Kidney Stones

[DevnChip]

I just got back from my vet. Chipper stopped peeing about 24 hours ago and I took him in this morning. He showed no signs that he was having trouble until this morning when he sat in the back of his cage and squeaked quietly like a mouse. I've never heard that sound from him before. Other than not really wanting to move much and not being able to pee he seems to be his usual curious self. He was still drinking this morning and nibbling hay. He wouldn't take a shreddie but took the raisin easily enough.

The x-ray showed two stones. One was in his urethra and the other was at the entrance. He's having surgery today, possibly as I write this. I'm terrified. The vet explained that he may not be able to flush the stones. And that Chipper may not survive the surgery. I've done a search of the forum and found the posts stating that surgery is needed for his condition and that it's surviveable.

I do hope I took him in in time and that these stones flush out. I'm trying not to think of losing him but it's hard. I'll keep you updated and let you know if I need advice on after care.

What causes stones and how can one avoid them?

 

[obcsed]

One of my chins had surgery for 3 stones in January. He survived the surgery just fine, healed up and did well for about 3 months. He developed another stone and had to have a second surgery. Again he survived it and appeared to be doing great for about a month. He developed an abscess (reaction to the suture material) which was lanced and a drain put in. However, his system just couldn't take it any more and he went into shock and passed. The x-ray taken at that time showed yet another stone forming. So the thing you most need to be concerned about is the cause of the stones and to find a diet adjustments to help prevent them. Get the stone analyzed and work with your vet on a way to reduce his calcium intake.

Good luck with the surgery and I hope the poor little guy has a fast recovery.

 

[DevnChip]

Thank you for the reassurance, Obcsed. No call from the vet yet, but it's probably still too early. I'll post again when I get it and let everyone know how it went.

 

[DevnChip]

The stones are out. They had to be cut out. Chipper is still unconcious and the vet is now waiting for him to wake up and pee. The vet said swelling could be the problem now, in the incision site on his penis, but that he has a chance to make it yet. I'm praying we did the right thing but this is not over. If I don't get another update from the vet I'll call in a couple hours and ask how Chipper's doing.

 

[Brittany]

Fingers crossed for you. If you're not already prepared make sure you get supplies for handfeeding, incase he needs it. Make sure the vet gives you some sort of pain meds. Any surgery is painful and could make him go off his feed. Hope he pulls through!

 

[AZChins]

You are in my thoughts. I can't tell you how many times I sit waiting for a call from the vet to find out how the surgery went...it's just simply awful! I'm glad that he made it through the surgery...and I hope chipper wakes up happy.

I'm hoping that this chin comes through the surgery without any issues. Sometimes they have surgery and afterward the improvement is amazing and there's no problems. However, like Brittany said be prepared to give him Critical care for a week or two while he recovers. Chins do heal up fast...and I hope that Chipper recovers at an amazing rate!

 

[Jenn]

Wishing the best for you and for Chipper. I know you must be a nervous wreck! I bet Chipper is a strong fighter and he will be up and popcorning around before you know it!

 

[obcsed]

I hate days like this. Waiting is the worst part. My thoughts are with you and Chipper. Like others said, be prepared to hand feed and pain meds are a must for a few days.

 

[DevnChip]

Just called my vet's office and Chipper is coming to but hasn't peed yet. They suggested I call back in another hour. My poor little fuzzie. I want to be there so bad! This is the worst. Thanks so much to everyone here for helping make this easier and offering your support. I'll update as things develope.

In reading labels of the stuff I've been giving him I discovered that Cheerios, my husband's favorite cereal, have a high calcium level. One Cheerio a day in the morning shouldn't cause this much trouble, should it? Guess what treat Chipper's not getting any more! Our shreddies (store brand) have 2% per serving and Oxbow pellets are listed between 1.25% and 0.75%. Is there a good pellet that has less? Should I be hunting down stuff with less calcium? I've been trying very hard to stay within the recommended diet. His only real vice seems to be dried fruit (raisins or apples) which he only gets one piece of once a week if I think of it. We've been giving him 2-3 shreddies a day and one Cheerio with his food, hay and varied sticks. Does anyone know of something I can give him that would balance or offset the calcium?

 

[Brittany]

First off you are treating him WAY TOO MUCH. A chin doesn't need ANY treats, but if you must; then only give 1 piece, once aweek. If your chin is having issues you need to completely cut out the raisins and dried apple stuff. It will only hurt him more. No treats until he recovers. Only feed critical care (if needed) hay, pellets, and water. Start with that for a few months and 'treat' him with lots of fresh sticks. If you REALLY need to give treats then eventually add in 1 shreddie or 1 plain cheerio once a week.

 

[AZChins]

I've heard here and there about grains causing problems with calcium absorption and making the chins' bodies release more calcium. You probably want to hold off on oats and shreddies, maybe feed them very sparingly. Most of the time that I have encountered issues with bladderstones it's been with rescue chins that end up being given a lot of sugary treats and other treats as well.

Chinchillas need calcium and they can get too much, but they can also have problems with their bones give up too much at once. When that happens the minerals end up being filtered out by the kidneys and ultimately can cause problems.

You probably want to keep things more bland.

 

[liewwan]

Crossing fingers for you and your chin. I never been put in a situation like yours, so I would be going crazy if it was me.
As for your treats, the only thing I offer from your list is 1 cheerio every 1 1/2 week.
My chins gets a rotation on their treats daily but that consists of different wood sticks/twigs, loofahs, 3 piece of rolled/groat oats, 3 piece of rose hips and etc. Treats can be non food items. They would think it's a treat since it's not available in their cage at all times.

 

[DevnChip]

Wow, I'd read here that I had to watch the sweets on my rescue but had no idea the grains could be such an issue. I'd asked a while back about treats he could have on a more regular basis and was told about shreddies. Now I learn I need to be just as careful with them as I am with raisins. Bummer. Ok, back to scritches as daily treats. Thanks for the remind, everyone!

Still no pee. Calling back in now.

 

[RDZCRanch]

I don't believe anyone on this forum has ever said to feed raisins, but to just be careful. It is clearly expressed in EVERY treat thread on here NO FRUITS. No fruits means no fresh or dried fruits...NO fruits.

Urinary stones can be made up of different things, calcium being only one possibility. Instantly jumping to removing calcium from his diet is not going to prevent stones. Unfortunately, stones have a genetic component (some animals are genetically prone to developing stones) and stones developing is largely due to low water intake. The more water that goes through the animal's system, the less phosphorous or calcium is left in the kidneys or bladder to develop into a stone. Limiting calcium may help, but it will not prevent stones from developing.

 

[DevnChip]

I was told not to feed him raisins before I became a member here. That's why I asked what he could have instead - when I became a member here. I also stated that I knew raisins and fruit were not good to give on a daily basis and that I have not been doing so. I'm not that new here. And I'm here for advice on what I need to do now and gave the feeding info to help with that. I know something is wrong. I now know I've gotten lax in my vigilence against bad habits and I'm going to fix it. Food treats of any kind are not on the menu. Period. Lets leave that here. I'm on bringing him home. Then we can go to the topic of recovery. OK?

Update, he peed but not strong enough for the vet to feel comfortable sending him home. They're keeping him overnight. I'm not going to sleep well tonight. I'm to call at 8am tomorrow and they'll let me know then what his statis is. I'm trying to stay hopeful and thinking they're being cautious, but I want them to do that. I have hope that he's coming home in the morning because he is reported to be alert and moving about. Thanks again, Everyone, for your concern, advice and well wishes. Until morning....

 

[Jenn]

Hopefully he just needs the night and will be home tomorrow with you, on his way to a full recovery. It sure sounds like they can easily reoccur, despite your best efforts to avoid them. All you can do is provide a healthy diet and environment for your chin and hopefully they will stay healthy. Occasional treats are ok, but really aren't necessary at all. I give apple sticks to my chin as an unlimited chin and she sure is happy with that. That, and me time. Best of luck to your chin!

 

[obcsed]

Duffus stayed overnight with both his surgeries so it isn't unusual. Once you get the analysis of the stone, you can decide how to avoid another stone. Diet may be your only option but my vet put Duffus on potassium citrate. It has been used successfully in preventing stones in guinea pigs. In Duffus's case, he had an unusual bacterial bladder infection that was changing the Ph of his urine. The infection was treated aggressively but was never resolved.

 

[Magic_FROST]

I dont want to scare you, but please ask your vet what he means by "keeping him overnight". If it means your fuzzy just being in a cage there overnight while your vet and all techs go home...if I were you I would elect to just bring him home where someone (you) can keep an eye out for any problems all through the night.

Of course, if your clinic is open and a vet is there all night, nothing to worry about. I lost two chins during an unsupervised overnight, and I wouldnt wish that on anybody.

 

[DevnChip]

Chipper is still at the vet and still hasn't peed. I suggested they give him a dish to try to encourage him. He's potty trained and very good about it. I'm still waiting to hear back. I think I'm prepared for "the call" but we'll know when it comes. Here's hoping he pees so that doesn't happen.

My area has been being saturated by rain for the last two weeks and we had a heavy storm last night that flooded many of the roads here. My next update may be after all this is over as I expect to be out on the roads trying to get to work or the vet once I hear from them. Wish me luck.

 

[Snickers]

I wish Chipper a speedy recovery. I have a feeling that he will pull through this. Be safe on the road going to work or to the vet's office.

I had a chin that had a stone spent over $1500.00 3 different vets since my vet wasn't around. The stone was large and underneath his pelvic so it was hard to get to. Only the 3rd vet did the surgery. I had to euthanize the little guy because of the area it was in.