Bladder stones develop when minerals from the guinea pigs food precipitate out of its urine and build up. You cannot force a guinea pig to drink more and you shouldnt force water into it but you can tweak your veg selection to include as much leafy greens plus cucumber and if possible some dog pee free fresh grass to get more fluid in in order to encourage flushing the bladder.

Bladder Stones In Guinea Pigs Can Happen Small Pet Select

These uroliths can remain in the bladder or get stuck in the urethra during urination.

How long can a guinea pig live with bladder stones. This is a bad situation called uroabdomen where the urine backs up and goes into the abdomen of the guinea pig. This sludge can get stuck in the urethra during urination or remain in the animal bladder irritating the bladder wall bloody urine or completely blocking the urethra. The bladder stones may tumble around in the guinea pigs bladder causing pain and irritation or they may block the urethra.

Sometimes the stone tears the urethra and urine cannot exit the body. An x-ray of AliceMcmallis guinea pig showed it stone-free but the following week an x-ray showed 3 stones. My vet told me that a rat owner had stone surgery performed on their rat 7 times.

If you suspect your guinea pig has bladder stones youre likely worried. However there are a number of factors that can affect how long a guinea pig can live. Uroliths bladder stones are mineral structures that form in the bladder.

Bladder stones seem like a fairly common problem for guinea pigs so weve put together a quick video on how to spot and better still prevent them saving. Other pet owners tell. Long Term Balanced General And Special Needs Guinea Pig Diets In many cases bladder stones have a genetic component as well as natural inclination to not drinking much.

If you cant afford that then try at the least to afford an x-ray since thats the only way to be certain of the diagnosis. Ive seen it many times with guinea pigs that have had surgery for stone removal only to have them rapidly form new stones. Fortunately you can take measures to reduce the chances your guinea pig will develop bladder stones.

Surgery to have bladder stones removed from your guinea pig can cost anywhere from 400 to 2000. Bladder or less commonly kidney stones both cause enormous pain to guinea pigs and this can result in death if not treated. Your vet may suggest an xray or ultrasound scan to check for the presence of bladder stones and a urine sampleBest way to get this is to cuddle your piggie in plastic tub whilst eating cucumber or lettuce and wait for the weeSringe up in a sterile syringeDependant on the results they may palpate the bladder to try and remove excess bladder sludgea mixture of crystals and debris caused by the bladder emptying excess calcium or they may need to perform surgery to remove a stone.

X-ray films and an ultrasound may help confirm that a bladder stone is present. There is no medication that can dissolve them once they have formed and the longer. Can bladder stones in guinea pigs be resolved without surgery - Answered by a verified Veterinarian.

2 years earlier he had had a successful operation to remove mammory gland tumours. He got through it just fine. Any guinea pig that is having trouble urinating losing weight or just acting unusual could have a bladder stone.

Sometimes females are able to pass stones but its not usually possible with males. Efforts have been made to reduce the occurrence of bladder stones by dietary management. At the moment there appears to be no diet that will dissolve bladder stones in guinea pigs as can be the case for some stones in dogs.

Some pet owners report the recurrence of stones 2-3 weeks post surgery. Bladder stones are so poorly understood that its hard to say whether or not water will make a difference. Stones are very painful for guinea pigs so if you opt.

Unfortunately this is a problem that cant be ignored. He was almost 4 years old. Guinea pigs with bladder stones may benefit from vitamin E supplements and glucosamine eg Cosequin sprinkled onto the food.

Unfortunately surgery to remove the bladder stone is usually needed. Nutz4pigss Louie formed a second large stone only 3 weeks or so after his previous stone surgery. Bladder stones in guinea pigs serve to remind us that sometimes life isnt fair.

A guinea pig that pauses and gives a high pitched squeak when going pee or poop or has blood in the urine may be suffering from a bladder stone. We use cookies to give you the best possible experience on our website. So if this were my case I would likely put her on a diet called so.

If there is a stone stuck in the trigone where the bladder turns into the urethra or the urethra your vet may try to remove it under sedation or try to push it back up into the bladder by using a catheter so that your guinea pig can at least urinate for the time being or before going to surgery. Bladder stones I lost my lovely Fudge in February this year two weeks after bladder stone removal. Factors that can affect their life can include diet breed genes and medical conditions.

Some dont live long enough and some make it to a much riper old age. We can do everything right and still fall victim to calcium carbonate. Bladder or Kidney Stones.

Males are at risk of life-threatening blockages since the bladder stone can. Uroliths can cause irritation to the bladder wall bloody urine or can completely block the urethra. However I can tell you from my own personal experience with stone and sludge pigs Ive decided to give the pigs purified bottled water only and no tap water anymore.

I personally would not put an animal through that. He suffered terribly and I vowed then that I would never put another Guinea Pig. Depending on where you live in the world the manufacturer is either called Royal Canin Medi-Cal Walthams or VMD.

The answer to this is 4-8 years on average which is longer than any other popular rodents. If your guinea pig shows symptoms of bladder stones. The vet will need to ascertain which it is to then treat.

Bladder sludge is an accumulation of gritty particles in your guinea pigs urinary bladder which leads to the formation of stones. Here is the diet link. The vets opinion re the bladder stone op was that he reacted to the suture material.

By continuing to use this site you consent to the use of cookies on your device as described in our cookie policy unless you have disabled them. However it may be possible to reduce occurrence or reoccurrence rates by reducing dietary calcium more specifically paying attention to the. Often the presentation of this pain can be confused with a urinary tract infection UTI and a vet needs to establish if it is this or stones that is causing the pain possibly blood loss or more.

Ask a Vet and Get Your Veterinary Questions Answered. Sometimes small stones can pass as the guinea pig urinates but more often they cause a problem that can be life threatening. However this is not meant to be a long term diet.

A vet who has extensive experience with guinea pig surgery is thoroughly recommended as it is a delicate operation. The best diet for shrinking struvite stones is Hills sd.