Specialist Inguinal hernia and bloody urine

[Liv]

Hello good piggy people,
I haven't been able to find a similar case on the forum so I thought I should share this. My baby Bhalu was castrated in October 2017 and made a full and problem-free recovery. Until now. A whole year and a 7 months later, he suddenly developed a post-castration hernia where his left testicle used to be. Around the same time, he started peeing bloody urine. No other symptoms. An initial vet visit confirmed that the swelling was a hernia but the vet thought it unlikely to be related to the blood in his urine, so Bhalu got a 2-week course of antibiotics to treat a suspected UTI. They also did two urine cultures, the first showing presence of the bacteria Aerococcus viridans and the second, after the course of ABs, coming back clear, which gave me hope.
Sadly, there is still blood present in his urine so today the vet performed both an x-ray and ultrasound to check for bladder stones. No stones, but it looks like Bhalu's bladder is pushing into his hernia, which is likely the cause of inflammation. Only treatment option is surgery but as I am due to go on holiday to France for two weeks from next Tuesday (great timing), we agreed that we should wait to make a decision until I have returned. Bhalu seems chipper and isn't showing obvious signs of discomfort and I am crossing my fingers and toes that he doesn't get worse while he's at the holiday boarding place.
Anyway, do please let me know if any of you have experience with hernias in piggies. I'd particularly like to hear of successful hernia repairs as I've read that the surgery can be tricky and cause further complications!

P.s.: I had all 4 of my boys neutered by an experienced exotics vet after having deliberated it for over a year because I was so worried. After one abscess and now this hernia, I know that I ended up making the wrong decision and will never have another piggy neutered unless it's for medical reasons.

 

[furryfriends (TEAS)]

I get all boars neutered before rehoming and have never had any post op problems. The vet we use is Simon Maddock at the Cat and Rabbit Care Clinic in Northampton and he is one of most experienced guinea pig neutering vets in the country. I see you are based in Oxford, so not too far away, and would really urge you to get Simon to take a look at your piggy, with regard to the further surgery that is needed.

 

[Wiebke]

Hello good piggy people,
I haven't been able to find a similar case on the forum so I thought I should share this. My baby Bhalu was castrated in October 2017 and made a full and problem-free recovery. Until now. A whole year and a 7 months later, he suddenly developed a post-castration hernia where his left testicle used to be. Around the same time, he started peeing bloody urine. No other symptoms. An initial vet visit confirmed that the swelling was a hernia but the vet thought it unlikely to be related to the blood in his urine, so Bhalu got a 2-week course of antibiotics to treat a suspected UTI. They also did two urine cultures, the first showing presence of the bacteria Aerococcus viridans and the second, after the course of ABs, coming back clear, which gave me hope.
Sadly, there is still blood present in his urine so today the vet performed both an x-ray and ultrasound to check for bladder stones. No stones, but it looks like Bhalu's bladder is pushing into his hernia, which is likely the cause of inflammation. Only treatment option is surgery but as I am due to go on holiday to France for two weeks from next Tuesday (great timing), we agreed that we should wait to make a decision until I have returned. Bhalu seems chipper and isn't showing obvious signs of discomfort and I am crossing my fingers and toes that he doesn't get worse while he's at the holiday boarding place.
Anyway, do please let me know if any of you have experience with hernias in piggies. I'd particularly like to hear of successful hernia repairs as I've read that the surgery can be tricky and cause further complications!

P.s.: I had all 4 of my boys neutered by an experienced exotics vet after having deliberated it for over a year because I was so worried. After one abscess and now this hernia, I know that I ended up making the wrong decision and will never have another piggy neutered unless it's for medical reasons.

I am very sorry. Hernias are thankfully very rare (we've seen less than a handful in over a decade on here), but they can happen a long time after the op. You have just been extremely unlucky!

My Nosgan, who I adopted already neutered, developed a post-op hernia several months after his arrival here.
During consulation with Simon's wife Kim, we decided not to operate as the hernia - unlike yours - was not impacting on anything. It did thankfully stabilise somewhat again for over a year and even shrink slightly but then started moving more into the testicle area in recent months causing mild impaction and a very quick build up of smegma in the penis shaft because of the pressure.
Nosgan had to be sadly pts as an emergency just before Easter by my local vet when we suspected a piece of gut had slipped through the hole. That said, Nosgan had over two years with his hernia and lived to 5 years of age, so I don't think he had too bad a bargain out of it, considering!

Your case is different because of the way your hernia is impacting on other organs, and it will likely need an operation. I can however second @furryfriends (TEAS) ' recommendation. None of my boys that have been neutered by Simon Maddock have ever had any complications whereas I have had several with adoptee boars from other places. Simon specialises in small animal operations (cats, rabbits and guinea pigs) and is very experienced and proficient in them, operating on more guinea pig per week than most general vets in their career. I even travel there by train if necessary and come back the same way with freshly operated piggies because I feel a lot safer in the Maddock's hands when it comes to ops, and would certainly with a rather more tricky hernia op in an already operated area.
Here are the contact details for the clinic in Northampton: The Cat and Rabbit Care Clinic

Our neutering guide has a list of possible post-op complications: Neutered / De-sexed Boars And Neutering Operations: Myths And Facts

 

[Liv]

Thanks both! I chose the most expensive and experienced exotics practice in Scotland (Royal Dick Vets) where I was living at the time for their castration but clearly that's no guarantee either.
I've read good things about Simon on this forum and didn't realise he's not that far away. I'm actually in Bicester now - need to update my profile. My current vet said he would be happy to refer me to a specialist for the surgery so I will mention Simon.

 

[furryfriends (TEAS)]

Thanks both! I chose the most expensive and experienced exotics practice in Scotland (Royal Dick Vets) where I was living at the time for their castration but clearly that's no guarantee either.
I've read good things about Simon on this forum and didn't realise he's not that far away. I'm actually in Bicester now - need to update my profile. My current vet said he would be happy to refer me to a specialist for the surgery so I will mention Simon.

You don’t need to get a referral to Simon, you can just ring and make an appointment and ask your current vet to email across the history x

 

[Liv]

You don’t need to get a referral to Simon, you can just ring and make an appointment and ask your current vet to email across the history x

Good to know, thanks!

 

[Liv]

OK, I got an appointment with Simon for when I get back on 5 June. Don't have a car so Bhalu and I will have to travel up there by bus and train.
I hate going away when my pets are unwell. Part of me wants to cancel my holiday but I don't think my partner would approve - we're going for his birthday! :/

 

[pig in the city]

I have a piggy with a long standing hernia. He also suffers with IC and has had bloody urine in the past. As he is 5 years old we are just monitoring him for now as regards the hernia. Hoping that it doesn't cause future issues for him.

 

[Liv]

I have a piggy with a long standing hernia. He also suffers with IC and has had bloody urine in the past. As he is 5 years old we are just monitoring him for now as regards the hernia. Hoping that it doesn't cause future issues for him.

Interesting. Is it also a post-castration inguinal hernia? Good to know that your piggy is doing OK! You say he's 5 now but when did his hernia appear?

 

[pig in the city]

Interesting. Is it also a post-castration inguinal hernia? Good to know that your piggy is doing OK! You say he's 5 now but when did his hernia appear?

Yes it is a post castration hernia. He was neutered very young at 4 months. l only noticed the hernia about a year ago when he was shaved around his bottom when his urinary symptoms were bad. He is a very furry piggy!

Here is Timmy snoozing...

 

[Liv]

Yes it is a post castration hernia. He was neutered very young at 4 months. l only noticed the hernia about a year ago when he was shaved around his bottom when his urinary symptoms were bad. He is a very furry piggy!View attachment 113384

Here is Timmy snoozing...

Aww little sheep! That's great that he's managed to do OK for so many years but it is scary that post-castration complications can appear so late.
Here's Bhalu, my baby bear. My profile pic was him at just a few weeks old.

 

[pig in the city]

Aww little sheep! That's great that he's managed to do OK for so many years but it is scary that post-castration complications can appear so late.
Here's Bhalu, my baby bear. My profile pic was him at just a few weeks old.
View attachment 113409

Well l just don't know when it appeared, l just couldn't see it under all his fluff!
Bhalu is a cutie x

 

[Liv]

Well l just don't know when it appeared, l just couldn't see it under all his fluff!
Bhalu is a cutie x

Yes, he might have had it a long time or it could have appeared just before you noticed it. And his urinary issues may of course be completely unrelated. My vet said that it's often just fatty tissue in the hernia. Has he had an ultrasound?

 

[pig in the city]

Yes, he might have had it a long time or it could have appeared just before you noticed it. And his urinary issues may of course be completely unrelated. My vet said that it's often just fatty tissue in the hernia. Has he had an ultrasound?

No. Vet was able to fully reduce the hernia so she didn't think it would be helpful. The vet offered surgery but l want to wait and see. Obviously l check him daily to make sure it's not becoming obstructed.

 

[Josie_lg]

It’s a long shot but I wondered what the outcome of this little piggie was? Did he have the surgery

 

[Liv]

It’s a long shot but I wondered what the outcome of this little piggie was? Did he have the surgery

Hi Josie, I went to see Simon Maddock who did not think the hernia needed operating. He also didn't think the urinary issues were related to the hernia. He recommended increasing Bhalu's water intake. The bloody urine would go away for weeks at a time and then suddenly reappear. After a move to France I went to see a new vet who gave Bhalu some herbal medicine which seemed to help whenever there was a flare up. Unfortunately Bhalu had to be pts at the age of 5 due to a horrible case of bloat. It is unclear whether the hernia was to blame (possible trapped gut) but the vet didn't seem to think so. So I never did get to the bottom of the issue.