Specialist Possible stone?

[Claire B]

Hello
Since July last year my female guinea pig on and off has had a wet and smelly bottom. I have seen several vets about this and at the time she had some x-rays taken (one by an exotics vet). They found a little bladder sludge but nothing else (other than bad knees). I posted on here too and members as well as my vets thought she may have interstitial cystitis. She has been having Metacam and cystease along with Tramadol when needed. Last week she took a turn for the worse and seemed to be straining and squeaking a little when passing poops and looked uncomfortable. She became very wet and smelly. I took her back to my vets and a stone was suspected. She had another x-ray taken but only bladder sludge was found. She was also put back on Potassium Citrate. She has continued to strain and look uncomfortable but a little happier on the extra meds of potassium citrate and Tramadol. She is still wet and smelly. I have just noticed something in her cage tonight which I am wondering if it’s a stone? I broke it up to try and see what it is but can only think it is a stone. If it is, I don’t understand why it was missed on the x-ray (it was done under sedation). Also, would she be capable of passing something so big naturally? I’m not sure whether she was still straining tonight (which must have been after this was passed) so would it be likely there could be more stones (or is there usually just one)? She does share a home with her sister but I can’t believe it is anything to do with her. I guess the symptoms would indicate a stone? Any advice would be greatly appreciated. Many thanks.

 

[DMS260820]

I have heard that x rays can miss stones, a scan would be better I think, but much more expensive. I can't advise much but I would start using a water filter jug for the Guinea pigs, and feed science selective grain free, just a table spoon per pig per day is all they need. She could have a uti

 

[Wiebke]

Hello
Since July last year my female guinea pig on and off has had a wet and smelly bottom. I have seen several vets about this and at the time she had some x-rays taken (one by an exotics vet). They found a little bladder sludge but nothing else (other than bad knees). I posted on here too and members as well as my vets thought she may have interstitial cystitis. She has been having Metacam and cystease along with Tramadol when needed. Last week she took a turn for the worse and seemed to be straining and squeaking a little when passing poops and looked uncomfortable. She became very wet and smelly. I took her back to my vets and a stone was suspected. She had another x-ray taken but only bladder sludge was found. She was also put back on Potassium Citrate. She has continued to strain and look uncomfortable but a little happier on the extra meds of potassium citrate and Tramadol. She is still wet and smelly. I have just noticed something in her cage tonight which I am wondering if it’s a stone? I broke it up to try and see what it is but can only think it is a stone. If it is, I don’t understand why it was missed on the x-ray (it was done under sedation). Also, would she be capable of passing something so big naturally? I’m not sure whether she was still straining tonight (which must have been after this was passed) so would it be likely there could be more stones (or is there usually just one)? She does share a home with her sister but I can’t believe it is anything to do with her. I guess the symptoms would indicate a stone? Any advice would be greatly appreciated. Many thanks.

Hi!

Have your vets shown you the bladder sludge x-ray and how tightly packed it is? A bladder filled with sludge requires an operation; just waiting for the problem to sort itself out won't work. Milder cases of bladder sludge can be treated by very carefully and VERY gentle flushing.
What is your vet's treatment plan?

The sludge is also responsible for the cystitis; in your case, you are dealing with an ongoing irritation of the bladder walls which is continuing for as long as the bladder sludge is present. Treatment for the acute symptoms is the same as in IC (as you can only treat the symptoms of IC but not the cause as things stand), but your vet may want to consider if they want to treat with an antibiotic for a bacterial and not a sterile/non-bacterial cystitis (which IC is).

Have you made any dietary changes to prevent/minimise a further build-up of sludge (water filtering/pellets and veg etc.)?

Unfortunately without a hands-on examination we can only guess as much what you are dealing with as we cannot see just how big it is, how hard it is and what it's texture is. It doesn't look like any of the stones I have ever seen - and I have had bladder stone piggies of my own.

 

[Claire B]

Many thanks @Wiebke for your detailed response. No I haven’t seen the x-ray showing the bladder sludge so I don’t know how bad it is. I was told to put her back on potassium citrate but that was the only plan from my vets.

I have made dietary changes since last July. She has filtered water and only small amounts of cucumber and lettuce. She does have Science Selective pellets but I also have the grain free type too which I will gradually change her over to (when I have tried them previously, she seems to have deteriorated slightly but that may just have been a coincidence).

Perhaps it wasn’t a stone I found in their cage (although I don’t know what else it could be)? I’ve never seen one before. It was stone shape and very soft and crumbly. Is this not how they usually are?

 

[pig in the city]

Many thanks @Wiebke for your detailed response. No I haven’t seen the x-ray showing the bladder sludge so I don’t know how bad it is. I was told to put her back on potassium citrate but that was the only plan from my vets.

I have made dietary changes since last July. She has filtered water and only small amounts of cucumber and lettuce. She does have Science Selective pellets but I also have the grain free type too which I will gradually change her over to (when I have tried them previously, she seems to have deteriorated slightly but that may just have been a coincidence).

Perhaps it wasn’t a stone I found in their cage (although I don’t know what else it could be)? I’ve never seen one before. It was stone shape and very soft and crumbly. Is this not how they usually are?

It could just be some sludge, it's very thick, gritty and creamy textured. Sows can pass sizeable stones but they are solid and literally like a stone.
I have a sow with similar problems, she has improved dramatically with restriction of pellets.

 

[Wiebke]

Many thanks @Wiebke for your detailed response. No I haven’t seen the x-ray showing the bladder sludge so I don’t know how bad it is. I was told to put her back on potassium citrate but that was the only plan from my vets.

I have made dietary changes since last July. She has filtered water and only small amounts of cucumber and lettuce. She does have Science Selective pellets but I also have the grain free type too which I will gradually change her over to (when I have tried them previously, she seems to have deteriorated slightly but that may just have been a coincidence).

Perhaps it wasn’t a stone I found in their cage (although I don’t know what else it could be)? I’ve never seen one before. It was stone shape and very soft and crumbly. Is this not how they usually are?

No - stones are generally really hard. Whatever it is, yours sounds and looks like it would have been still comparatively soft and not hardened until after it had left the body. Unfortunately I cannot tell you what it is; my guess would be that it is thick, gritty sludge.

Here is a picture of several large classic stones from piggies of mine (the last one is a rabbit sized monster):


This is a more unusual stone, which is a conglomerate of smaller crystal that did a lot of damage to the bladder walls, as you can imagine!

 

[Claire B]

It did originally look like the stones in your photos @Wiebke but it definitely wasn’t hard.
I think I will message my vets again and see if they have any further thoughts on what to do for her.