Jewel and Jinx's medical thread

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ItsaZoo
Supporter in 2023

Post   » Thu May 28, 2020 12:55 pm


How frustrating to struggle for vet care.

I would think that x-rays are x-rays and size would be no different than a puppy or kitten. As you say, Sef, x-rays can be sent to another vet for analysis. We don’t have exotic specialty clinics where I live, but there are some about 90 minutes from here. However, the one clinic I went to said they had no diagnostic equipment for guinea pigs, the other did an exam and ultrasound and acted as though it was routine.

I think if Jinx is tolerating the Bactrim well, I would continue it if it were me.

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daisymay
Supporter 2016-2021

Post   » Thu May 28, 2020 1:18 pm


I will keep on Bactrim. No she is not willing to do X-rays. She says guinea pigs need smaller plate and small machine, hence the high cost. Would have to travel 2-3 hours to vet with special machine. Hence is why we are trying Bactrim first. Thanks Sef and ItsaZoo. Keep you posted.

So far the Bactrim seems to have made the bleeding disappear and like I said she loves it! Will get some more today(Friday) before the week-end! Night all.

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Sef
I dissent.

Post   » Thu May 28, 2020 3:55 pm


That's nonsense. My vet has always used a standard veterinary x-ray device with our guys and there has never been a problem getting a clear image---with the exception of one pig who was also suffering from issues with gas/bloat and the bladder was obscured from view.

At any rate, good luck with the Bactrim.

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daisymay
Supporter 2016-2021

Post   » Fri May 29, 2020 12:30 am


Last pictures that were taken of Joy were that bad that vet wouldn't even charge me for them. She said need vet with proper machine. Thankfully no longer with that vet.

I don't mind paying the $300.00 as long as X-rays are perfect and you can see things and know what they are! To mistake a kidney for tumour caused us so much grief NEVER want to go through that again. That was ultrasound!

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daisymay
Supporter 2016-2021

Post   » Mon Jun 15, 2020 10:58 am


As you know Jinx has been passing blood off and on for around 6 weeks now. She has been on Bactrim twice a day for 4 weeks to no avail. The bleeding has gotten more frequent BUT NOT all the time. She LOVES Bactrim and Protexin!!!

She went to the vet today and got X-rays and just near the rump it showed a small white dot like one in picture in the medical index on Guinea Lynx.

Vet said it looked to her as though Jinx had a small stone near/in urethra. Now she has removed stones in dogs bladders but has NO idea how to treat Jinx.

I said there is one of two ways, 1. Jinx will pass it or 2. Surgically removed. She said she is still unsure so she is going to post X-rays and Jinx's history on website Vin and hopes someone will answer. She did admit it will be very tricky to remove.


I blame myself as her diet is spinach and silverbeet both high in calcium but she won't eat anything else not even grass at times though I have tried for first year we had her and she is now nearly 3 and a half. I sometimes try to sneak things in but as usual she leaves them.

Pellets can only get Oxbow or plain rabbit pellets so can't change those not that she eats much of them anyway unlike her sister Jewel.

What did your vets in the USA or UK do? Would anyone's vet talk to my vet? Jinx is eating, peeing, (sometimes pink sometimes clear)pooping, maintaining weight(lost 10 grams in a week on their scales), bright(dopey at present recovering from sedation) and alert.

When I get copy of X-ray will send it to Lynx so she can put it on Jinx's thread. We have 5 piggies all get the same food why would Jinx get a stone? 30 years never had a stone pig!

I could kick myself(if I could reach) for wasting 6 weeks, first 2 weeks watching closely as blood lost not all the time and 4 weeks on Bactrim! Open to suggestions for me Jinx and Jinx's vet.

Why is it last 10 years been getting guinea pigs with illnesses we have never had before? Dental-Jessie,Jaffa. Heart, Jemma, Jupiter, Jasmine and Joy. Bumblefoot-Joy. Head tilt/ears Jessie,Jan. Stone/s Jinx. It has really been a bad last 10 years!

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Sef
I dissent.

Post   » Mon Jun 15, 2020 5:46 pm


We have 5 piggies all get the same food why would Jinx get a stone?
Some guinea pigs just seem to be predisposed to them. Diet is generally thought to be a factor for predisposed animals, but genetics and past urinary health are likely the bigger contributors.

I'm sorry you're dealing with this. I have been battling stones with our guys for years.

Females are more likely to pass a stone than a male, but it largely depends on location and how large the stone is. The female urethra is a lot larger than the narrow male urethra, but there have been cases in which a stone has gotten lodged/stuck in a female's urethra and caused a blockage. It's just something to be aware of. DO monitor urine output and make sure she continues to pee normally. Any sign that she's not urinating, or that she suddenly looks rough and unwell, is an emergency.

There are some who have had luck with using Valium to help relax the guinea pig enough to help pass the stone.

Hopefully your vet will find some answers on VIN, but I'd be reluctant for an inexperienced vet to perform such a surgery if she really seems that uncertain. When our vet performed her first cystotomy, she had researched it extensively and was confident that she could perform it successfully (which she did).

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Lynx
Celebrate!!!

Post   » Mon Jun 15, 2020 8:38 pm


Ditto Sef. And you certainly want an experienced vet if any surgery ends up being required.

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daisymay
Supporter 2016-2021

Post   » Tue Jun 16, 2020 12:23 am


There are some who have had luck with using Valium to help relax the guinea pig enough to help pass the stone.
That is interesting as I take Valium for my depression and high BP. But am guessing it would be a different kind to mine. Mine is the low dose of 5mg.

The vet is unsure as she has never done surgery on a guinea pig. How would one go about using water to flush it? Is that something I could do like syringe feed her water? Or is it something the vet is better doing? Would hate to give her water to have it lodged somewhere!

Thanks Sef and Lynx for your replies and helpful advise.

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Sef
I dissent.

Post   » Tue Jun 16, 2020 6:53 am


Flushing the bladder can mean pushing as much fluids as possible to try to prevent the formation of new stones and to help with removal of the current stone.

If, however, the stone is in her urethra, a vet may try flushing the stone out by inserting a small catheter and using a sterile solution. It would help to know where the bladder stone is located, though, and flushing the urethra is not something an inexperienced vet should attempt.

I would certainly want to evaluate diet in light of the fact that she has a stone, as stones do tend to recur and reducing calcium may help mitigate the risk.

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daisymay
Supporter 2016-2021

Post   » Tue Jun 16, 2020 8:17 am


and flushing the urethra is not something an inexperienced vet should attempt.

We do NOT have experience vets to do stones on guinea pigs. If Jinx belonged to anyone she would be put down as vets just can't do it as they don't know how. Dogs and cats yes but not guinea pigs. Not here in South Australia.

We have given her 2-4 X 1ml syringes of water 3 times today and each time she has urinated. I am trying to do the best I can for her.
It would help to know where the bladder stone is located,
I told you stone is in similar position as picture on stones page, sort of in the middle where her hind legs are. As soon as vet gives me copy of X-rays I will post them.

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Sef
I dissent.

Post   » Tue Jun 16, 2020 9:28 am


There are a number of photos on the Stones page. The image I contributed showed the presence of stones in not only the bladder but in both ureters. That was a fatal situation.

I really don't know what else to suggest. You keep saying that you don't have access to qualified vets there, but you mentioned seeing an exotics vet awhile back. Can your current vet not consult with that office?

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daisymay
Supporter 2016-2021

Post   » Tue Jun 16, 2020 10:54 am


When Jan was ill vets kept saying nothing wrong with her or PTS get another. Her rate rate was 300 temp nearly 42C. One vet wanted to give her medication like Morphine that would make her sleep 8 hours.

Jan suffered so much and we went to so many vets, exotics and normal. When she passed I was so angry I reported 6 vets to the South Australian Vet Association and now vets will not see me. I mean come on she had a head tilt a bad one, her temp and heart rate were up and we got told she was fine all normal.

It will be 2 years come November Jan left us and we can't get over it! Will wait and see what out vet hears from VIN, in the mean time will keep giving her water. Thanks for reply Sef.

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