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Guinea pig died after bladder stone surgery :(

Aw I’m so sorry 😞 Please don’t beat yourself up, sadly there’s always a risk with putting any animal through an anaesthetic. He just wasn’t strong enough and it was his time (((hugs)))
 
I’m very sorry for your loss. We’ve also lost a piggy after bladder stone surgery. It was a shock :(

Hugs to you.
 
So sorry you lost your beloved piggie. Grief can be overwhelming as we search for reasons and explanations - be kind to yourself. Big hugs ❤️
 
I’m so sorry to hear this. I went through the exact same thing last August with my Percy. He was only 2 and very healthy apart from the bladder stone. I really thought he would be ok. He came round from the operation but never recovered from the anaesthetic. I feel he had to have the op as the alternative was PTS and I didn’t want to let him go without a fight. But it was a shock. Take care ❤️
 
Thank you. But I just don’t understand how he passed away. He op was done and his heart stopped after. Do you think the vet gave him too many meds? He was on quite a lot to help with pain during op too.
Methadone, Midazolam, an anti emetic. He had a IV drip to help.
Did I do a mistake by putting him through surgery. I just have so many regrets
 
Nobody has done anything wrong. Piggies are just very delicate creatures. If you hadn’t gone ahead with the operation you’d now be saying maybe you should. You made decisions based on the information you had at the time. Hindsight would be a wonderful thing. Sending you a hug 🤗
 
As mentioned, nobody did anything wrong and you did the right thing by giving him a chance. If it helps you put things in perspective, my cat had surgery yesterday and is still pretty wiped out from the anaesthetic today and he’s much bigger than a guinea pig x
 
I'm so very sorry for your loss. The same thing also happened to me a few years ago with a lovely big boy of 4 (he was going cold when I collected him, he died shortly after) - and recently with a feisty girl after a very short op to remove an infected incisor (I think her brain was somehow affected - she was very 'flat' for a day or so and then died after a difficult struggle through the night). Sometimes there can be an underlying condition that we can't know about. But the sad truth is that 'small furries' generally don't do well under anaesthetic, and if they've been run down by their condition it increases the risk. An experienced vet can mitigate that, but they're not magicians. And as you'll know it's blimmin' expensive, whatever the outcome. I do feel for you - I broke my heart over mine.

Despite all this we are going in tomorrow with an old boy (6) who has a painful stone. He also had a UTI and it has taken weeks to shift it, leaving him a lot thinner than he was. The stone is his second this year and there has been a lot to consider. I've tried not to let my history get in the way of making the best choice for him. There was a big ol' conflab with a lovely piggy friendly vet. The odds aren't in his favour. And in truth, many pigs who have a stone removed successfully will go on to form another one (sometimes within a few weeks) as whatever triggered the first one can still be hanging around. This may be what happened to George. The first one he formed was actually in his penis and could be squeezed out. We think it was triggered by the summer heat. But it could be the start of failing kidneys. So why do we do it at all?

The bottom line is that surgery is currently our only option to remove big stones from a piggy bladder. And carrying a bladder stone can be anything from a bit hurty to incredibly painful. It's awful to hear them cry as they pee - or poop - or even move from one position to another. And pigs won't let you know they have pain until they get desperate so if you're hearing them you can't ignore it. Sometimes a small stone can be passed - especially by the females as their urethra is a little bit bigger. Sometimes it needs a bit of vet help. But the boys have a different anatomy and it's risky. A blocked bladder is very serious and can quickly be fatal. So when we have a boy with a stone we know that the clock is ticking and it's a horrible shock, and generally speaking an operation is his only chance. Sometimes they're lucky and sometimes they're not. Your boy is free from his pain now. There really wasn't much else you could have done other than have him pts straight away. You gave him a chance x

We used to have more trouble with stones than we do now. The forum has some top tips to reduce the occurrence - but again some pigs are just going to be more likely to get stones than others whatever happens. The problem for piggies is that they've evolved to absorb all the calcium they eat and pee out the excess, which is different to us people - but then again our teeth aren't growing all the time.
Filter their drinking water, or use low Ca bottled water. If you're in the UK you can find out how hard your water is online - or have a look inside your kettle!
Switch from museli to food pellets, and reduce the amount to about 1 tbsp per piggy per day. Mine were big pellet munchers but we changed our habits by putting out a fresh bowl only in the evenings and adding more hay in the morning, then throughout the day a handful here or there, so they weren't looking for the bowl until evening time. Put the bowl right next to a water bottle - you'll see piggy eat pellets and then take a glug to was them down... but they might put off drinking if they have to travel between the two because their cage mate has a chance to get in at the bowl! Some people scatter the pellet portion in the hay so they can forage... you'll know your piggies best.
We added more bottles and esp put them near the 'bedroom' areas so night time drinking could be done without coming out into the dark. They're not all natural drinkers unfortunately. If you have an old arthritic one adjust the bottle so they can access it without a stretch: necks can get stiff!
We do a pile of fresh grass every morning (which is a challenge at this time of year) but it increases the 'wetness' in their diet. Likewise offering cucumber - very hydrating. Leafy veg can be pre-soaked to increase the water content. Be careful of dark greens like kale and spinach which are higher calcium. And keep an eye on their pee patches... a bit milky is quite normal but if you're seeing grit forming it's a red flag.
But I think for us the big changes have been the tips on water and pellets (a dried food, so gram for gram much higher in Ca than anything veggie). My pigs don't have any special conditions so the veggie intake is varied and pretty normal. My vet says, "just keep everything flushing through..." and that works about as well as anything else.

Take care of yourself. If you have a surviving piggy spend some time with them and you will be able to console each other. Nature can be very cruel sometimes. It will take you a while to get over the shock and it's natural to question yourself. He's been lucky to have you as an owner and he would have known how much you cared for him. You did your very best - it's just terribly sad. My thoughts and prayers are with you x
 
S.M said:
My guinea pig had a surgery for bladder stone yesterday and he passed away. I’m really breaking down and can’t function. He was my little baby.
How was that possible. I read so many success stories :(.
Click to expand...

Hi

BIG HUGS

I am very sorry.
Sadly, there is no such thing as a 'totally safe' operation and you can never tell whether you are one of those ending up with a short straw. I have lost several piggies over the years where the operation itself was successful but there were unknown underlying conditions which meant that their heart was giving out on the operating table or they passed away shortly after the operation. It can happen even with the best operating vets.
It is even harder to commit to the same necessary operation again down the line but thankfully, those have always been successful for me. :(

Did your vet say where the stone was located and whether it or any crystals had embedded in the bladder wall? Boars also have an awkward inglenook in their urethra in which stones can fetch up and which are a much more high risk make-or-break operation that often doesn't come off. A bladder stone op can get rather complicated very quickly if it is not just a single loose sitting stone. The longer a piggy is under GA, the higher the risk of complications stemming from the anaesthesia. :(

You are of course distraught - we all are in this situation - but there is no reliable medical cure for bladder stones, so if you hadn't committed to the operation, your boy would have instead either have died a slow and very painful death or a truly agonising but much faster death if the stone had at some point blocked the flow of urine so it would have fatally backed up into the kidneys.

Please try to take heart in that you have absolutely done the right thing for your boy to spare him much worse. You have not failed him! The outcome is out of your control but you leaving him to suffer for the - rather short - remainder of his life would have frankly been much worse for him. You have bought your beloved boy a vital chance for a happier, longer life that he would have otherwise not have had; it was just bad luck for him and you that it hasn't worked out. But you have still spared him days or weeks of suffering in pain and that counts for a real lot.

Give yourself time to grieve and be kind with yourself. Try not to be too hard on yourself and try not to be angry with the vet team. They always try their best and any fatal outcome is really tough and morale breaking for them, too.

If you really struggle with your various strong emotions and mood swings, please seek trained help, like the various free of charge pet bereavement services that the Blue Cross offers for UK residents. The best thing you can do is talk. If you can't find anybody, then try to write a diary about your feelings and thoughts.
Pet bereavement and pet loss
You can find more helpful advice and information to make sense of your traumatic experience and your grieving process, which can take some unexpected turns, in this link here: Human Bereavement: Grieving, Processing and Support Links for Guinea Pig Owners and Their Children

If you have any companions or other piggies, please make sure that they are OK and able to hang in there right now and for the coming days until you are over the worst of your own storm:
Looking After a Bereaved Guinea Pig

My thoughts are with you.
 
I am sending big hugs to you, I‘m so sorry you lost your precious little piggie x
 
I have nothing to add to add to what others have said other than I am so sorry for your loss and the pain you are going through. Be kind to yourself x
 
S.M said:
My guinea pig had a surgery for bladder stone yesterday and he passed away. I’m really breaking down and can’t function. He was my little baby.
How was that possible. I read so many success stories :(.
Click to expand...
I'm so sorry 😔 I lost my boy Eric after bladder stone surgery too 💔
 
I'm so sorry for your loss. I don't think it's a matter of anything not being done correctly... unfortunately, there is no surgery that is 100% guaranteed to be completely safe. There is always a risk of complications or a bad outcome, even with everything being done perfectly. You made the best decision you could for him to be comfortable and not in pain and not have future issues... there was no way you could have predicted this. Please don't blame yourself. ((HUGS)) to you.
 
Thank you. But I guess I’m doubting the bet because some of the doses she said seemed high.
Like she wanted to give Metacam 0.9ml (cat version).
Our normal vet said 0.3ml max
Guinea pig was only 800g and looking at the leaflet it sounds right.

The vet who said 0.9ml was a specialist though.
Has anyone else used that dose?
I’m feeling very anxious that she have the wrong dose of the meds. Even the gas, GA, midazolam etc
 
Oh you poor love. I really doubt metacam was an issue. George has been on 0.3ish ml of dog metacam twice a day for 2 years. Currently he's on a higher dose. Dog metacam (1.5mg/ml) is 3x the strength of cat (0.5mg/ml). The cat version was officially licensed for piggies a couple years back and the dog version wasn't so most vets are now reluctant to give over the licensed dose. George is not unusual among forum piggies - and anyone who has kept pigs going back a few years will have had the dog version prescribed for anything from bloat to arthritis to bladder stones to resp infection. The biggest concern my vets express when looking at the higher doses - especially in a long term case such as ours - are kidney issues.

There are such a range of things vets use to put piggies under during operations that it's almost impossible to say which way is 'right' and which is less good. One works for one little chap might not for another. What works in one type of op might be quite unsuitable for a different procedure. I'm pretty sure some medications are actually reversible if an op is quicker than expected. I would think your vet used a completely standard protocol for their practice at least, but they may agree to set up an appointment to discuss what might have happened and reassure you that they took every precaution they could. Vets are generally very kind and they understand our anxiety. When my piggies died I actually got a card from the vet involved expressing their sympathy, which really surprised me, but also made me realise that of course they don't want to lose a patient any more than a human doctor would, and they do their absolute best to stop that from happening. It's the first time we've been through this op with our piggy but they will have done it dozens of times before and had plenty of experience and had to pass a ton of exams to get to that stage. In the UK it's actually more competitive to get into vet school than med school because there are fewer of them. The not knowing is what really hurts. I'm so sorry for your loss x
 
My petite 830g lady Nixie has just finished a course of dog metacam, and she easily tolerated a dose appropriate for a 4kg dog. Vets less experienced with piggies seem to tend to play it safe and stick to smaller doses of cat metacam, as that's what's licensed here, and this might explain the gap in advice you've seen rather than anything sinister.

I'm so sorry you lost your pig. Bladder stones are horribly painful and can't always be passed naturally, so you absolutely did the right thing by putting him through surgery and giving him the chance for a pain free life. Be kind to yourself x
 
Free Ranger said:
I'm so very sorry for your loss. The same thing also happened to me a few years ago with a lovely big boy of 4 (he was going cold when I collected him, he died shortly after) - and recently with a feisty girl after a very short op to remove an infected incisor (I think her brain was somehow affected - she was very 'flat' for a day or so and then died after a difficult struggle through the night). Sometimes there can be an underlying condition that we can't know about. But the sad truth is that 'small furries' generally don't do well under anaesthetic, and if they've been run down by their condition it increases the risk. An experienced vet can mitigate that, but they're not magicians. And as you'll know it's blimmin' expensive, whatever the outcome. I do feel for you - I broke my heart over mine.



Despite all this we are going in tomorrow with an old boy (6) who has a painful stone. He also had a UTI and it has taken weeks to shift it, leaving him a lot thinner than he was. The stone is his second this year and there has been a lot to consider. I've tried not to let my history get in the way of making the best choice for him. There was a big ol' conflab with a lovely piggy friendly vet. The odds aren't in his favour. And in truth, many pigs who have a stone removed successfully will go on to form another one (sometimes within a few weeks) as whatever triggered the first one can still be hanging around. This may be what happened to George. The first one he formed was actually in his penis and could be squeezed out. We think it was triggered by the summer heat. But it could be the start of failing kidneys. So why do we do it at all?



The bottom line is that surgery is currently our only option to remove big stones from a piggy bladder. And carrying a bladder stone can be anything from a bit hurty to incredibly painful. It's awful to hear them cry as they pee - or poop - or even move from one position to another. And pigs won't let you know they have pain until they get desperate so if you're hearing them you can't ignore it. Sometimes a small stone can be passed - especially by the females as their urethra is a little bit bigger. Sometimes it needs a bit of vet help. But the boys have a different anatomy and it's risky. A blocked bladder is very serious and can quickly be fatal. So when we have a boy with a stone we know that the clock is ticking and it's a horrible shock, and generally speaking an operation is his only chance. Sometimes they're lucky and sometimes they're not. Your boy is free from his pain now. There really wasn't much else you could have done other than have him pts straight away. You gave him a chance x



We used to have more trouble with stones than we do now. The forum has some top tips to reduce the occurrence - but again some pigs are just going to be more likely to get stones than others whatever happens. The problem for piggies is that they've evolved to absorb all the calcium they eat and pee out the excess, which is different to us people - but then again our teeth aren't growing all the time.

Filter their drinking water, or use low Ca bottled water. If you're in the UK you can find out how hard your water is online - or have a look inside your kettle!

Switch from museli to food pellets, and reduce the amount to about 1 tbsp per piggy per day. Mine were big pellet munchers but we changed our habits by putting out a fresh bowl only in the evenings and adding more hay in the morning, then throughout the day a handful here or there, so they weren't looking for the bowl until evening time. Put the bowl right next to a water bottle - you'll see piggy eat pellets and then take a glug to was them down... but they might put off drinking if they have to travel between the two because their cage mate has a chance to get in at the bowl! Some people scatter the pellet portion in the hay so they can forage... you'll know your piggies best.

We added more bottles and esp put them near the 'bedroom' areas so night time drinking could be done without coming out into the dark. They're not all natural drinkers unfortunately. If you have an old arthritic one adjust the bottle so they can access it without a stretch: necks can get stiff!

We do a pile of fresh grass every morning (which is a challenge at this time of year) but it increases the 'wetness' in their diet. Likewise offering cucumber - very hydrating. Leafy veg can be pre-soaked to increase the water content. Be careful of dark greens like kale and spinach which are higher calcium. And keep an eye on their pee patches... a bit milky is quite normal but if you're seeing grit forming it's a red flag.

But I think for us the big changes have been the tips on water and pellets (a dried food, so gram for gram much higher in Ca than anything veggie). My pigs don't have any special conditions so the veggie intake is varied and pretty normal. My vet says, "just keep everything flushing through..." and that works about as well as anything else.



Take care of yourself. If you have a surviving piggy spend some time with them and you will be able to console each other. Nature can be very cruel sometimes. It will take you a while to get over the shock and it's natural to question yourself. He's been lucky to have you as an owner and he would have known how much you cared for him. You did your very best - it's just terribly sad. My thoughts and prayers are with you x
Click to expand...
 
Thank you free ranger, your reply has brought us a lot of comfort after we suddenly lost our beloved freddie yesterday following bladder stone surgery. We're so sad and lost today - our other pig seems ok (they have lived in adjacent cages after fighting) but we are all heartbroken
 
melemone said:
Thank you free ranger, your reply has brought us a lot of comfort after we suddenly lost our beloved freddie yesterday following bladder stone surgery. We're so sad and lost today - our other pig seems ok (they have lived in adjacent cages after fighting) but we are all heartbroken
Click to expand...
So sorry for your loss.
Be gentle with yourself as you grieve.
We have a thread entitled the Rainbow Bridge Thread where you can post a special tribute to Freddie.
More people will see that there.
Welcome to the forum
 
I am so sorry you lost your little soulmate, treasure your memories and take great care as you grieve x
 
melemone said:
Thank you free ranger, your reply has brought us a lot of comfort after we suddenly lost our beloved freddie yesterday following bladder stone surgery. We're so sad and lost today - our other pig seems ok (they have lived in adjacent cages after fighting) but we are all heartbroken
Click to expand...
I’m so sorry for your loss. It’s been a month since my piggy died but I still cry Everytime I think about him or see his stuff.
Have donated food to local animal shelter though and that made me happy as other guinea pigs were able to enjoy the food we used to give Bobby. For example hay from hatbox :) the expensive stuff
 
It's sadly not uncommon @melemone , and I'm so sorry for your loss. Vets will generally tell you that 'small furries' don't do well under anaesthetic, but if you have a male with a bladder stone there's really not any alternative. I lost one of my boys a few years back and it is absolutely heartbreaking knowing that I was the one who 'chose' the surgery option but the other option - the one we were initially following up with old George because of his age - is just increasing amounts of pain management until they let you know they've had enough. It's brutal - but nature is.

George was a lucky boy to make it through his Op, but the chances of him getting another stone are pretty high. We are following the forum tips of reducing pellets to 1 tbsp per pig per day and using low Ca water (in our case bottled rather than filtered) and now George has extra water and only salad veg or fresh grass. It's also important to keep on top of urine infections as these can cause inflammation and affect the flow of pee. They dribble and drip it our rather than having a good flow. If George's pee becomes too concentrated he is much more likely to get another stone (if he's not got one already).

I'm so sorry for your loss. Please take care of yourself and know that you were giving him his best chance at life without pain x
 
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