Medical Thread for Amos - Senior with Bladder Stones

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Sef
I dissent.

Post   » Wed Oct 16, 2019 8:51 pm


Amos is a small male approximately 8 years old; we adopted him 4 years ago. He came to use with recurring bladder issues, and is the only pig we have ever had who actually passes small stones (every other 'stone' pig we've had has required surgery -- sometimes multiple surgeries).

Fast forward to last week, when I noticed that he was not eating pellets and had started to vocalize when eliminating. Took him in for a full work-up, and the x-rays revealed not one but two fairly large stones that he clearly would not be able to pass. Our vet gave us Tramadol to help keep him comfortable while we debated about surgery. He had lost some weight, has a low tolerance for pain and was estimated to be around 8, so we were unsure how to proceed.

We ultimately decided to give surgery a chance, since Amos was an otherwise healthy, happy, bouncy little guy. After his condition worsened on Monday, our vet was able to squeeze us in today rather than on Thursday.

Surgery today was very complicated. It started right after anesthesia when he regurgitated the Critical Care that I fed him this morning. I know this flies in the face of everything we know about guinea pigs and their inability to vomit, but it happened and there was a very real concern by the entire staff that he might aspirate and die before the procedure even started.

Then during the surgery itself, the vet found that the largest of the two stones was actually adhered to the wall of his pelvic region, and she had an extremely difficult time removing it. At one point she actually called me and said she didn't know what to do other than to close him back up. I had given her permission to euthanize if complications arose, so I was bracing myself for that when she called back to say that she had given it another try and was able to remove it. In doing so, though, she had to slice open a section of his urethra which was stitched back together once the stone was dislodged.

Amos is now home but is extremely groggy. They pushed Torb, so I'm hoping it's largely the lingering effects of that. His body temperature dropped dangerously low as well, so I have been using warming pads and warm towels this evening to try to bring it back up in a small cage that I'll keep him in for a few days to monitor input and output. He has urinated several times.

I'm not accustomed to a guinea pig being this 'out of it' several hours after surgery. With all of the risk factors, I'm sure this is to be expected, but it's concerning. I want to see if I can get him to eat a little Critical Care this evening, but as zonked as he is and with his body temp still being on the low side, I'm reluctant to try to push too much into him too soon. I realize that he needs food to keep the gut moving, but at the same time...I think this is going to be a case of baby steps while he's in this very guarded condition.

Our vet did an extraordinary job with him. The question now will be whether or not he can recover from what turned out to be a very invasive procedure with complications. We adore this little guy and just wanted to give him the best possible chance at being pain-free for whatever time he has left with us, but as things stand tonight, I'm just hoping I made the right decision.

User avatar
Sef
I dissent.

Post   » Wed Oct 16, 2019 10:33 pm


Update: Amos is still too groggy to eat. I know the vet gave him more Torb before they sent him home, but that was around 4:00 p.m. and it is nearly 10:30 p.m., now. I tried to entice him with a little lettuce and carrot, but he just stares at it and appears to be in a stupor. I tried a tiny amount of Critical Care, but he isn't chewing it and the last thing I need right now is another aspiration scare. He moved around and took meds at the vet's office, but he is totally out of it here at home.

I'm going to keep checking on him throughout the night in the hopes that they over-did the Torbugesic and he will simply need to sleep it off, but this has me very concerned.

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Lynx
Celebrate!!!

Post   » Thu Oct 17, 2019 10:07 am


I encourage you to write Talishan and see if she has any insight to offer. I know bpatters is definitely with you on trying to get food moving through the system. I think she had an ulcer(?) develop in one guinea pig that was not eating enough.

So hoping for a recovery for this guy. Your vet sounds great. That he is peeing is wonderful. He is in the best hands with you.

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Sef
I dissent.

Post   » Thu Oct 17, 2019 12:20 pm


Amos was in pretty bad shape at 2:00 a.m. -- I could hear wheezing, and he was having involuntary motions. I didn't think he'd make it through the night. This morning at 5:00 a.m. he looked a little better and the wheezing was gone. He actually ate a little Critical Care, which was huge.

I think it's important for others to be aware that, while not common for anesthesia to cause regurgitation in small animals, it *can* happen and it can be very serious when it does. We generally tell guinea pig owners that it's not necessary to withhold food more for than a couple of hours or so before surgery, and I've seen that same recommendation from many other sources, but after this bad experience I will be much more cautious about it in the future. The vet remarked that she rarely ever sees this in a small animal, but when it has happened, the animal almost never recovers.

Checking on him now on my lunch hour, he looks rough again but no wheezing. I think the Torb might be wearing off, so I pushed a little Tramadol and Metacam both. Got a small amount of Critical Care and water into him, but I have to be extremely careful that he doesn't choke on it since he still seems pretty out of it. He did produce a few small poops, which is also huge.

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Zaphy

Post   » Thu Oct 17, 2019 1:42 pm


If I recall correctly, there is a "pouch" in/near the guinea pig's throat that they will sometimes 'store' bits of food in, and this can cause regurgitation issues if the pig is doing poorly? Or maybe I'm misunderstanding them just storing food in their cheeks like other rodents- it's something I remember reading a long time ago and I don't recall the source. Regardless, I've also had a guinea pig regurgitate shortly before she passed once, and I didn't believe the emergency tech until she showed me the spot on the towel- sure enough, it was unmistakably Critical Care.

I gave the withholding food advice much thought after that incident too, but honestly... without depriving the guinea pig of food to a dangerous extent beforehand, there really isn't anything we can do about it, right? You can't stop a guinea pig from coprophagy so there's almost always going to be something moving through unless you've completely cleared their system, which would be a very bad idea. In my mind, it's just something to add to the list of risks you consider when choosing to go through with surgery or not.

For what it's worth if I had been in your situation I would have probably also chosen surgery. It's always a difficult decision, and it's so hard to watch when things go wrong like this. I am so sorry that you are both going through this. I hope that he is able to respond to the meds and Critical Care- it sounds like you are giving him the very best chance possible for him to recover, and that you are keeping him as comfortable as possible. I am rooting for you both!

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Sef
I dissent.

Post   » Thu Oct 17, 2019 8:43 pm


We lost him tonight. Husband and I are so saddened. Amos was such a smart, friendly, happy little guy who brightened my spirits all through my husband's illness a couple of years ago. He was a sweet, special little boy.

I don't take many guinea pig photos. This was his adoption photo back in February of 2015, and it was love at first sight:

Image

Lisa12

Post   » Thu Oct 17, 2019 9:27 pm


sef, I am(and my gang) so very sorry for your loss of Amos… he seems such a strong, cute pig on photo!! Boss.

I do not know but age 8 is legendary for me, just as is 16 for a dog..its not impossible,but not many are, most of them are not.

bpatters
And got the T-shirt

Post   » Thu Oct 17, 2019 9:35 pm


I'm so sorry, Sef.

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ItsaZoo
Supporter in 2023

Post   » Fri Oct 18, 2019 2:12 am


Sef I'm so sorry about Amos. He was so lucky you adopted him - he had such a good life with you. Take care of yourself.

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Lynx
Celebrate!!!

Post   » Fri Oct 18, 2019 8:42 am


Oh, Sef, I am so sorry you lost him. I can see why "it was love at first sight". So glad you had the time you did with him but so sorry it was not longer.

I believe it was Pinta who warned about the possible regurgitation. It may also be linked to the kind of food passing through the esophagus so that hay might be fine but (in some cases) critical care would not be.

Bookfan
For the Love of Pigs

Post   » Fri Oct 18, 2019 10:40 am


I am so sorry. He looks like a really sweet one. I've only had one pig make it to age 8, so Amos had a very long life and a good one in the years spent with you. I (we all) know how painful this is. You're in my thoughts.

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Zaphy

Post   » Fri Oct 18, 2019 1:13 pm


I am so sorry you lost him. You gave him the very best of care and he was lucky to have you.

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