinach leaf last night and about 12 pieces of hay this morning.

Indi
 
Thank you so much!

He is squeaking sometimes when he poops - is that normal when his digestive system is starting to work again?
 
I’ve not had a piggy with these issues. Sorry. I would assume there is still pain somewhere for him to be squeaking. People have said on here that everything inside is so close together that pain, say in the bladder, can also cause pain when pooping. But like I say I’m definitely no expert. Do you have a follow up appointment with the vet? If you’re worried call the vets and ask their opinion. They won’t mind.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top