UTI/Urinary Tract Infection Would euthanizing be justified?

[trapdragon]

I have had an Abyssinian male guinea pig for a little over 3 months now. I rescued him from an incompetent owner who had starved him over the course of 2 months and upon receiving him he was severely underweight. He didn't seem to be sickly, other than his anorexia and anxiety/distress. It took me about a month of feeding him to bring his weight back up to being healthy, but after that his health started to decline.

About a month ago, he started to become less active, and he began to whimper. So i took him to the vet for an exam and with the research i did i suspected stones, or a possible UTI. They did a urinalysis and his urine came back positive for infection and it also had crystals present. So he got a 10 day regime of bactrim that he completed on monday. Immediately after the vet visit i lowered his calcium intake. I took carrots (his favorite veggie) out of his diet, and switched from Oxbow to KMS brand pellets. As for the hay I feed him Timothy/Orchard grass hay. I switch between the two. I was fully prepared to undergo a stone removal surgery ASAP.

He had an appointment for x-rays yesterday and unfortunately it showed calcification in his kidneys and one massive bladder stone. I am certain this is from the stress he went through previously. His compromised kidneys make me believe the damage is too far gone. If i go through with the surgery, he would feel more comfortable for awhile, assuming it all goes well. But I can see him developing another stone easily, with the calcified kidneys draining into his bladder, or even kidney failure, or even heart failure. I don't know how old he is, and the vet wasn't able to give me an age. He's had two owners before me, and if i had to guess I'd say he's around 4 years old. I'm having a hard time processing this as I was not prepared to let him go so soon. I had every intention of saving his life and i know nobody can make this decision for me.

I want to know what others would do if put in my position.

 

[spy9doc]

Making the decision to have a pet euthanized is heartbreaking. Stress doesn't cause calcification in the kidneys and it was likely caused by poor nutrition......or even just bad genetics.

You need to consider his quality of life both now and in the future.....and it doesn't sound very favorable. Bladder stones can be excruciating for a boar because his urethra is long and narrow and it is difficult for them to pass a stone. The red flag for me is the calcification in the kidneys......that simply isn't fixable and will likely only get worse with time.

My dearly departed Chester had health issues and we decided to do whatever was necessary to keep him alive because we loved him so much. In retrospect, it would have been kinder to have him euthanized about four months before he died. It sounds as though there is little chance for your boy to improve and regain some quality of life. As much as you/we may care, it just may be kinder to let him go now. My Sparky & Chip send prayers and wheeks of comfort to you and your boy.

 

[Kay4real]

Ok I'm had exp x 6 years
lost 2 males at 5.5 years, on, intestinal issue in 3 days and looked actually like it was going well
other a brain aneurysm.
now just home after successful large stone in bladder 5x7 mm , removal, none elsewhere, 4 ur male abyssian..
love him to pieces, with every dime and his 6 yr make cagemate thrilled to have him back after an 18 hr disappearance..
now, I'm in fl on coast no one does surgury here, my 17 y/o and I have been doing 24/7 care, hydration, critical care, hand fed verges, finally found EXOTIC Vet only 90 min away, he operates on dwarf hamsters w success, that's what you deal w nothing else! My guys stone found by ultrasound , X-ray shows it elsewhere ,kidneys etc.
No one in my town is exotic only, this guy in Orlando for, exotics only, that's what you want!
Hydration a must, we syringe hydrated my guy 12 days waiting for his surgury date, every 2 hrs , doc said he could not believe how well,he looked considering , also discovered heart murmur NO other vet did! Importance of finding exotic vet only, I also can tell,you, research like nomtomorrow, U.K. Forum amazing
These Gpigs the best but go down fast.. finding an exotic only, no cats dogs vet is your key!
God bless and prayers for your precious tiny furry baby...
KAy in central fl

 

[Luvmyguineakids]

Oh man what a hard thing to have to decide, I am sorry that you have to go through that! I am sure that you will do what feels right for your little guy! Bless his little heart!