[Stones] Elvis' stones

[texg at cavyinfo.com]

Monique,

First - I'm not a vet, so please keep in mind that my reply is based  
on my personal experiences and knowledge from talking to vets and  
other piggie owners.

The process you describe - where the urethra is bypassed - may not  
work: a guinea pig is not a dog or cat. Piggies' urine is normally  
alkaline, and if Elvis' stones were caused by calcium crystals (almost  
all are), there is a good likelihood that the passage would become  
blocked or infected after a short period of time. Additionally, the  
fact that piggies are so low to the ground could make keeping the area  
clean difficult.

It depends on the amount of trauma that was caused to the urethra (and  
the location) as to whether it can heal. There is a possibility that  
scar tissue could form, making his problem worse.

So, that said, what can you do to give him his best chances? As your  
vet said, the marsupialization procedure has not been documented in  
guinea pigs. If you go this route and it works, it could give new hope  
to other people that have piggies with a similar problem. If it does  
not work, he will be in a lot of discomfort.

If you decide to try to let him heal, you should make sure you provide  
him with painkillers (usually metacam) for the pain, and be prepared  
to syringe feed him until he feels like eating.

If his urethra is still blocked, this is serious. It can cause the  
urine to back up in the bladder and damage it, as well as cause renal  
failure. Some people have used a Chinese herb called shilintong that  
stimulates the bladder to work more efficiently (expelling urine and  
crystals), and in some cases it has helped piggies pass stones.  
Unfortunately, female piggies have better anatomy for passing stones,  
and the shilintong has worked better for them.

Actigal (a human gallstone medicine) has been used in some cases to  
dissolve stones. The problem with actigal is that it does not work in  
every case (actually, it shouldn't work at all, as the composition of  
the bladderstones is different that gallstones). Also, in the cases  
where it has worked it has taken some time (days or weeks), and if he  
is blocked he does not have that luxury.

You do not face an easy choice. I hope things work out. Please e-mail  
me or the list if you have questions, etc.

Tex