• 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

X-ray Without Anaesthesia

K

kheops

Junior Guinea Pig
Joined
Dec 4, 2013
Messages
57
Reaction score
23
Points
185
Location
Milton Keynes, UK
Hi all!

I have lost suddenly Little Devil because a bladder stone stucked in him.

I have another bladder piggie, who sometimes (once a week/fortnight) cries when he pees, but apart from that he is cheerful, fat and plays a lot, and no blood in his pee.
He had a long antibiotics course in April and an x-ray in May, but it was clear.
I am thinking to get him again to check his bladder parts on x-ray, but I am concerned about the anaesthesia.
Is there any vets in UK, who can make an x-ray without anaesthesia?
Mainly in the middle part of England?
We are using Simon at Northampton, they are doing an amazing job, but unfortunately they don't do x-rays without anaesthesia.
I have Vedra's book and it says how it can be possible to do it, so maybe some vets are using this.

Of course if there is noone I'll take him to Simon to do the x-ray, but first I wanted to know maybe I can avoid an anaesthesia for him.

Thanks,
Tamas
 
You'll need to ring around and ask unfortunately. We use Simon and Kim too so understand the frustration at them not doing xrays conscious. They don't fully sedate them though.

The vet just around the corned from my house does conscious xrays so there will be one nearby if you ring around.

Would your piggy stay still enough for a conscious xray? I know for definite that my current boys wouldn't.
 
kheops said:
Hi all!

I have lost suddenly Little Devil because a bladder stone stucked in him.

I have another bladder piggie, who sometimes (once a week/fortnight) cries when he pees, but apart from that he is cheerful, fat and plays a lot, and no blood in his pee.
He had a long antibiotics course in April and an x-ray in May, but it was clear.
I am thinking to get him again to check his bladder parts on x-ray, but I am concerned about the anaesthesia.
Is there any vets in UK, who can make an x-ray without anaesthesia?
Mainly in the middle part of England?
We are using Simon at Northampton, they are doing an amazing job, but unfortunately they don't do x-rays without anaesthesia.
I have Vedra's book and it says how it can be possible to do it, so maybe some vets are using this.

Of course if there is noone I'll take him to Simon to do the x-ray, but first I wanted to know maybe I can avoid an anaesthesia for him.

Thanks,
Tamas
Click to expand...

Please have him seen by Simon; he will be your best bet. Simon uses as little gas as possible and absolutely necessary; for scan it will be just a whiff to ensure clear, sharp pictures from at least two angles. I have seen Simon settle my skittish Caron just with his hands and then carry her across for an x-ray without GA; it was amazing!
He also uses another product to the one that usually causes a bad reaction. None of my piggies have ever struggled afterwards. ;)
 
my vets have always tried to do x rays without sedation but depending on what they need to capture in an xray and how cooperative the pig is it is not always possible.
 
Simon uses a little gas to ensure he can get the piggy in the best position to get a clear X-ray. He's had clients go to him where it's looked like there might be a stone showing on an X-ray that has been done conscious by another vet, only to find there is no stone once piggy is xrayed in the correct position.
 
furryfriends (TEAS) said:
Simon uses a little gas to ensure he can get the piggy in the best position to get a clear X-ray. He's had clients go to him where it's looked like there might be a stone showing on an X-ray that has been done conscious by another vet, only to find there is no stone once piggy is xrayed in the correct position.
Click to expand...

My Terfel was one of them... He showed a nice white stone-sized blob in the bladder area in a conscious x-ray from my local general vets after I found Terfel producing blood droplets, but didn't have a stone in the pre-op x-ray at Simon's which was done after he'd been put under and been shaved! Since then, I support minimal use of gas to allow pictures from different positions to be taken. So far, none of my frail or elderly piggies have ever had any issues with coming round. :tu:
PS: Terfel just had the beginnings of a UTI.
 
Ok, thank you for all the replies :)
I don't think he would stay still for a sec, so I think I'll get him to Simon and ask another x-ray.
The thing is, now I don't want to risk another stone-blockage.

Thank you!
 
kheops said:
Ok, thank you for all the replies :)
I don't think he would stay still for a sec, so I think I'll get him to Simon and ask another x-ray.
The thing is, now I don't want to risk another stone-blockage.

Thank you!
Click to expand...

GA doesn't cause a stone blockage; but after your experience you understandably want to make sure that there is no stone, or if there is, it is still small enough to not cause any problems. All the best!
 
Wiebke said:
GA doesn't cause a stone blockage; but after your experience you understandably want to make sure that there is no stone, or if there is, it is still small enough to not cause any problems. All the best!
Click to expand...

I know, what you mean.
Not GA caused the blockage, the thing is, there was a bladder stone blocked in to his parts, so he couldn't pee (probably whole night) thats why I lost him.
And the X-ray arrived to late, and this is my fault.
And I don't want to have this "experience" again, so I decided to Choco (my other bladder-piggie) will have an X-ray in the next 1-2 weeks.
 
kheops said:
I know, what you mean.
Not GA caused the blockage, the thing is, there was a bladder stone blocked in to his parts, so he couldn't pee (probably whole night) thats why I lost him.
And the X-ray arrived to late, and this is my fault.
And I don't want to have this "experience" again, so I decided to Choco (my other bladder-piggie) will have an X-ray in the next 1-2 weeks.
Click to expand...

All the best!
 
Sundae had bladder x-rays without sedation (though I'm in Canada, so obviously too far from you!) She tended to freeze when she was spooked and this allowed them to hold her still long enough to get the pic taken. However, the anesthetic they give them for an x-ray is not full anesthesia... it's just a quick whiff of gas to sedate them, so I think that the risk to the piggie is very, very slight. So sorry for your loss, bladder stones suck. :( Hope all is clear with your other pig!
 
Hi my vet gave my popcorn a X-ray without anaesthetic and as he was very lively he placed small sand bags around his body so he couldn't run off. Worked really well for him as I was really against him having anaesthetic.
 
furryfriends (TEAS) said:
It's not just about keeping the piggy still. Certainly for bladder issues, you ideally need to position the guinea pig in a way you can't place them, with them awake. It's about getting clear and precise images.
Click to expand...

This is the exact reason. Bumble would not lie on her side when needed so had to have a whiff of gas and in the end the xray for Isobel didn't work as she kept putting her paws in front of her chest but it was too risky to give her any gas at that point.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top