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Surgery for Bladder stone in urethra

Burns360

Burns360

Junior Guinea Pig
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Location
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My 1 year old female cherry had an ultrasound and X-ray yesterday and they’ve found a large stone lodged in her urethra and blocking the urine, the vets tried with a catheter to flush it out and back into the bladder, both failed so she went back this morning for surgery. As the options where high risk surgery or pts. I managed to borrow the money from a friend as I want to at least try as I won’t forgive myself if I don’t give her a chance.

I’m so nervous with the waiting I know this surgery is very risky, please keep cherry in your thoughts
 

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I'm so sorry, it must be so stressful waiting 🙁 I hope everything goes well, Cherry looks like such a sweetheart and I hope she feels better soon 🩷
 
I hope the surgery goes well and cherry is bouncing off the walls in no time.
 
CTWC said:
Hi have you had any news about your girl Cherry she is so fluffy 💕💕
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The vets have just rang me she has made it though the operation and the bladder stone is out, she may have to stay overnight and they’ve said the next 24-48 hours are critical but I’m praying and hoping that she gets through it ❤️
 
That's great news try and get some rest if she does stay in then you're fully charged for her to come home 💕
 
Glad the op went well. Sending healing vibes for a speedy recovery. ❤️
 
Glad that the surgery went well.

My Teggy needed the same surgery in October 2020 as a result of the problems with providing fresh produce at the start of the pandemic combined with the need to shelter. She made a full recovery and lived until June 2022 to the age of c. 6 years, also overcoming severe malnutrional scurvy in her first year of life (she was only 400g at 1 year old when she arrived in rescue!)
The operating general vet had concerns about her losing control over the muscle ring at the exit that controls the peeing but thankfully she recovered completely after the first 2-3 rougher days. Her stone was about as large as possible to make it down urethra without blocking it, but it was a near thing.
You can see an x-ray and her stone in this useful guide here: Wiebke's Guide to Pees and Stones

Here are our post-op care tips:
Tips For Post-operative Care
Looking After Guinea Pigs With Limited or No Mobility (contains useful care tips for post op piggies that do not move much and are sitting in their own excrement)
All About Syringe Feeding and Medicating Guinea Pigs with Videos and Pictures (in case she needs feeding support - please weigh her on your kitchen scales daily first thing in the morning for best day to day comparison and for planning the appriopriate level of support for the coming 24 hours.)

Wishing your girl a good and full recovery!
 
Oh my goodness that's great news! I hope you both get some rest now and that she recovers well from the surgery 🩷
 
Thanks for the update sending healing hugs and wheeks from our boys 🐾
 
Just thought I’d update about cherry she went back to the vets Saturday for gut stimulant and another opiate injection which has really made her like a zombie. She hasn’t moved since I got her home Friday, hasn’t eaten by herself so I’ve been syringe feeding every 2 hours and through the night as she will only take a small amount, also giving her water. She looked like she had an improvement Saturday as she ate some herbs and nibbled some veg but has gone downhill since. Vets have said to keep up with the loxicom, Emeprid and critical care but if no improvement it’s going to be the kindest thing to her her PTS. I’m heartbroke I’ve tried so hard and she did so well to survive the surgery but I know how big of a operation and recovery can be.

Sorry it’s not a positive update 😞
 
Burns360 said:
Just thought I’d update about cherry she went back to the vets Saturday for gut stimulant and another opiate injection which has really made her like a zombie. She hasn’t moved since I got her home Friday, hasn’t eaten by herself so I’ve been syringe feeding every 2 hours and through the night as she will only take a small amount, also giving her water. She looked like she had an improvement Saturday as she ate some herbs and nibbled some veg but has gone downhill since. Vets have said to keep up with the loxicom, Emeprid and critical care but if no improvement it’s going to be the kindest thing to her her PTS. I’m heartbroke I’ve tried so hard and she did so well to survive the surgery but I know how big of a operation and recovery can be.

Sorry it’s not a positive update 😞
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BIG HUGS

I am so sorry. You are doing all you can.
 
I have everything crossed for you. The opiates can make them zombie like so you are doing the best thing by syringe feeding little and often to give her the best chance.
 
I’m worried about her pain the prescribed dose she has is 0.23 of cat loxicom which doesn’t seem to be doing anything for her 😞
 
Burns360 said:
I’m worried about her pain the prescribed dose she has is 0.23 of cat loxicom which doesn’t seem to be doing anything for her 😞
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Hiya, I have found opiates in pigs absolutely wipes them out (we have been given Bupe in the past) which then does look like a break in progress but in my experience it was because they have just been totally knocked out with the pain meds.

My 5 year old piggie had bladder stone surgery 3 weeks ago, she was on 0.24ml of dog metacam twice a day and she was okayish but not making huge amounts of progress (not a huge amount of poops, not eating much on her own) so having spoken to someone on here and my vet I increased to 0.4ml dog metacam twice a day (my pig is 1.2kg) for a week and the progress was virtually instant (definitely over night). I would phone the vets and ask if you can increase the dose of the metacam by quite a significant but safe amount, hopefully that helps with pain without knocking her out, which may make her feel more comfy to eat by herself.

Is she on antibiotics? I have had bad experiences with baytril so we have a tablet when we have antibiotics, if she is on antibiotics may also be ask worthing to change?

Fingers crossed for your little buba x
 
Hopefully someone will be here soon to advise on med levels. Also please give time for the side effects of the opiates to subside 💕
 
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