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Little Rodney

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I switched to Bunny & they aren't keen on it..... My vet (exotic vet) seems to think diet has nothing to do with bladder stones.
 
This is what it says on my vets website - Cat and Rabbit Clinic

Recurrent or persistent cystitis can suggest the presence of bladder stones. Radiographs of the guinea-pigs abdomen will help check for presence of stones anywhere in the urinary tract from the kidneys through to termination of the urethra. Stones (>90% of which are calcium carbonate) can be found in the kidneys, ureters, bladder or urethra and vary greatly in size and number. Urethral stones in sows can be felt just inside the vulva but the diagnosis of stones in the rest of urinary tract requires imaging by x-rays or ultrasound. Bladder stones can be removed surgically from the bladder. Recurrence of bladder stones post-operatively is common and can occur within weeks of surgery. Feeding timothy hay, fresh grass, greens low in calcium and restricting or removing commercial foods (pellets or muesli) from the diet can help prevent recurrence. It is also important to encourage fluid intake, reduce obesity and treat cystitis promptly.

Kidney and ureteral (between the kidney and the bladder) stones are harder to treat and surgery is very risky. Many guinea-pigs with these stones will respond to symptomatic treatment with dietry change, antibiotics and anti-inflammatories.
 
Yeah I have read tons on it and am giving him the diet you guys have recommended.

What I don't understand is, he is now barely crying in pain seems far more comfortable with going to the toilet - yet he seems quieter & not quite himself.

I just don't get it....
 
Is he still on Tramadol? If he is, this will make him very quiet and appear not himself, as it is a very strong opiate type painkiller so this is known in humans to cause drowsiness and dizziness, so this may be having the same effect on Rodney.

I am going through cystitis with my guinea pig Joe at the moment and he has been hunching when he is going to the toilet. He was at the vets on Monday and they gave him Vetergesic which is also an opiate type painkiller and when he came back he was very quiet also, as the opiate painkiller was making him spaced out.

Keep strong, you are doing your best for Rodney. I know how tiring it can be looking after a poorly guinea pig and worrying yourself all the time, constantly watching for any symptom. You are doing a great job supporting him.
 
JackJack1 said:
Is he still on Tramadol? If he is, this will make him very quiet and appear not himself, as it is a very strong opiate type painkiller so this is known in humans to cause drowsiness and dizziness, so this may be having the same effect on Rodney.

I am going through cystitis with my guinea pig Joe at the moment and he has been hunching when he is going to the toilet. He was at the vets on Monday and they gave him Vetergesic which is also an opiate type painkiller and when he came back he was very quiet also, as the opiate painkiller was making him spaced out.

Keep strong, you are doing your best for Rodney. I know how tiring it can be looking after a poorly guinea pig and worrying yourself all the time, constantly watching for any symptom. You are doing a great job supporting him.
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Ah ok, that will explain it then. He is fine, but I notice he is quieter & not as chipper. It didn't have this effect at first it's only been the past couple of days which strangely is since I've noticed less crying when going to the toilet.

I don't like the thought of him being on all this! He only gets 0.1 twice a day what does yours get?

His poops are a bit soft at the moment also...
 
If the Tramadol did not affect him at first, then it will probably not be the Tramadol that is making him quiet now. So I would just keep an eye on him and especially his weight and his eating, as these are good indicators of how he is feeling. You know yourself, if you do not feel well yourself, then you will be quieter than normal and have less activity, so with all Rodney is going through, it is understandable. Any drop in weight though, is an indicator of him not being well and action is needed, so make sure you are weighing him every day without fail, as they can drop weight off very quickly. My guinea pig is on Metacam at the moment 0.4ml once per day and Cystophan which he seems to be tolerating well. I think the Cystophan is doing my guinea pig some good. Cystophan powder contains glucosamine (a sugar type substance) to coat his bladder, L-Tryptophan which is thought to help with depression and hyaluronic acid which is thought to help with bladder inflammation. He was only given the Vetergesic once when I rushed him to the vet as he was crying a lot and looking uncomfortable. They gave him the stronger painkiller as they were going to do more tests on him anyway and he had an ultrasound and urinalysis and full examination. He did not have stones, so they diagnosed interstitial cystitis. He has already had a course of Baytril, so his urine was clear of protein which would indicate an infection.

If Rodney's poops are softer than normal, then he sounds as he may have diarrhoea, so maybe you need to ring the vet and just discuss over the phone to see if he needs further attention. You need to be so on the ball with guinea pigs with any change of behaviour when they are poorly, as they can go downhill very quickly. It may be that he is having too much vegetables, or it may be a change of medication is needed and only a vet can give you that advice.

Keep strong, I know how worrying and tiring a poorly guinea pig is. I am exhausted at the moment, having just lost one guinea pig to teeth problems and now Joe is having cystitis problems. But they rely 100% on us, so they need us there to do the best we can for them. You are doing a great job and Rodney is lucky to have so much care when he is poorly.
 
Just something else that occurred to me. If you are noticing that Rodney's poops are softer than normal and he is quieter than normal, then maybe he is not eating his poops and you are seeing the result of this. Guinea pigs eat the poops that are the richest in nutrient as a natural behaviour, usually the softer ones as these have vitamins and minerals they need. If you are seeing more softer ones in the cage, it may also be an indicator that he is not eating these, so may need his diet adjusting to ensure he is getting all he needs. Is he eating his pellets at the moment as these will give him his nutrients, otherwise if his weight is dropping slightly, he might need a bit of critical care food supplement. Just see how he goes and if he is maintaining his weight. Moving him to an area you can watch his behaviour constantly, like a living room will also help you to know what is going on.
 
JackJack1 said:
Just something else that occurred to me. If you are noticing that Rodney's poops are softer than normal and he is quieter than normal, then maybe he is not eating his poops and you are seeing the result of this. Guinea pigs eat the poops that are the richest in nutrient as a natural behaviour, usually the softer ones as these have vitamins and minerals they need. If you are seeing more softer ones in the cage, it may also be an indicator that he is not eating these, so may need his diet adjusting to ensure he is getting all he needs. Is he eating his pellets at the moment as these will give him his nutrients, otherwise if his weight is dropping slightly, he might need a bit of critical care food supplement. Just see how he goes and if he is maintaining his weight. Moving him to an area you can watch his behaviour constantly, like a living room will also help you to know what is going on.
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Thanks for all the advice, I have switched them to the bunny pellets but they aren't keen on them, so I occasionally have to him him some burgess excel as he loves this. He is in my bedroom so I notice everything he does.
He has seen the vet twice last week, I take him to an exotic vet 40 miles away & he is getting the best care, the vet is aware I think he is a little quiet and I have to update him again on Monday. I mean, he's better in some ways but just not quite himself to me...

Such a worry isn't it!

Rodney has been having glucosamine as it was recommended to me on here, he has 1ml of this a day. I do wonder if it just all of these things making him feel a bit off.

I am putting a prebiotic in his water just to help out that that...
 
Am back at the vets tomorrow morning, I have text to say his stools are loose and I am also convinced he appears to stick out more on one side.

My nerves are literally on edge with all this, just when we are in a good place with pain, more stuff goes wrong.

;(
 
PAMELAKT said:
Am back at the vets tomorrow morning, I have text to say his stools are loose and I am also convinced he appears to stick out more on one side.

My nerves are literally on edge with all this, just when we are in a good place with pain, more stuff goes wrong.

;(
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If he is still pooing then food must be making it's way through his gut OK. Just make sure he is eating his hay and dried food and withdraw his vegetables until his poos are normal again. Give him dried roughage which will help him. A good cuddle and massage may be in order to relax him and help him further. My husband had my guinea pig Joe on his knee for about 2 hours, just stroking him and Joe who has been poorly of late with cystitis stretched out and lay down resting with him, occasionally he would yawn and stretch and you could see it was doing him a lot of good, relaxing him and being with someone to cuddle up to.

Hope everything goes OK at the vets tomorrow. I know it is hard having a poorly guinea pig. You are literally looking for the next symptom all the time and it wears you out. But Rodney is very lucky to have someone so caring to look after him, so he is in the best of hands.
 
JackJack1 said:
If he is still pooing then food must be making it's way through his gut OK. Just make sure he is eating his hay and dried food and withdraw his vegetables until his poos are normal again. Give him dried roughage which will help him. A good cuddle and massage may be in order to relax him and help him further. My husband had my guinea pig Joe on his knee for about 2 hours, just stroking him and Joe who has been poorly of late with cystitis stretched out and lay down resting with him, occasionally he would yawn and stretch and you could see it was doing him a lot of good, relaxing him and being with someone to cuddle up to.

Hope everything goes OK at the vets tomorrow. I know it is hard having a poorly guinea pig. You are literally looking for the next symptom all the time and it wears you out. But Rodney is very lucky to have someone so caring to look after him, so he is in the best of hands.
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Exactly it, I just went up to give him his vit c & he's happy as Larry up there & looking at me all cheeky, now I'm thinking I've jumped the gun & maybe should have waited to tomorrow to text the vet! He is currently eating hay.

I just think he looks like he is sticking out a bit more on one side kind of above his leg - his belly at the side. Maybe he always looks like that! Oh I don't know. I think it's sending me mad!
 
So sorry he isn't too good right now :( Having a poorly pig myself (Post hysterectomy op) who was admitted at the vets today to stay in for fluids etc as she has had a relapse I understand how stressed you must be, especially when we don't have answers to what is wrong :( Hope the vet can help him in the morning xx
 
It's just one thing after another with these little ones isn't it. It's so stressful!

Thanks everyone x

Poppy'sMum said:
So sorry he isn't too good right now :( Having a poorly pig myself (Post hysterectomy op) who was admitted at the vets today to stay in for fluids etc as she has had a relapse I understand how stressed you must be, especially when we don't have answers to what is wrong :( Hope the vet can help him in the morning xx
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Hope your little one feels better soon! x
 
PAMELAKT said:
Exactly it, I just went up to give him his vit c & he's happy as Larry up there & looking at me all cheeky, now I'm thinking I've jumped the gun & maybe should have waited to tomorrow to text the vet! He is currently eating hay.

I just think he looks like he is sticking out a bit more on one side kind of above his leg - his belly at the side. Maybe he always looks like that! Oh I don't know. I think it's sending me mad!
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If he is eating his hay that is a really good sign, as this is good roughage for him and it is just what he needs to firm up his poos and keep his gut working properly. But if you are still worried, let the vet examine him and then either put your mind at rest, or tell you if there is a problem.
 
His poop is whole, but soft.

My mum just laughed at me, we sat j watched him & he's full of beans & still eating. She said oh yeah he looks so ill! Haha. I'm wondering if he maybe always looks a bit more sticky out on one side. I don't know.

I will see what he's like in the morning & maybe cancel if he's ok. He's literally not stopped eating hay since my last message & is quite lively, more so than yesterday & earlier.
 
Don't forget these guinea pigs are very good at covering up any illness, as they are prey animals, so their wild instinct is to cover illness so they do not get picked off and eaten in the wild. If you are at all concerned, keep the vet appointment and let the vet tell you he is OK. He may be eating OK at the moment which is an excellent sign, but if you feel his side is sticking out, he is better seen by the vet. They do go downhill very quickly sometimes, so they can be eating and active one minute, quiet the next and then full blown illness. Remember an appointment is better kept, that having to make an emergency out of hours appointment as he has suddenly got worse. It will be much better on your pocket too, as a follow up appointment may cost you around
 
JackJack1 said:
Don't forget these guinea pigs are very good at covering up any illness, as they are prey animals, so their wild instinct is to cover illness so they do not get picked off and eaten in the wild. If you are at all concerned, keep the vet appointment and let the vet tell you he is OK. He may be eating OK at the moment which is an excellent sign, but if you feel his side is sticking out, he is better seen by the vet. They do go downhill very quickly sometimes, so they can be eating and active one minute, quiet the next and then full blown illness. Remember an appointment is better kept, that having to make an emergency out of hours appointment as he has suddenly got worse. It will be much better on your pocket too, as a follow up appointment may cost you around
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continued - may cost around £8, but an emergency appointment can be very expensive. For an out of hours appointment to see a rabbit we once had cost us £60 and that was a few years ago.
 
I have spoken with the vet this morning and I am going to bring him in during the week instead as the poops I have taken out this morning are pretty much back to normal & he is absolutely full of beans and not like the past day or so at all so his tummy was obv bothering him.

I am still taking him in to check out his shape as when he walks about I still feel he looks to stick out a little on one side, but I can take him early in the week rather than make the vet take a trip on his day off & class it as an emergency. He is a Rex & quite puffy all the time due to his hair which adds to the issue!
 
piggyfan said:
Have you tried using bunny or vitakraft pellets? Once I switched to them I rarely see calcium deposits. Just a thought
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Sorry for the late reply. My piggy is currently pellet free as there's nothing in the UK that I've found to be less than 4% calcium. He lost a bit of weight due to it, but he now eats more hay.
 
It sounds as though he's come on leaps and bounds :) I really hope he stays on the path to health. He's such a beautiful guy, it must be so heartbreaking to see him so unwell.
 
Sorry for the delay.

Rodney is still on a bit of a downer. He's had a conscious xray done today & it's shown that his bladder looks great, stone isn't doing anything, but he had a bit of bloat. So he has some new medicine for this and I have to half his tramadol dose.

Exhausted.
 
Oh I do feel for you, it must be so exhausting :( Hugs to you and vibes to Rodney x
 
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