[Gpdd] [HEALTH] My guinea pig has two bladder stones and a kidney stone

[Ann Evans]

Dear Ellen
There is no need to leave Rufie at the vet's office overnight if your 
vet uses the surgical protocol that I am attaching. This is a tried and 
true method. I know vets and people in general do not like to change 
their ways but I assist at all the cavy surgeries at Dr. Bonsacks office 
and the piggys are up and eating within 15 minutes. It is always better 
to send the cavy home so that he can heal in familiar surroundings. I 
see you vet is using metacam which my long time teacher Vedra 
Stanley-Spatcher refuses to use as does Dr Bonsack will not even use it 
on dogs. So your vet may not like this surgical protocol. But it is the 
best. It is the protocol that Veddra and her vets have used for years on 
thousands of cavies. What more can I say.

Best of Luck. Keep up all the supportive work that you are doing for Rufie.

The information I am going to give you I learned from Vedra Stanley 
Spatcher of the Cambridge Cavy Trust (CCT) and Guinea Pig Hospital She 
has operated a Guinea pig Hospital for over 30 years. 
http://www.britishassociationofrodentologists.co.uk/.
Dr. Bonsack DVM of Tampa Florida has used this method successfully to 
remove stones from the urethra of female cavies.
http://adventureanimalhospital.com/index.html
No pre-op fasting.
If guinea pig has not been drinking well give 10ml of lactated Ringer’s 
subcutaneously at shoulder prior to operation.
Syringe feed about 5 cc water prior to induction to clean out mouth.
Inject 10 mg of Rimadyl pre op for post op pain given 30 minutes pre-op.
Bland ointment may be used in the eyes if using a chamber or large nose 
cone for induction.
Induction with 3.0% Isoflurane.
Remove any fluid or food particles from the back of the throat with a 1 
cc syringe after induction.
Place cavy on microwaveable heating pad that has been heated for one 
minute. Do not use an electric heating pad they get too hot.
Place small nose cone on cavy 2.5% Isoflurane for maintenance. May be 
reduced to 1.75% after stones are removed.
Very important only use Rimadyl and Isoflurane for surgical procedures.
Perform operation, suture with vicryl.
On completion of operation turn off isoflurane flush patient with oxygen 
put dollop of Vick’s vapour rub on nose and guinea pig should be back in 
cage and eating/normal within 15 mins.
Keep patient warm.
Dr. Bonsack has been able to send home his cavy patients within an hour 
of surgery. They have all been eating, urinating and defecating within 
15 minutes of the isoflurane being switched off.
Keep patient on clean towels or vet bed until sutures dissolve.
Give 10mg of Rimadyl orally twice daily for 3 days then reduce to 5 mg 
Rimadyl twice a day for another 4 days.
Pediatric Bactrim 0.5 ml orally twice a day for 10 days is prescribed 
prophylactically.
If you have any questions call Vedra’s medical mobile line 44-7721026401 
Remember she is in the UK and is 5 hours ahead of EST.


Cheers,

Ann and the Rescued Piggys of Piggyville, Tampa Florida USA.