Hind end/back injury

AliceMcmallis · Post » Mon Feb 28, 2005 9:20 am

Trevor is doing really well! I took him to see my rescue friend Friday evening and she said he looks like a different pig from what she saw on Monday, much more hydrated and alert.

He has started stretching his legs when I hold his hind end up, I think that's a good sign? It's cute anyway, he stretches them right back and points his toes a bit.

His poos are starting to look normal, and he's able to eat small amounts of greens (1/4 of a romaine leaf) without softening his stool. He's eating quite a bit of hay too.

My dad has almost finished making his cart, I just have to take Trevor up sometime this week to put the finishing touches on it and fit it properly. I'm so excited, I think he'll be very happy to get out and about.

Post » Mon Feb 28, 2005 9:48 am

Congrats on Trevor's progress. I hope he continues to feel better! You go, Trev.

Post » Mon Feb 28, 2005 10:24 am

Thanks for the update. It would be so cool if he made a recovery of sorts and could use his back legs some. We're all pulling for him.

Webs · Post » Mon Feb 28, 2005 1:13 pm

You'll have to call his little cart TVR after the British made sports car!

Well done on doing the best for the little guy, AM.

Talishan · Post » Mon Feb 28, 2005 1:56 pm

Look at what you have done for him and with him. You have given him the rest of a decent life. That's very, very special, AM.

We want pictures of him in the cart when you and your dad get it done. Just wait until he finds out how it feels to MOVE!

sillycavies · Post » Mon Feb 28, 2005 11:03 pm

Go, Speed Racer! Go, Speed Racer! Go, Speed Racer, Go!!!

I'll bet Trevor will be so happy to have that cart. Please post pictures of it.

AliceMcmallis · Post » Tue Mar 01, 2005 8:18 am

Trevor had to be taken to the vet again last night. When I got home from work and took the lid off his carrier I noticed he was facing the corner (very unusual). Then he lifted his bum very high up and squeaked, so I picked him up to see if he had poo stuck in his bum or something. There was a puddle of blood under him, and when I started palpating his abdomen drops of blood came out of his penis.

The vet thought it was impossible for him to have developed a bladder stone in a week - the x-ray from last week didn't show anything - but I told him how the people on the guinea pig forum have seen that very thing happen many times. So we took another x-ray and sure enough there was something there in his bladder. The vet was very good about being proven wrong. I think he will trust my opinion a lot more next time. ;)

It's not a very obvious stone, but there was a definite white shadowing in the bladder. So it could be stones or sludge I believe. He's going to have a bladder flush done this afternoon, and then we're going to send whatever we find away for analysis. If we don't find anything, we're going to send his urine away to be cultured.

He was still eating hay and drinking water when I left him (they were going to give him sub cues later on in the evening), also he seemed very alert and interested in what was going on around him, so I think he's doing all right so far. If this had happened a week ago I think I would have put him to sleep right away. But he has recovered so well I feel the need to give him another chance. I think he is going to be able to pull through surgery and recover fine, but if anyone thinks I'm wrong please let me know!

One problem I thought of last night after I left him is that I've been supplementing him with Vitamin C twice a day, 30 mgs each dose. I forgot to bring it with me when I took him in, so he's missed last night's dose. Will he be okay to miss another dose or should I call them and ask them to give him some?

Post » Tue Mar 01, 2005 9:05 am

Oh, the poor guy. I think he has a good chance too. I would not worry about the vitamin C. If he is getting a diet with adequate C, it's probably better if he is not supplemented anyway (this based on an observation in a med book that rabbits that get supplemented vitamins seem to develop more stones).

AliceMcmallis · Post » Tue Mar 01, 2005 9:52 am

Oh, I wonder if that could have contributed to this problem. I was supplementing as I wasn't able to give him a lot of veg, and he wasn't eating a lot of pellets, mostly hay. Darn it.

Thanks! I've been doing a search on bladder stones and such; there's so much information to go through! I've made a word file and copied and pasted what I think are relevant notes. I'll also print off all the reference info for the vet. Will update more here when I hear from the vet, probably in a few hours.

GP Lover · Post » Tue Mar 01, 2005 9:53 am

Poor baby. I hope he has a good outcome.

If it's a stone he'll need surgery. Don't wait too long to have it removed. What will the bladder flush accomplish?

AliceMcmallis · Post » Tue Mar 01, 2005 12:03 pm

Oh the bladder flush is surgery. Sorry I didn't explain it. They're going to make a small incision in his abdomen, take his bladder out (sort of), make a small incision in that, put a catheter in his penis, then flush the bladder out. It was hard to see anything specific on the x-ray, so this will get out any sludge or hidden stones.

Post » Tue Mar 01, 2005 12:25 pm

Given that he wasn't getting much C, your supplementing was a good idea.