update on Huggles

[hedgie girls]

Huggles had an emergency vet visit today. An x-ray and urinalysis was done. The x-ray showed an extremely large bladder that is displacing her other organs. The vet did drain the bladder before the x-ray, but the bladder was still full in the x-ray. Huggles is extremely sensitive when touched at this time and eating only two to three pieces of food. She is still drinking. Huggles looks like she is pregnant, but she is not. The vet put her on Phenoxybenzamine Suspension to help her go potty and to improve her bladder function. She is not very active anymore either. Has anyone dealt with this before? Any suggestions? I am really worried about my little girl.
Thanks for your help.
Cyndy

[paris26]

Oh man Cyndy! When it rains, it pours! Did the vet feel anything when he palpated? Sometimes tumors pressing on the bladder don't show up on x-rays. I've never experienced this before- try posting on HWS and see if you get any more responses. A lot of the list members aren't members here and they've dealt with much more in terms of hedgie illness

[Pringlesmom]

I am so sorry to hear this news!! I hope this medicine works.

[hedgie girls]

The vet did not feel any masses, but again the bladder is pretty massive. I wish I had a copy of the x-ray to show you. It looked like the bladder took up the whole abdominal space, the intestines were pretty displaced to the chest area. She still has not urinated since the vet visit yesterday. She is pretty uncomfortable and lets us know it. I wanted to learn a lot about hedgies, but not this way.

[razzle]

oh the poor little thing.......

I wonder if it hurts her to pee and that's why she won't go? I've not heard of this before, but hopefully someone has and can give you some info. It almost sounds like there is a tumor growing INSIDE her bladder to make it get so massive like that. Could the vet determine that from the xrays?

[Nancy]

It could also be a stone that is blocking her from being able to pee.

Poor girl!

[lil22]

I'm so sorry that I have no cure or advice to give, but poor huggles is in my thoughts.

[hedgie girls]

Thanks for all the support from everyone. Yesterday I had to put Huggles in warm water for her to urinate. The vet sent out the x-rays and did not say anything about a tumor or stone. I will being hearing from the vet monday. We are almost wondering about getting a second opinion. My husband wants to know why they did not do an x-ray sooner on Huggles with all the problems she has been having. She did have a cyst that popped about a year ago that caused bleeding to the upper ABD and lower chest area. Lately when I ask questions about the meds they are on, like when and how to give them ex: on a empty stomach, wait in between the different meds etc., I feel like I am running into a brick wall. I waited the other day for 45 min. in the office just to get info. on their meds and how I can help Huggles go potty without having them drain her bladder. I was told that one of the techs said, "She has an enlarge bladder so she can wait longer to go." Ok, Huggles' x-ray shows she has an enlarge bladder, but she never had problems emptying her bladder before and her not being able to empty her bladder is what concerns me. T he vet that came so highly recommended to us wouldn't even return my calls, so we went with another vet there who will be back on monday. I feel like the more I am trying to learn about my girls the less the one vet, who I am beginning to wonder isn't like in charge there, likes it and the one tech has hedgies and some of the stuff that this tech says is against what all my research says.
I am confused, frustrated, and not sure in what to do next. I do not know if they send my girls records on a new vet. I am not trying to belittle these two people but I feel they think I am nuts. I just want my girls to be healthy and know what we are up against with Huggles.
P.S. After I received the info on the meds and found out that Cuddles one med had to be given one hour before eating we have seen a big improvement in her. I was not told that it had to be given one hour before eating. Sorry I am venting.
Thanks to everyone again for all your support and suggestions.
Cyndy

[paris26]

Cyndy~
I'm sorry you are being dragged around at your current clinic. I would walk in to the clinic and ask for copies of all your records in person. When they ask why, I would say "I'm going to be getting a new veternarian. I feel like I'm not getting responses or information regarding my hedgehog's health and treatment within a reasonable amount of time. I don't appreciate that my own knowledge of the species is being disregarded. That's fine if you treat your clients like that and they don't mind. I do mind and I'm taking my business elsewhere!"

[hedgie girls]

We are starting to get info on other vets in our area that care for hedgies. We were advised by another to keep the re-check x-ray appointment tommorrw morning so all the radiogoly reports would be complete. Then we would not have to start over. Huggles has gained weight big time in the last two weeks she started out a liitle over weight about 440 grams she now is 576 grams. When she urinates a large amount she drops about 70 grams and still feels like a water balloon. The vet increased her one med to three times a day (the one that is to help her urinate); and started her on bene-bac pet gel for her enlarged intestinal loops.
I am getting so stressed and the more I try to find answers I feel like something else is found in the process. Maybe there is a number of things wrong I don't know.
I will keep you posted. Thanks for the support.
Mike, Cyndy, Huggles and Cuddles(my little computer buddy)