Hi all, it's been quite a while since I have posted. We have a male pig of unknown age presumed to be 4-6 years who presented in March with signs of a stone. Confirmed on X-ray. We have taken a conservative approach with treatment but it is now time we must move to a surgical removal. He is scheduled for Monday. He had no bleeding after baytril in March and has been on Metacam since. He started bleeding and showing discomfort in the past week, and is now back on baytril along with metacam. We also modified diet in April with reduced pellets, reduced calcium veggies, and encouraged him to make up the difference in hay, which he has. He is also getting one full to one and a half Oxbow Urinary Support treats per day.
I am interested in hearing what the modern state of the art recommendations are for pre-op prep and post-op care are for guinea pigs. We plan to continue baytril through recovery and maintain the dietary adjustments and urinary treats for life.
Chip - stone surgery prep
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Lynx
- Celebrate!!!
Yes, long time no see, TWP_2! Good to know you still have guinea pigs!
The advice from Talishan is still my bible. You might want to review it (and can email Talishan to see if she has anything new to add).
Detailed Information and Guidance for Postoperative Care
https://www.guinealynx.info/records/viewtopic.php?t=231
Potential Problems to Watch For
https://www.guinealynx.info/records/viewtopic.php?t=232
I imagine you have specific questions about, say, fasting and have asked your vet about his protocol?
The advice from Talishan is still my bible. You might want to review it (and can email Talishan to see if she has anything new to add).
Detailed Information and Guidance for Postoperative Care
https://www.guinealynx.info/records/viewtopic.php?t=231
Potential Problems to Watch For
https://www.guinealynx.info/records/viewtopic.php?t=232
I imagine you have specific questions about, say, fasting and have asked your vet about his protocol?
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daisymay
- Supporter 2016-2021
I know sows are different to boars, but when Jinx had a stone the vet thought we'll flush it first and see if stone is passed. To flush one uses water so we gave her around 8 X 1mls of warm water a day-she loved it.
Day of surgery X-rays were taken. You know what? That stone was gone. If she'd passed it we never saw it and she made no signs of passing it. Be sure X-rays are taken before surgery. Maybe try key hold surgery where stone is flushed?
If he has surgery afterwards keep warm in small area. Lot's of fluid. Syringe feed. Feed him small amounts of normal food. Will have everything crossed for a great outcome! For Chip and you!
Day of surgery X-rays were taken. You know what? That stone was gone. If she'd passed it we never saw it and she made no signs of passing it. Be sure X-rays are taken before surgery. Maybe try key hold surgery where stone is flushed?
If he has surgery afterwards keep warm in small area. Lot's of fluid. Syringe feed. Feed him small amounts of normal food. Will have everything crossed for a great outcome! For Chip and you!
HI Lynx, hi Daisymay, thank you. Yes Lynx, I wanted to know about any fasting or other pre op advice, it's been a while since we've done this. Looks like they're following the most recent protocol I remember, no fasting, eat as normal until drop off for surgery. I was worried they might want fasting and I wanted to know whether to challenge that.
Unfortunately we saw X-ray evidence twice over two weeks, he actually developed a second stone in that time. Given his symptoms I don't think the stones have self resolved, unfortunately. We did have a pig who made one disappear before.
Unfortunately we saw X-ray evidence twice over two weeks, he actually developed a second stone in that time. Given his symptoms I don't think the stones have self resolved, unfortunately. We did have a pig who made one disappear before.
Update: the surgeon did the pre-op exam last week and found what he thought was an unusual mass near Chip's left kidney. X-ray showed something nonspecific there, verified the main bladder stone, and showed another calcification. He recommended delaying the surgery until we could have an ultrasound done at the K-State vet teaching hospital.
In the meantime we have continued metacam and the enrofloxacin.
Diana took Chip to K-State today. They did bloodwork and an exam under mild sedation, then the ultrasound. Chip's team adored him, and he was happy to cooperate in exchange for lettuce.
Unfortunately the news is not good.
1. Left kidney IS the mass. They see a stone blocking the ureter at the bladder, stones in the ureter, stones in the kidney, and the kidney and ureter are distended. They think they have been for a while. Good news is they didn't think anything needs to be done, the kidney is non functional and should just become fibrous.
2. Stone is there in the bladder, large, but mobile and not a danger to the urethral opening.
3. Second stone observed by the local vet appears to be calcification of one of the seminal vesicles.
4. Right kidney has some small stones in the kidney itself, but minor.
5. Bladder wall is thickened, and there is a mass separate from the stone that penetrates the wall. Low vascularization but unclear what it could be.
6. Liver shows a mass on one lobe with fluid pockets.
We are starting off with a bladder culture to see if there is infection, and if there is whether we are using the correct antibiotic. Starting potassium citrate. Eliminating kale (which he has loved a tiny piece with his breakfast) is recommended. Waiting for urine culture and bloodwork to decide on surgery. If we do surgery, they will biopsy the bladder mass and liver mass to determine what we are dealing with. They are prescribing additional pain meds to deal with pain exacerbations, keeping him on Metacam.
He is eating well, drinking, napping, playing with toys and Stanley, interacting with his neighbor, vocalizing to us, begging for treats, snuggling, everything a happy piggie loves, so even if we can't fix the problems we can maximize the time he has.
You all know how we love our pets. Chip is family. Please continue to keep him in your thoughts.
In the meantime we have continued metacam and the enrofloxacin.
Diana took Chip to K-State today. They did bloodwork and an exam under mild sedation, then the ultrasound. Chip's team adored him, and he was happy to cooperate in exchange for lettuce.
Unfortunately the news is not good.
1. Left kidney IS the mass. They see a stone blocking the ureter at the bladder, stones in the ureter, stones in the kidney, and the kidney and ureter are distended. They think they have been for a while. Good news is they didn't think anything needs to be done, the kidney is non functional and should just become fibrous.
2. Stone is there in the bladder, large, but mobile and not a danger to the urethral opening.
3. Second stone observed by the local vet appears to be calcification of one of the seminal vesicles.
4. Right kidney has some small stones in the kidney itself, but minor.
5. Bladder wall is thickened, and there is a mass separate from the stone that penetrates the wall. Low vascularization but unclear what it could be.
6. Liver shows a mass on one lobe with fluid pockets.
We are starting off with a bladder culture to see if there is infection, and if there is whether we are using the correct antibiotic. Starting potassium citrate. Eliminating kale (which he has loved a tiny piece with his breakfast) is recommended. Waiting for urine culture and bloodwork to decide on surgery. If we do surgery, they will biopsy the bladder mass and liver mass to determine what we are dealing with. They are prescribing additional pain meds to deal with pain exacerbations, keeping him on Metacam.
He is eating well, drinking, napping, playing with toys and Stanley, interacting with his neighbor, vocalizing to us, begging for treats, snuggling, everything a happy piggie loves, so even if we can't fix the problems we can maximize the time he has.
You all know how we love our pets. Chip is family. Please continue to keep him in your thoughts.
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daisymay
- Supporter 2016-2021
I am so glad Chip is Stable and for now doesn't need surgery. Hoping all other test come back within the normal range. So happy he managed to bribe the vet staff to get lettuce! Hoping he continues to be stable for a long time to come. Thinking of him and you and Stanley!
Unfortunately we have done all we can. The bladder culture did return a bacteria that the enrofloxacin doesn't treat, so we were switching to TMS and trying to aquire polycitra.
Last night after getting off the phone with our regular vet, I found Chip in distress. I have him the gabapentin, which helped, but his bladder was blocked. We took him to the K-State vet emergency department and they gave him better pain meds and tried to pulse/flush the stone out of the urethra. Two attempts didn't work. They did a cystocentisis removing 13ml of urine from his bladder. Between that and the pain meds he was comfortable.
This morning after consultation with the exotics specialist, we have made the heart breaking decision to let him go
The chance that surgery to remove the stone would be successful without rapid stone reformation is small. We aren't willing to put him through that only to do it all over again in weeks.
We are taking the other two up to K-State with a lot of food, treats, familiar toys and things. Please keep us in your thoughts as we say goodbye.
I will update with the reports from K-State, other history, and any necropsy results we might get. What is the image host of choice these days? Or would a Google drive folder share be better?
I wish I could communicate how much I love our boys. My heart is so broken right now.
Last night after getting off the phone with our regular vet, I found Chip in distress. I have him the gabapentin, which helped, but his bladder was blocked. We took him to the K-State vet emergency department and they gave him better pain meds and tried to pulse/flush the stone out of the urethra. Two attempts didn't work. They did a cystocentisis removing 13ml of urine from his bladder. Between that and the pain meds he was comfortable.
This morning after consultation with the exotics specialist, we have made the heart breaking decision to let him go
The chance that surgery to remove the stone would be successful without rapid stone reformation is small. We aren't willing to put him through that only to do it all over again in weeks.
We are taking the other two up to K-State with a lot of food, treats, familiar toys and things. Please keep us in your thoughts as we say goodbye.
I will update with the reports from K-State, other history, and any necropsy results we might get. What is the image host of choice these days? Or would a Google drive folder share be better?
I wish I could communicate how much I love our boys. My heart is so broken right now.
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