Sagan's Medical Thread

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milosmumma

Post   » Mon Feb 18, 2013 8:42 pm


Hi everyone,
Sagan saw a not so cavy savvy vet today (but she did her best). Our vet was there but busy...but she did check him out when they brought him out back. They couldn't find anything wrong. I had them give him fluids and we are going back tomorrow for a full body xray. I declined blood work for now but we may change our minds if it continues to be a mystery. He is eating lettuce like a champ, but nothing else. We are continuing CC but he is quite the resistant little guy. Thanks for your continued positive thoughts for him. Will update when we know more.

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milosmumma

Post   » Tue Feb 19, 2013 12:11 pm


Sagan had his x-rays. I have posted the images below. He has two stones that are symmetrical so the vet believes they are in the ureters. A urine sample confirmed excess calcium. He appears to have failing kidneys. We are giving him fluids, pain meds (Buprenex) to see if he improves. He is still peeing and hasn't lost any more weight. He is still willingly eating lettuce and often green pepper and carrots...but we are force feeding CC.

The vet says we have no options if this doesn't help. She suggests euthanizing if he doesn't improve within 48 hours because he believes he won't improve from anything else. Please, someone tell us there are other options for treatment. He just made happy noises when he got back to his cage mate, and seeing him still able to eat and still strong is so hard for me to believe he is at the point of euthanizing.

Image

Image

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milosmumma

Post   » Tue Feb 19, 2013 12:26 pm


His Buprenex is 0.3mg/ml 1 ml vials....0.15mls every 12 hours. Does this sound right? Also, if this gives a sedative effect, won't it appear that he isn't doing better regardless?

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Sef
I dissent.

Post   » Tue Feb 19, 2013 1:53 pm


Hmm. I'll see if I can find my images of the stones in Zachary's ureters to compare against, but the placement of those stones does suggest ureteral to me.

I don't have my drug list here at work, so hopefully someone else will come along with dosing info.

bpatters
And got the T-shirt

Post   » Tue Feb 19, 2013 2:10 pm


I'm sorry your pig is having these problems. I don't want to be a downer, but I think I'd euthanize in that case. Stone removal from ureters doesn't have a high success rate, and I don't think I'd put a pig through that kind of surgery for a stone in both ureters.

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Sef
I dissent.

Post   » Tue Feb 19, 2013 3:38 pm


Here is that photo I was trying to find:
Image

Zachary started out with a couple of small stones in one ureter, and it quickly progressed to multiple stones in both (as seen above) and acute kidney failure. The problem with ureters is that they are so narrow, and surgery is incredibly tricky.

I think there are a couple of people here whose guinea pigs had ureteral stones and the owners opted for surgery, but I honestly can't remember the outcome being very good. You might do a search, though. One (might have been ElvisTCB?) had a vet who *I think* was able to flush a small stone from the ureter into the bladder via the kidney. Sagan's stones look pretty large to me, though.

A lot would also depend on the skill level of the vet, too.

Darn. I really wish I had something more encouraging to offer you.

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milosmumma

Post   » Tue Feb 19, 2013 6:30 pm


Thanks for your responses. Sagan is now congested and trembling now and then. Could this be something not related to kidneys?

C Cole-Chakotay

Post   » Tue Feb 19, 2013 6:47 pm


I hate to hear Sagan is doing poorly. Poor baby. :(

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Sef
I dissent.

Post   » Tue Feb 19, 2013 6:52 pm


Did your vet comment at all about his heart? That one side looks a little enlarged to me, but it's a little hard to tell and I wasn't going to comment on it until you said that.

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milosmumma

Post   » Tue Feb 19, 2013 8:01 pm


Neither noted heart concerns...I hope they would if they had them. We went through lots of issues with our first pig with them...he was a heart pig.
Sagan's congestion went away after we stopped force feeding him last. We could hear it when he made his sounds and a few other times...then he sneezed or coughed loudly twice and seems ok now. His eyes are much brighter since being back in his cage.

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Sef
I dissent.

Post   » Tue Feb 19, 2013 8:39 pm


Whew, okay. Maybe something just went down the wrong way.

Sending lots of good thoughts to Sagan and you.

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milosmumma

Post   » Tue Feb 19, 2013 9:15 pm


That's what I'm hoping. I was definitely panicked when I heard it initially.

Since the stones are in both ureters, the vet mentioned being concerned that Sagan wasn't able to urinate. He did twice while we were at the vet--no blood and no signs of pain. How will we know if he has lost the ability to urinate other than separating him from his cage mate? Would he show a clear indication of change in pain level? I know he wouldn't survive long after losing this ability. I just don't want him to be suffering, but want to buy as much time with him as I can.

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