Fasting for 12 hours before surgery?

Post Reply
User avatar
Lynx
Celebrate!!!

Post   » Mon Jan 06, 2020 10:38 am


Although you won't necessarily get an immediate response, if the handful of members who monitor the medical board are online and think they can help, they will try to offer advice.

Guinea Lynx has been around over 20 years. Back before social media took over, members used the general chat forum as their "yahoo answers" for advice on almost anything under the sun.

MarlowePieper11

Post   » Tue Jan 07, 2020 5:28 pm


As it turns out the Vet we had scheduled for Thursday called today and said due to the rest nature of small animal surgery she would recommend holding off for a few months, them taking another x-ray to see if it got bigger. I explained my concerns about putting it off until it was an emergency state, because every time I have an emergency with one of my guinea pigs it seems to happen in the middle of the night when no one is available to help, and that's not the situation I want to find myself in because of this bladder stone. I asked her what she would do if that's where her guinea pig and she said she would hold off to see what happens. I asked her what the outcomes have mostly been for these types of surgery is when she's done them in the past. Although two of the front desk girls had previously told me that she had done these surgeries before and she had been working with guinea pigs for 27 years and only lost one, the doctor today informed me that in fact she had never performed a cystotomy on a guinea pig. She has spayed and neutered guinea pigs, and done a cystotomy on a rabbit, but this would be her first of this kind. That was very frustrating because I was under a a different impression. had I known this was her first time doing the surgery I would not have booked her. Needless to say this is the second surgery I've canceled. I have an appointment for a check-up at a third location on Friday. this surgeon wasn't able to get him in until the 14th which is why I didn't choose them. Money was also an issue as the appointment he had on Thursday was going to be between $800- $1,000. This place I'm taking him for a check-up at on Friday quoted me between $1200-$1,800. The only upside to that has this doctor performed three cystotomies on guinea pigs just last week. Is that about the price range you all have looked at? I'm in Connecticut.

bpatters
And got the T-shirt

Post   » Tue Jan 07, 2020 5:37 pm


I paid $400 for one, $650 for another.

User avatar
Sef
I dissent.

Post   » Tue Jan 07, 2020 7:58 pm


Wow. Wasn't expecting that. Does the $1,200-1,800 for the surgery include any meds, fluids, antibiotics? Or just the procedure? If the second vet had said, "I haven't done a cystotomy on a guinea pig, but I feel very confident that I can do it successfully," that would be one thing. My own vet had never done this procedure before, the first time we had a bladder stone, but she had done several successful other surgeries on rabbits and guinea pigs (including neuters) and was quite confident. This vet sounds reluctant. It's rare for a male guinea pig to pass a stone, although it *can* happen. I've had it happen with at least one of ours. More than likely, though, it will get bigger and more painful as time goes on. 5mm is a fairly decent-size stone. And, as already mentioned, there is also a possibility of it becoming lodged in the urethra. I'd be curious to see the x-rays to get an idea of where the stone is.

How is he doing as far as pain when eliminating? You mentioned earlier that he was crying. Is he still doing that? Passing any blood? Does he seem to hunch or strain while peeing or pooping? Was he put on any antibiotics or pain meds?

MarlowePieper11

Post   » Wed Jan 08, 2020 8:25 am


So the maddening thing is that he's not actually making much noise when he's eliminating now! It was at its very worst when we came home from his first vet appointment after they had done his X-rays oh, but they did mention they'd manipulated his body around a lot to get those pictures so maybe he was not feeling well in general. That was last Friday. this is weird but he actually peed on me while he was in a deep sleep and I didn't mind it at all because, 1- I was glad he was still urinating and able to, 2- even though he did it in his sleep, it didn't wake him up or cause him any pain. I am glad just to go on Friday to this second doctor to get another opinion on what to do. Best case scenario would be that he passes this Stone but 5 mm to me seems impossible. The pricing is for everything, not just the procedure. It's for the fluids, and they keep him overnight.
Just taking a look at the estimate again it includes all the injections, presumably x-rays that they'll do after the operation, anesthesia, the catheter, all fluids.
"Aerobic culture and Mic with staph" is $192-no idea what that is.
Also, the bladder stone analysis is $110-do I need to do that?

MarlowePieper11

Post   » Wed Jan 08, 2020 8:53 am


Nevermind I take back what I just said oh, I put him back in his cage after snuggles this morning and he was squeaking while he was defecating. My poor little guy.

User avatar
Lynx
Celebrate!!!

Post   » Wed Jan 08, 2020 9:39 am


Watch for incontinence, too.
https://www.guinealynx.info/urine_scald.html

Has any vet provided you with pain killers, like meloxicam?

User avatar
Sef
I dissent.

Post   » Wed Jan 08, 2020 9:44 am


I'd skip the analysis. Most (not all, but the majority) of stones in guinea pigs are comprised of calcium carbonate.

MarlowePieper11

Post   » Thu Jan 09, 2020 7:45 am


No, no pain killers, but I don't actually think he needs them. The pain is minimal now and he is absolutely normal after urinating. He's zooming around his cage as I write this.

MarlowePieper11

Post   » Sun Jan 12, 2020 9:23 pm


Finley has his surgery scheduled for this Tuesday. I emailed then asking for an x-ray before they take him into surgery to be certain he didn't pass this stone-improbable as it may be. He has NO symptoms right now to speak of. The surgery is so scary 😬. Anyways we take him in Tuesday. She also told me I need to change his diet, she said I give him too many veggies so to cut back on that. I also let him graze clover in the yard in summer so I'll stop that-I had no idea that was bad for him. After the surgery he'll be on painkillers and antibiotics.

She also mentioned 2 medications to put him on, seemingly, for the rest of his life? One is to change the pH of his urine, she said it will change it very slightly but may help to prevent future stones. I can remember the other! I'm a bit way to put him on those as he is so young. Especially given that I can change his diet pretty easily.

User avatar
Lynx
Celebrate!!!

Post   » Sun Jan 12, 2020 10:23 pm


I take it you have read https://www.guinealynx.info/stones.html ? It has some valuable information. Sef posted it earlier.

MarlowePieper11

Post   » Sun Jan 12, 2020 10:31 pm


I have thanks

Post Reply