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Bladder stone surgery

Ninarodders

Ninarodders

Junior Guinea Pig
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Hi. My piggie had surgery in dec for bladder stones. He has shown signs again of it as in pain when weeing. He has lost about 100g a week ago but since he's been on stronger meds he hasn't lost anymore. And although unfortable id say most pain is controlled now with painkillers. The vets suspect stones again and so do I. He's on a lot of meds now I know they are treating him as end of life. But he's got xrays booked for next week and if stones again I'm thinking of pts. I'm doing xrays so I know for certain if he has stones and would require surgery before pts. I dont want the guilt of maybe it was something else treatable (unlikely I know)

I'm so sad and want to say do surgery. But realistically is surgery a good idea? I mean it's been 4 months. Would I be prolonging his suffering just cuz I dont want to give up?

I'm not really looking for advice, as I know it's my choice but maybe hearing some stories of what others have done in past might help me.
 
I’m so sorry you and your piggy are in this position. I’d see what the X-rays show. If it’s stones again then they are obviously prone to them and the chances are they would return again soon. If there are no stones then the vet can advise on the next course of action. It could be just a UTI or IC. You are doing everything you can for them and making decisions based on what is best for them. Sending you a hug and healing vibes to your piggy. ❤️
 
After only 4 months it's unlikely the bladder has healed enough to withstand another surgery, the suture material used will still be in the process of breaking down and there will be scar tissue.
I had a boar have a lot of pain after a similar time frame post stone surgery and it turned out he was painful from passing scabbing and other "stuff" from the previous surgery site which had caused a nasty UTI requiring about 6 weeks of antibiotics. He did ultimately require another surgery the following year as he developed a large blood clot inside the bladder and we lost him a few months after that, however he was a palliative boy anyway due to other conditions.

Having lost a piggy to bladder cancer too, where the bladder began leaking into the abdomen, I'm now personally very wary about putting too much stress on bladders. Prior to that I probably would have agreed to multiple stone surgeries if it ever came up, but now, I'd probably only do so if there was a large amount of time passed, especially as once they get stones they can reoccur incredibly fast, I've seen some return in as little as 2 weeks.

That being said, try not to panic until you have had xrays done, we were worried one of my girls still had stones as she was still very painful however she was totally clear and had passed them herself upon repeat xrays (unfortunately almost impossible for boars) we're currently treating her for a UTI instead.

Fingers crossed your little guy just has a UTI or something else that won't require surgery.
 
Thinking of you.

Our Billy 🌈had bladder stones, and had an operation in November. He then had pain when passing urine again over Christmas, we saw the vet & discussed options. We had already decided at his first surgery it wouldn’t be fair to have anymore, so chose not to have X-rays.
( The vet also did not think a repeat surgery so soon after the first a good idea.)

He was put back on medication for his pain & the diuretic, he had a rough week, were my partner and I kept questioning what was right for Billy. Then we had a really good week, we thought we were on the right track- unfortunately, unexpectedly one evening he passed a lot of blood & had to be taken to the vets for pts.

Sending you a big hug while you take time to consider your options. :hug:
 
Thank you so much for the replies.

He seemed a bit better (the pain relief had obs kicked in) but I have seen blood in his wee today. He's still very active and talkative and takes his meds perfectly fine (apart from the gabapentin which I have to hold him for)

If he looked sad or in lots of pain I don't think I'd have trouble pts but he seems relatively normal. So don't want to pts. I know I need to wait for the xrays but deep down I think it will be bad news. I hate having to make these decisions. I suffer with a lot a of guilt and questions after I have made that decision in the past. Even today 7 yrs on I doubt pts my horse. I wish someone would take the decision away from me and say do this or that.

Everyone I know in real life just say he's a guinea pig you could buy another for less than the vet consult fee. He still has personality and character just like a dog or cat. And he is loved by me and my children just the same no matter what size of pet he is. Or how long he's been in our lives.
 
It’s very hard, and we still question our decision.
I can sympathise, it sounds very similar to what we went through with Billy 🌈.
My partner wasn’t keen on him having the operation, but when it came to making a decision about the operation, the only thing hurting Billy was the stones & toileting, otherwise he was himself in every way.

How much longer until the X-rays?
Try and enjoy every day together.

These gorgeous fluffy potatoes, are not “just guinea pigs” they are our family members, as you said full of personality & character.
 
His xrays are on Thursday. They have reserved an appointment in the afternoon for saying goodbye.

That's what this week has been for spending time and enjoying his time. Especially for my daughter.
 
Bladder stones are the bane of some guinea pigs' lives...Some are just susceptible no matter how "perfect" the diet and they reoccur so quickly. It's major surgery although some vets claim it's "routine"..Ha! Try caring for them as they recover....not just discharging them with a package of meds.

Please have a hug from me too...:hug:It must all be horribly stressful.
 
Thought I'd give an update.

The xrays showd a stone in his bladder but his kidneys were completely clear. The first surgery/xrays he had in dec he had lots of sludge/sediment (not sure on the right word). So in the moment we decided to try surgery one last time. I was not expecting to do it but with the kidneys being clear now it seemed the right choice. In the post op check, the vet did say it is possible that the meds have cleared the kidneys and then the stone was formed in the bladder. And a big stone is much better that lots of sludge or little stones.

He recovered very well and was allowed home just a couple hours post surgery. Since then he's being doing great. He is now on loxicom x2 a day, fruesol x2 a day and cystese x1 a day. I've gone back to weighing weekly not daily and the last weigh in is the heaviest he has been since the first surgery.

So all good news for now. I do understand that he is most likely going to get more and if that happens we will just manage pain untill the time of pts.
 
Excellent news, thanks for updating everyone.
Try putting that thought to the back of your mind and enjoy your time with him.
 
Lovely to hear your news. All sounds very positive at the moment. I hope you and your boy can now relax and enjoy this time together.
 
Thought I'd attach a cheeky pic of them both. The grey one was the poorly one. They are being cheeky stealing the garden hay whilst I clean their indoor enclosure
 

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