Bladder - last chance emergency advice please.

[Pinki]

So out lovely Neem had bladder stones this summer and had an operation in June to remove them at Highcroft Vets. It was successful but unfortunately she had a reoccurence 6 weeks later. She had to go in again and this time she had a bladder flush, again with Highcroft, who know what they are doing.
But it's two weeks since and now she's blocked and it's Sunday. She's not drinking or eating so we are syringing her so it's last chance salon.
Shall we get a lot of water in to her to see if she can build enough pressure to pass the blockage? We have a vibration mat we have used in the past as well.
She is on metacam and gabapentin as prescribed by the vet.
Going to the vets is not an option today, it's Sunday. And she can't have another operation really anyway. But please, I'm not looking for advice to get her to the vets asap- I know I need to and will do so, but today is the issue.
Thanks

 

[piggieminder]

I am so sorry you are facing this. I can't offer you any advise only my support.

 

[Qualcast&Flymo]

I'm sorry your piggy is having bladder stone problems. Personally I wouldn't try giving excess water to try to move it, I think that would just make her feel uncomfortable. Vibration or movement (getting her to walk around) might help move sludge or a stone around enough to allow some urine flow, but I'm not a health expert so I don't know for sure or what else you could do.
@VickiA @Wiebke

 

[Wiebke]

So out lovely Neem had bladder stones this summer and had an operation in June to remove them at Highcroft Vets. It was successful but unfortunately she had a reoccurence 6 weeks later. She had to go in again and this time she had a bladder flush, again with Highcroft, who know what they are doing.
But it's two weeks since and now she's blocked and it's Sunday. She's not drinking or eating so we are syringing her so it's last chance salon.
Shall we get a lot of water in to her to see if she can build enough pressure to pass the blockage? We have a vibration mat we have used in the past as well.
She is on metacam and gabapentin as prescribed by the vet.
Going to the vets is not an option today, it's Sunday. And she can't have another operation really anyway. But please, I'm not looking for advice to get her to the vets asap- I know I need to and will do so, but today is the issue.
Thanks

Hi

Please be aware that overhydration can kill. You can offer her as much water as she wants to take in session but you cannot just empty water into her willy nilly; it can quickly end up in the nose or, worse, in the lungs apart from the overhydration issue. You should hold those sessions more than twice a day in order to encourage a larger pee. Keep in mind that there is already water in the syringe feed.

Please contact an out of hours vet for advice. Sub-q fluids may be a safer way. Any stones usually fetch up in sows just before the exit, held back by a muscle ring. The vets may be able to manipulate it out if their solids.
How to contact a vet out of hours

 

[Pinki]

OK thanks for your advice.

Managed to get to an expert who knows guinea pigs inside out who physically examined her..she is not blocked in fact. It's a very inflamed bladder and that will need an anti-inflamatory asap. So I will sort that out tomorrow.

Thanks again for the help. The day ended ok in the end...

 

[Pinki]

You can offer her as much water as she wants to take in session but you cannot just empty water into her willy nilly; it can quickly end up in the nose or, worse, in the lungs apart from the overhydration issue.

No problems on that front..very experienced at syringe feeding water and food!

 

[Wiebke]

OK thanks for your advice.

Managed to get to an expert who knows guinea pigs inside out who physically examined her..she is not blocked in fact. It's a very inflamed bladder and that will need an anti-inflamatory asap. So I will sort that out tomorrow.

Thanks again for the help. The day ended ok in the end...

Glad that you could have her promptly seen and checked. While the news isn't great, at least it is not something life-threatening.

A blockage so soon after a bladder flush is pretty unlikely, especially in a sow. It usually only happens with a large stone getting stuck at the end of the urethra and is much, much rarer than a blockage in boars who have a narrower, longer urethra with an awkward inglenook. But something fairly serious was definitely going on.

Wishing your little one all the best and quick recovery. Bladder trauma from all the sludge banging around in the bladder against the walls can result in a bacterial cystitis (as opposed to a bacterial urine infection (UTI) or a sterile (non-bacterial) cystitis which affects mainly the glucosamine coating of the walls of the urinary tract; especially when it is an ongoing issue that is not easily rectified by diet. Thankfully, in most cases and in my own experience with bladder trauma in sows of mine, bacterial cystitis usually reacts well to a strong antibiotic.
Make sure that your girl also gets glucosamine to provide additional longer term comfort. It needs a few weeks to build up though.

 

[Pinki]

Thanks Wiebke, that all makes sense.

 

[Pinki]

Update: so Neem is still making lots of squeaking when peeing and there is still blood in the urine. Inbetween she is OK but not eating/drinking much, so I'm syringing.
The Metacam seems to be having less and less effect - she has been on it for over 2 months now. I am wondering if I should talk to the vet about an alternative anti-inflammatory as I'm pretty sure here bladder is very inflamed which is causing the distress. Rimadyl is an alternative but I have not used it before. I cannot get to see the vet who is treating her until Friday unfortunately, but I could get a new prescription without seeing her I think.

Any thoughts?

(I'm off to get some Yarrow as it is a great diuretic acording to PG)