4 year old female is squeaking when urinating

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bpatters
And got the T-shirt

Post   » Sat May 26, 2018 3:35 pm


And why do they think they're in the urethra rather than the bladder itself?

It could just be coincidence that they're in the same place in pictures taken a year apart, but it could also indicate that it's the spiky kind of stone that implants itself in the bladder. There's not much to be done for that kind other than surgery, because it won't move around.

Without reading all the way back, is she a candidate for having it surgically removed?

duskern

Post   » Sat May 26, 2018 5:04 pm


bpatters wrote: Sat May 26, 2018 3:35 pm And why do they think they're in the urethra rather than the bladder itself?

It could just be coincidence that they're in the same place in pictures taken a year apart, but it could also indicate that it's the spiky kind of stone that implants itself in the bladder. There's not much to be done for that kind other than surgery, because it won't move around.

Without reading all the way back, is she a candidate for having it surgically removed?
I'm not really sure why they believe it's in the urethra. I think they can see it on the pictures. I have very little knowledge on x-ray pictures, so I have no way of knowing if what they are telling me is correct, but I assume the vets know what they are talking about.

I have read some stuff about diets for pigs with stones. Is this something you think I should do?

bpatters
And got the T-shirt

Post   » Sat May 26, 2018 5:40 pm


I don't think a change in diet will do any good. Nothing that I know of will dissolve existing stones. If the vets can get rid of this one, a low calcium diet may, repeat may, reduce the chances of her getting another one. But it also may make no difference.

I'm not a vet, but I seriously doubt that she could have had a stone in her urethra for a year. It would almost certainly have caused a complete blockage in that time, and that would have been a very obvious emergency.

I'd want another opinion.

duskern

Post   » Sat May 26, 2018 6:59 pm


bpatters wrote: Sat May 26, 2018 5:40 pm I don't think a change in diet will do any good. Nothing that I know of will dissolve existing stones. If the vets can get rid of this one, a low calcium diet may, repeat may, reduce the chances of her getting another one. But it also may make no difference.

I'm not a vet, but I seriously doubt that she could have had a stone in her urethra for a year. It would almost certainly have caused a complete blockage in that time, and that would have been a very obvious emergency.

I'd want another opinion.
I think a change in diet might prevent the stone from getting larger. As it is right now, she seems healthy enough. She is eating and eager for treats, and likes to cuddle when she is out. I've heard about the low calcium diet but I'm not really sure what such a diet would be like. It's worth trying I think.

You do have a valid point regarding the blockage, something that I actually haven't thought about. She peed on my shirt and pants the other day at the vet, because she was scared, so it's certainly not blocked :) I will have to take this up with the vet.

A second opinion is not out of the question, but most vets in Denmark have a more dog/cat focus. Ours does actually have experience with guinea pigs and they are really nice people. The one we used before was awful in comparison and really just didn't take guinea pigs too serious...

duskern

Post   » Mon May 28, 2018 4:04 am


I've been looking over the nutrition chart, but I find it a bit hard to grasp. What are some examples of low calcium diets? The article about stones only provide these guidelines:
  • Unlimited high quality grass hay
  • A variety of vegetables (mostly leafy greens)
  • Limited (or no) low-calcium guinea pig timothy pellets
  • Increased fluids

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Lynx
Celebrate!!!

Post   » Mon May 28, 2018 8:31 am


Select vegetables that are lower in calcium but avoid corn. Green peppers, if tolerated, and tomatoes would work too.
www.guinealynx.info/chart.html

If you use fleece as bedding, you can see how much powdery calcium is passed in the urine and perhaps make some changes that way.

duskern

Post   » Thu May 31, 2018 4:43 am


Lynx wrote: Mon May 28, 2018 8:31 am Select vegetables that are lower in calcium but avoid corn. Green peppers, if tolerated, and tomatoes would work too.
www.guinealynx.info/chart.html

If you use fleece as bedding, you can see how much powdery calcium is passed in the urine and perhaps make some changes that way.
Thank you. What is the definition of "lower in calcium"? At the moment we are feeding our girls, peppers (green, yellow and red), celery (the long kind), cucumber, carrot, beet root, Cavia complete pellets, and of course a lot of good hay. We also give them other stuff every now and then, like salad, dandelion and various kinds of fruit and melon. We don't give them fruit that often, but when the weather is super hot in Denmark sometimes during the summer, we prioritize that they get something delicious to keep them eating.

An update on Abigail
We went to the vet last Friday and had an X-ray done. The stone had increased a bit in size, but also moved a bit. We had a talk with them the other day, and the vet actually thinks she might be able to remove the stone now. We will be trying this on the 11th of June. We wanted to do it sooner, but due to a heavy examination schedule for my wife (she is a teacher), this will not be possible. We always try to plan it so we can be home and keep an eye on our girls after such procedures.

An update on Nellie
Our girl Nellie, who we found had a broken tooth had it removed a couple of weeks ago. She is recovering nicely. We brought her to the vet along Abigail and they told us that everything looks good. She is back to normal and is eating like she used to now :)

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Lynx
Celebrate!!!

Post   » Thu May 31, 2018 10:37 am


Sometimes stones do move to the opening of the urethra and can be removed that way. Stones in the urethra is risky because of the risk of blockage.

The chart link I gave you in the previous post should help evaluate individual foods. One does their best. With fleece and evaluating amount of calcium passed, one can tell how successful the diet is. I don't have any hard numbers.

duskern

Post   » Wed Jun 13, 2018 5:09 am


So we had our girl Abigail a trip to the vet Monday, to have the stone removed. Everything went according to plan. She is home now with my wife and is doing fine. She quickly started to eat again, and for some reason really likes both critical care and fibreplex. I haven't tried that before, but she really loves the stuff. It's almost like she is drinking it out of the syringe :D

I have only heard her squeak a couple of times after we got her home. I did feed them beetroot the other day, which can cause some squeaking in my experience, but I also heard her squeak this morning. Will have to take it up with the vet, but I think it's most likely a bit of soreness after the procedure.

Image

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Lynx
Celebrate!!!

Post   » Wed Jun 13, 2018 8:14 pm


That is a pretty good sized stone! I am glad it is out. Let me know if you'd like your photo added permanently to your thread.

duskern

Post   » Thu Jun 14, 2018 5:13 am


Lynx wrote: Wed Jun 13, 2018 8:14 pm That is a pretty good sized stone! I am glad it is out. Let me know if you'd like your photo added permanently to your thread.
Yes it's great!! We are SO happy! Had a talk with the vet yesterday, and she also thinks that her squeaking is because of her still being sore after the procedure. It's not not nearly as much as before, and not nearly as often. I have actually only heard it a couple of times and over all, she is really doing good. She is eating and acting normally and is super clean and happy when she is out. And for some reason she just loves FibrePlex. We are feeding her 1 ml a couple of times pr day this week, and every time we put the syringe near her mouth she just instantly sucks on it :D

Does it change adding the photo permanently?

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Lynx
Celebrate!!!

Post   » Thu Jun 14, 2018 9:43 am


Does it change adding the photo permanently?
I generally crop large photos so you see a smaller part. We can leave your photo above, hosted where ever it is hosted, and I can add this (for example) in case your photo disappears so people can see the size of the stone:



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