need advice

[bunchesofjoy]

Gabriel has a bladder stone that couldn't be removed during surgery. He has been fine until today, when he peed blood again. I can't afford another surgery, especially if it doesn't get every stone again. What would you do?

[Orlaith]

You may have a very hard decision to make. It's very tough when a piggy seems otherwise happy and healthy, but bladder stones can be very painful and if surgery isn't an option then you may have to put Gabriel to sleep.

Have you tried giving him unsweetened cranberry juice and a course of painkillers from the vet? These won't cure him, but they make make him more comfortable on a (short) temporary basis while you make your decision.

Did the vet say why the stone wasn't able to be removed during surgery?

[bunchesofjoy]

Thank you. I've only tried antibiotics, giving extra water with a syringe, and giving vegetables with little calcium.

The stone was in his ureter and she said it would've wrecked his ureter.

[Orlaith]

That's tough. It's a pity that your vet couldn't remove the stone, but bladder surgery on guinea pigs is very delicate, almost microsurgery and a lot of vets don't have too much experience with it.

Apart from the money issue, I would be reluctant to put Gabriel through another anaesthesia so close to the last one, especially if the chances are that the stone will be left behind again. If the vet was more confident about removal I might be tempted to give it a go, but it's a big surgery. I had one of my girls go through it before and she was quite sore afterwards while everything healed up.

Unsweetened cranberry juice will do no harm. It can be tough to find one without extra sugar, but Kelkin juice is usually good. It's the only one I've found near me. This will change the acidity level of his pee and hopefully make things a bit less stingy.

A daily dose of painkillers might ease him a bit as well, but be aware that this can be tough on the liver and anyway, it's not a long term solution.

Is he crying when he pees? How old is he?

[bunchesofjoy]

He doesn't cry when he pees. I think he's 6 years old.

The vet is having me syringe him with water and give more antibiotics.

I will try cranberry juice. Thank you so much for your words.

[Orlaith]

It's good that he's not crying. Hopefully it means he's not in too much pain. The antibiotics should help as well. What type are they and how much is he getting every day?

I hope you're okay. I know it's really hard and so worrying when things like this come up.

Oh, I also meant to say, I usually dilute the cranberry juice 1 part juice to 1 part water because it can be quite tart. You can try putting a small bottle on the side of his cage to see if he'll drink it himself - some of my piggies actually really like it! - because if he does it'll save you having to syringe him all the time. Just be aware that you'll have to throw away anything in the bottle once a day because it starts going cloudy and gunky after that. The undiluted stuff should be okay in the fridge for about three days.

[bunchesofjoy]

Thank you. She said that I don't need to put him to sleep for this. I hope she's right.

[Orlaith]

I hope so too. If the stone can't be removed then all you can really do is maintain his quality of life. If he's not in pain then you can monitor him and hopefully have another happy while together. You'll know when he's getting sore because he'll start squeaking when he goes to the toilet.

If possible, keep monitoring his pee (its colour and whether he's able to pee at all) and his poop (any change in consistency, colour or quantity) and how much he eats and drinks. The better you know his routine the quicker you'll be able to tell if things are changing.

Give Gabriel some loves from me!

[bunchesofjoy]

Thanks. I will. He needs it too, I think. His antibiotics smell awful!

[babydoll]

I read somewhere that sometimes the vet can flush the stone from the ureter and back into the bladder then they are able to remove it might be something worth speaking to your vet about. x

[stscavies]

Not sure if Piggies can eat Cranberries or not but if they can and will the Cranberry can help prevent stones from forming. I used to offer Frozen sugar free Cranberry Juice to my dog for her Bladder stone problem. I hope your guy stays well and happy for many years to come.
Nancy

[bunchesofjoy]

I can ask the vet about flushing. She did say she flushed him, but I don't know if it was supposed to move the stone or not.

Thank you. He seems happy right now, so ya, I'm hoping it lasts a while. He's the perfect little pet and I'd miss him a lot if something bad happened.

[Orlaith]

Fingers crossed he stays in good form.