Be Kind To Pets, Vet case studies, Photography tips, Travel Stories: 3432. INTERN***** A guinea pig has a bladder stone and swollen abdomen

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HOOK

Sunday Feb 17, 2019. A bright sunny morning. A guinea pig owner spoke to me by phone enquiring the cost of bladder surgery. I told him to come to Toa Payoh Vets in the morning as the guinea pig had stopped eating.

"Your receptionist said that there is no morning time slot for me," the owner said over the phone.

My receptionist had told him that there we had bookings for 4 surgeries and advised a 1.30 pm appointment. I told him to come as the guinea pig had stopped eating for 2 days. This appeared to be an emergency.

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The X-ray was taken by Vet 1 yesterday as the guinea pig had stopped eating. He had treated the guinea pig for haematuria (blood in the urine 10 days ago) but the guinea pig is still passing brownish urine.

On examination, the rectal temp 35 deg C and 35.9 deg C five minutes ago. This indicates hypothermia due to shock from severe gastric distension. The stomach is swollen with gas as evident in the left abdominal swelling and in the two X-rays.

The normal temperature is 38 - 39 deg C. Not fit for bladder stone surgery today.

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ORIGINAL FILES


1800 pix image

FOLLOW-UP
Treatment:

Most important treatment.
Massage the stomach area to eliminate the gas. The owner did that with massage oil and lots of gas was passed out from the mouth.

Other supporting treatment
1. Stop giving baytril antibiotic as it has been given for over 10 days and might have destroyed the good gut bacteria leading to stomach bloat (show X-ray evidence)

2. Give 1 ml of Fiberplex twice a day to move the gut (show many stool pellets passed image)

3. Give oral meloxicam (pain killer) electrolytes and multivitamins, Critical Care and hay in small amount per hour for Day 2 and 3.
4. Warm plastic bags or container to warm up the body.
5. The owner used rectal thermometers 6x/day on Day 2, resulting in the guinea pig crying when passing stools. There could be rectal pain. To stop temperature taking. The temperature on Day 2 was 36 deg C, but the guinea pig was more active and ate celery and hay.

Day 3 of treatment. Guinea pig has no distended stomach, active and eating more. Passes many stool pellets. Owner is happy with the outcome.

CONCLUSION
Important to delay surgery when rectal temperature is below normal. This was 39.5 deg C when the normal is 38 to 39 deg C.

Massage stomach to expel gas first.
Move the gut using Fiberplex to pass more stools

Still passing blood in the urine. Give baytril for 3 days. No stone removal surgery till the guinea pig is normal.