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Background
This case study demonstrates that a modified Buhner suture technique in conjunction with appropriate medical management may be used for treatment of balanoposthitis-induced penile prolapse in the guinea pig (Cavia porcellus ). This treatment has not been previously reported in the literature for use in the guinea pig.
Case presentation
A four-year-old intact guinea pig boar presented to Texas A&M University Zoological Medicine Service (TAMU) with a six-day history of penile prolapse. The guinea pig was able to urinate and defecate normally and had no signs of stranguria. The guinea pig lived in the same household as two other intact guinea pig boars, but each was housed individually. Appetite was normal. The guinea pigs were fed a combination of timothy hay and pellets and fresh fruit and vegetables, as well as added vitamin C supplement. The guinea pig was seen by the referring veterinarian the day after the owners first noted the prolapsed penis, at which time manual reduction was successful in replacing the penis within the prepuce. However, two days following the manual reduction and two days before presentation to TAMU, the penis prolapsed again and owners elected to come to TAMU for further management.
Investigations
On presentation, the guinea pig was bright, alert and responsive. The penis was partially extruded, dry and covered in yellow crusting material ( Figs 1 and 2 ). The penis was further manually extruded to examine the penile base which revealed additional debris/smegma but no fur ring. The remainder of the physical examination was unremarkable. The oral and urogenital mucous membranes were pink and moist with normal capillary refill time. Thoracic auscultation did not reveal any abnormality. Heart rate and respiratory rate were within normal limits. No contraindications for anaesthesia were noted on physical examination.
Based on failure of the attempt at manual reduction of the penile prolapse, surgical intervention was considered. Contraindications for surgical intervention, including underlying neurologic symptoms or neoplastic processes, were not identified during physical examination. No clinical signs of urinary obstruction were noted and owners declined radiographs at this time. In-house cytology of the material surrounding the penis revealed a large amount of debris and mixed population of bacteria. Hypothetical clinical diagnosis in this case was bacterial balanoposthitis. In order to allow...