Bladder Stone Question

[dozier0708]

We have a three year old male that has a bladder stone. He was supposed to have surgery today to get it removed, but we backed out because we are worried about the surgery. Our vet has never performed the surgery before and she said that it may be too stressful for him and he could die. We are checking around town to see if another vet has done the surgery before.

Has anyone had a chinchilla with bladder stones that could tell me a little about the surgery and after care? Any info would be helpful!!!!!

 

[Chinmama]

The only person I can think of right off who had a chin go through this was Annie (blacksettingsun). I'm not sure how often she is on, you may want to PM or email her.

I'm sure there have been others, but I can't think of anyone else at the moment.

 

[Dragonflye]

One of my guys had a bladder stone about a year and a half ago. He came home with an inch or so long incision on his belly. The vet gave me oral Baytril for at least 7 days (maybe 10, can't remember) and metacam. As you would imagine, I had to keep an eye on the incision site for redness/swelling.

I had to make sure he kept eating, drinking, pooing, peeing. I fed Critical Care for about a week to make sure he got enough nutrition. I also kept him alone in a 1 level cage with no ledges and fleece on the bottom. (Magic is not a fleece chewer, so I had no problems there.)

When he recovered, I switched him to a timothy based pellet instead of alfalfa based. The only decent timothy pellet I could find is the one made by American Pet Diner.

I do wish I had gotten the injectable Baytril, his appetite was definitely lower for longer because of the oral Baytril, IMO.

Anyway, he came through it fine and has not had another stone (knock on wood). I would definitely look for another vet if you are not comfortable with the one you have, at least for a procedure like this.

 

[dozier0708]

Update!!

He just had his surgery yesterday and is doing very well! We had to drive about an hour to get to a vet that has done the procedure before, but we are definately glad we did. He is already back to his normal wild self just with a few staples. We are so happy he is doing well!!
Thanks for the advice!

 

[Little Chinta]

I am so glad to hear that the surgery went well! God bless you - I had the same thing happen to my chin - 3 times.

Ditto all of what Dragonflye said!

If the vet gave you a collar to put on him, make sure it stays on! It will cut the healing time in half if your boy isn't able to play with his incision.

Also, I found it easier to give CC in 1 ML syringes (but you have to give about 10 x the amount of a larger syringe that is usually provided). APD Timothy Pellets are definitely the way to go after the healing process, unless you would prefer giving an all hay diet, which wouldn't be as packed with nutrients. (Alfalfa is said to be one of the factors that causes bladder stones, though there is very little information known on the other underlying causes - so, if possible, your best bet is to stay away from Alfalfa)

And to keep sanity for both you and your boy, I would suggest monitored playtime. Since a once level cage is recommended during the healing process, it's helpful to have a few minutes of playtime every day (if possible) to ensure a happy chinnie! (My little boy was starting to go crazy at the end of his lay-up! He loved his shelves a little too much!)

Hope the recovery process is a great success for the both if you!