Bladder sludge

[piggiemummy03x]

my della is currently being treated for suspected UTI and has been on ABs and pain meds since the 21st april (10 days today). she was originally prescribed 0.2ml co - trimoxazole and 0.3ml metacam for 7 days and 0.02ml gabapentin for a couple of days until the crying had stopped when going to the toilet.

we stopped the gabapentin last sunday (3 days in) as she was no longer crying while going to the toilet and was hopeful this meant she was on the mend.

unfortunately by the 7th day della was not completely better (still showing symptoms) and after a phone-call to the vet, we have extended her course of ABs and metacam for another 7 days.

on friday 28th we started della back on the gabapentin as she had started crying once again while weeing (we don’t know wether this could have been an IC flare up as the girls had come into season) and has been on it since then (now sunday 30th) however she is still crying when going to the toilet and i don’t know what else to do

we have just moved (not very far at all basically next door) which we tried to make as stress free as possible for the girls and so was wondering/hoping that it may just again be a bit of a flare up rather than the infection getting worse? as much as i obviously don’t want her in pain from IC flare i’m thinking it must be better than her UTI worsening?

i feel awful not being able to do anything to help her now the painmeds don’t seem to be working and listening to her cries is killing me.. is there anything more i can do for my baby apart from try to contact the vet tomorrow? i am cleaning her bottom each day in hopes this will keep her clean and the bacteria at bay, as well as soothing her if shes feeling sore.

 

[Piggies2023]

I don't have any advice as I'm going through a similar thing. I know how awful it is to hear them cry. I'm really worried about my Nancy. And I can't wait for the bank holiday to end to ring the vet.

 

[LunaticPoodle]

I feel you both, same here. It seems you've done everything to make her comfortable, it's horrible to hear them cry... I'm counting down to Rutto's surgery, he's on Metacam and Tramadol and glucosamine but still cries loudly and has again blood in his pee...I find he's a bit more comfortable on vetbed as it's really soft and keeps him dry, that's the only thing that comes to mind if you have some of that. Wish Della gets better soon.

 

[Free Ranger]

Oh what a shame for her x

If it's IC then any change in routine can be a trigger. Routine is really important for these piggies.

If there hasn't been any break in the antibiotics (or maybe you just missed a day's dose before re-starting) then I'd think it's less likely to be a UTI. Generally UTI responds quickly to the right AB and symptoms clear. They can return if the course is 'too short' and this varies case-by-case. George had been clear from 24 hours after starting a course but when it ended it took about 3 days for his symptoms to begin again. There must have been low levels of bacteria left in there which took a few days to multiply enough to cause a problem. Re-starting his AB caused the symptoms to once again vanish within 24 hours (not surprising to see the same pattern - it was the same bug). Septrin attacked his infection very effectively. Baytril had been the first AB prescribed and had barely touched it, hence the change in AB. But if an AB is treating effectively you should not see symptoms go and then come back during the course. That would suggest to me that something else could be underlying this.

Gentle George, you may recall (I talk about him a lot!) had impaction and a big round bladder stone which complicated his UTIs. I guess we were lucky it wasn't a spikier stone! Impaction meant he was prone to UTI and the stone made it hard to shift them. He was already on glucosamine biscuits for his arthritis which was fortunate as it also helps pained bladders and is highly recommended for IC pigs. It takes a few weeks to build up in the system though, which is why we were lucky that he was on it already and had been for some time.

George's pain and blood in pee was definitely more acute from UTI than from his stone. Even so, his pain was generally managed by metacam only. We added in some occasional days on gabapentin towards the end of his life as he became inflamed from the final UTI. But generally whenever he was x-rayed the vet didn't mention any thickening of bladder walls or similar inflammation, which is what you can see in IC piggies sometimes. And people who've had IC piggies do talk about their hearts breaking from piggy crying as they pee. But you won't be able to know for sure if she's an IC piggy until the vet has ruled everything else out.

We were warned with gabapentin that they can become dependant on it quite quickly and so need weaning off rather than just dropping it if used regularly. But as we only needed it on the odd day to get him through a tricky patch that didn't become an issue.

If her bottom is wet and drippy or if she has squishy poops that's one thing, but if she looks clean and dry you won't really be able to benefit her by cleaning her bum end. My Flora is constantly wiping herself all over the bedding scent marking. I was just sitting waiting for a UTI to start but she's been fine, although it turns out she's got large ovarian cysts which might well be triggering this behaviour in some way. She seems happy enough in herself for now though.

I hope you can get some answers for Della but I've got a feeling that this might not be a straightforward UTI so managing her symptoms will be your priority. Have you got her on glucosamine? Some people use the feliway cystease but we had oxbow joint support lozenges - easier with George as he liked them and just used to scoff them down.

 

[piggiemummy03x]

I don't have any advice as I'm going through a similar thing. I know how awful it is to hear them cry. I'm really worried about my Nancy. And I can't wait for the bank holiday to end to ring the vet.

i’m sorry to hear your also going through similar, i will have to find your post (if you’ve shared) and give it a read. sending nancy healing vibes and cuddles! i forgot the vets was shut today!

 

[piggiemummy03x]

I feel you both, same here. It seems you've done everything to make her comfortable, it's horrible to hear them cry... I'm counting down to Rutto's surgery, he's on Metacam and Tramadol and glucosamine but still cries loudly and has again blood in his pee...I find he's a bit more comfortable on vetbed as it's really soft and keeps him dry, that's the only thing that comes to mind if you have some of that. Wish Della gets better soon.

i’m sorry to hear your pig and you are also going through this! bless him, sending healing vibes to Rutto! when is his surgery? is it stones? ooo i never thought of vet bed! my girls are currently on fleece but since being poorly with this UTI dellas weeing EVERYWHERE so i’m changing the fleece multiple times a week and cage inserts more than i can wash and dry out before needing the next lot thanks so much i’m wishing too! and for Rutto and Nancy

 

[piggiemummy03x]

Oh what a shame for her x

If it's IC then any change in routine can be a trigger. Routine is really important for these piggies.

If there hasn't been any break in the antibiotics (or maybe you just missed a day's dose before re-starting) then I'd think it's less likely to be a UTI. Generally UTI responds quickly to the right AB and symptoms clear. They can return if the course is 'too short' and this varies case-by-case. George had been clear from 24 hours after starting a course but when it ended it took about 3 days for his symptoms to begin again. There must have been low levels of bacteria left in there which took a few days to multiply enough to cause a problem. Re-starting his AB caused the symptoms to once again vanish within 24 hours (not surprising to see the same pattern - it was the same bug). Septrin attacked his infection very effectively. Baytril had been the first AB prescribed and had barely touched it, hence the change in AB. But if an AB is treating effectively you should not see symptoms go and then come back during the course. That would suggest to me that something else could be underlying this.

Gentle George, you may recall (I talk about him a lot!) had impaction and a big round bladder stone which complicated his UTIs. I guess we were lucky it wasn't a spikier stone! Impaction meant he was prone to UTI and the stone made it hard to shift them. He was already on glucosamine biscuits for his arthritis which was fortunate as it also helps pained bladders and is highly recommended for IC pigs. It takes a few weeks to build up in the system though, which is why we were lucky that he was on it already and had been for some time.

George's pain and blood in pee was definitely more acute from UTI than from his stone. Even so, his pain was generally managed by metacam only. We added in some occasional days on gabapentin towards the end of his life as he became inflamed from the final UTI. But generally whenever he was x-rayed the vet didn't mention any thickening of bladder walls or similar inflammation, which is what you can see in IC piggies sometimes. And people who've had IC piggies do talk about their hearts breaking from piggy crying as they pee. But you won't be able to know for sure if she's an IC piggy until the vet has ruled everything else out.

We were warned with gabapentin that they can become dependant on it quite quickly and so need weaning off rather than just dropping it if used regularly. But as we only needed it on the odd day to get him through a tricky patch that didn't become an issue.

If her bottom is wet and drippy or if she has squishy poops that's one thing, but if she looks clean and dry you won't really be able to benefit her by cleaning her bum end. My Flora is constantly wiping herself all over the bedding scent marking. I was just sitting waiting for a UTI to start but she's been fine, although it turns out she's got large ovarian cysts which might well be triggering this behaviour in some way. She seems happy enough in herself for now though.

I hope you can get some answers for Della but I've got a feeling that this might not be a straightforward UTI so managing her symptoms will be your priority. Have you got her on glucosamine? Some people use the feliway cystease but we had oxbow joint support lozenges - easier with George as he liked them and just used to scoff them down.

thanks for your reply..
yes it has been a bit up in the air the last few days hence why i was thinking possible IC flare!

there was no break in antibiotics and della definitely got better after a few days on them (cries stopped) but was still leaky and wee / her back end was more smelly than usual so we carried on the course, it was a week in all of a sudden the crying started again

that makes me so anxious.. i really hope nothing too serious is going on.. she had xrays done a few months ago which all came back clear.. what are you thinking it could possibly be? della is on co - trimoxazole as the last time she had baytril it made her really poorly (stopped eating etc) and it was an absolute nightmare.. i believe she may be intolerant to it!

bless him yes i remember you saying before, such a lot for a little pig to go through yes i give della a capsule of cystease each day on her veggies.

oh wow i didn’t know this about gabapentin i will definitely bring this up to the vet when i manage to speak to her! thanks for letting me know.

she has had a ‘leaky bum’ so think cleaning her up was a good idea.. she has been getting quite a dirty back end recently although she also does love to sit in her freshly weed patches so i think this plays a part in that too.. yes my girls love a good wipe! bless her heart I'm sorry to hear that.. is there anything that can be done for her? glad she is happy in herself

thankyou so much we are really hoping and praying too!
yes shes on cystease x

 

[Merab]

Just want to offer support - and some virtual hugs

 

[piggiemummy03x]

Just want to offer support - and some virtual hugs

thankyou

 

[LunaticPoodle]

i’m sorry to hear your pig and you are also going through this! bless him, sending healing vibes to Rutto! when is his surgery? is it stones? ooo i never thought of vet bed! my girls are currently on fleece but since being poorly with this UTI dellas weeing EVERYWHERE so i’m changing the fleece multiple times a week and cage inserts more than i can wash and dry out before needing the next lot thanks so much i’m wishing too! and for Rutto and Nancy

Thank you, yes, it's stones (again)... He's been making them really quickly even with all the adjustments, and he had surgery about two months ago. We're trying again this week if his usual vet has space. He's been crying while going potty for so long now that I'm feeling guilty for trying again, but he's still so curious and playful and just happy to be alive that I don't want to let him go yet. Vetbed is magical, even when it's full of wee, it still feels dry to the touch so I'm using that in his napping place now that he, like Della, seems to go all the time and everywhere and laying in it too.

 

[piggiemummy03x]

Thank you, yes, it's stones (again)... He's been making them really quickly even with all the adjustments, and he had surgery about two months ago. We're trying again this week if his usual vet has space. He's been crying while going potty for so long now that I'm feeling guilty for trying again, but he's still so curious and playful and just happy to be alive that I don't want to let him go yet. Vetbed is magical, even when it's full of wee, it still feels dry to the touch so I'm using that in his napping place now that he, like Della, seems to go all the time and everywhere and laying in it too.

oh bless his little heart they can grow in 2 months?! thats so scary, i didn’t realise they can grow in such little time.. della had a stone flushed at a very young age. i know its so hard when they are themselves otherwise, della is still her cheeky little self, just the crying when going to the toilet. i will look into getting some vetbed, thanks again for the recommendation! sending positive vibes and hoping everything goes straight forward for his OP, please let us know how it goes!

 

[LunaticPoodle]

I will! Thank you. He actually grew 3 small ones already 2 weeks after surgery, and peed 2 out, but one stayed in and already got too big. The probability he's going to make more even after another surgery is high, but I'd like to give him another chance. The vet thinks it's a metabolic disorder of some kind but we just don't know. Luckily he's a big chonky boy, and the surgeon is pretty great. Thank you again for your support scratchies on the head for Della, if she likes those!

 

[piggiemummy03x]

I will! Thank you. He actually grew 3 small ones already 2 weeks after surgery, and peed 2 out, but one stayed in and already got too big. The probability he's going to make more even after another surgery is high, but I'd like to give him another chance. The vet thinks it's a metabolic disorder of some kind but we just don't know. Luckily he's a big chonky boy, and the surgeon is pretty great. Thank you again for your support scratchies on the head for Della, if she likes those!

oh my gosh 2 weeks that must have been so painful for him poor little man. yes thats the thing isnt it, you can never know if they are going to come back or not.. and how many times too.. fingers crossed this will be the end of all stones! yes i would always give my babies countless chances as long as they are happy thankyou for talking to me! haha nope shes a spoilt monkey so extra scratches for Rutto from me!

 

[Free Ranger]

He's been crying while going potty for so long now that I'm feeling guilty for trying again,

Just to mention here again @LunaticPoodle that George actually lived pretty well with his stone but his UTIs, when they occurred, caused him pain and obvious bleeding. My vet also has an older boy who, apart from being 5 and a bit lighter, doesn't really show any symptoms. It made me wonder how many pigs out there have a secret stone that's not causing them too much bother.
Has your boy been checked/treated for UTI too? Sometimes a vet will find a stone and think "Here's the cause" but you can have two things at the same time - indeed having a UTI makes stone-forming more common and having a stone makes it more likely that they develop UTI at some point because they can't get such a good flow going to flush out the bladder. We're pretty sure George's stone was calcium carbonate - it was round like a marble - and his pee was more alkaline than my girls' pee (pH9 - theirs was 8.5 or a bit less) which I do think was a contributing factor to repeat forming. These stones are being identified more and more in piggies although there are other types too.
George was getting on, bless him, because he didn't have any stone trouble till he was 5 1/2 and then things started to go a bit wrong. I hope your boy manages his op well again. I had people post me encouraging things about how their pig had needed more than one op to get rid of their stones but in the end they did it. For younger piggies there's always a chance! x

 

[LunaticPoodle]

Just to mention here again @LunaticPoodle that George actually lived pretty well with his stone but his UTIs, when they occurred, caused him pain and obvious bleeding. My vet also has an older boy who, apart from being 5 and a bit lighter, doesn't really show any symptoms. It made me wonder how many pigs out there have a secret stone that's not causing them too much bother.
Has your boy been checked/treated for UTI too? Sometimes a vet will find a stone and think "Here's the cause" but you can have two things at the same time - indeed having a UTI makes stone-forming more common and having a stone makes it more likely that they develop UTI at some point because they can't get such a good flow going to flush out the bladder. We're pretty sure George's stone was calcium carbonate - it was round like a marble - and his pee was more alkaline than my girls' pee (pH9 - theirs was 8.5 or a bit less) which I do think was a contributing factor to repeat forming. These stones are being identified more and more in piggies although there are other types too.
George was getting on, bless him, because he didn't have any stone trouble till he was 5 1/2 and then things started to go a bit wrong. I hope your boy manages his op well again. I had people post me encouraging things about how their pig had needed more than one op to get rid of their stones but in the end they did it. For younger piggies there's always a chance! x

Thank you! Yes, both of them had mild UTIs and were given Ditrim, in my opinion the courses were too short though (10 days) and they may have developed a resistance. Geezer especially had extremely high protein all the time, but when they did a blood test, his kidneys were actually fine. He as well had very alkaline urine just like George. The stone we tested was calcium carbonate too. There were others though, many others... Rutto doesn't have high proteins, I don't remember his pH though. There was no blood today, but still some complaining. I have him on glucosamine, Metacam (medium-high) and Tramadol (5 drops between Metacam doses), and this keeps the complaining to a minimum, but if his stone shifts, he really squeaks. He's going to turn 3 in June, and I really, really hope he will. Geezer was too young, and even if there had been a vet to give him the emergency surgery again, he was wasting away. He ate, and got Critical Care, and still was soooo thin... Went from nearly 1.3 kg (too chubby, but that was his max) to just over 1 kg and wouldn't gain weight anymore. Rutto is a chonk, and I hope that helps him. He recovered well last time.

 

[LunaticPoodle]

oh my gosh 2 weeks that must have been so painful for him poor little man. yes thats the thing isnt it, you can never know if they are going to come back or not.. and how many times too.. fingers crossed this will be the end of all stones! yes i would always give my babies countless chances as long as they are happy thankyou for talking to me! haha nope shes a spoilt monkey so extra scratches for Rutto from me!

Rutto is a very shy potato (big as a small rabbit, and looks like a miniature bear, but he's an absolute sweetheart) but he's learning to like cuddles, especially now that he lost his friend so he's looking for attention a lot more that usual. I'll pass the scratchies on! I haven't kept all the stones they peed out from last year, but even with just the latest bunch, I have a ridiculous amount in a jar. Geezer peed them monthly.
How's Della doing today?

 

[LunaticPoodle]

(ok, I think that needs an explainationI kept the stones to try and calculate how fast they grew in size and how fast they were producing them)

 

[piggiemummy03x]

Rutto is a very shy potato (big as a small rabbit, and looks like a miniature bear, but he's an absolute sweetheart) but he's learning to like cuddles, especially now that he lost his friend so he's looking for attention a lot more that usual. I'll pass the scratchies on! I haven't kept all the stones they peed out from last year, but even with just the latest bunch, I have a ridiculous amount in a jar. Geezer peed them monthly.
How's Della doing today?

sorry for my late response, going to be posting an update in a minute!

 

[piggiemummy03x]

update on my della.. written as a new post so if anyone wants to read all information is in one section…

hi everyone! apologies for the lengthy post, i have tried to give as much information as possible as i am looking for some advice/experience, i just hope I’ve not missed anything!

so my girl della has been on ABs now since friday 21st april for a suspected UTI. her symptoms (which started on the 19th april) where crying while urinating, urinating more often, bits pulsing / straining, wet / messy bum and leaking (like on my hand when i picked her up).

originally she was prescribed co - trimoxazole, 0.2ml twice daily, along side metacam (0.3ml twice daily) for 7 days and gabapentin (0.09ml twice daily) for a couple of days, or until she appeared out of pain.

we stopped the gabapentin on the sunday (so 3 days of it) the morning dose being the last one as her cries had stopped and things seemed to be getting better. for the next couple of days things where good, crying had stopped, so had the leaking and we where feeling positive. come the 25th though (day 5 of co-trimoxazole) we noticed red marks on the girls fleece where della had obviously been wiping herself, later that evening red was sprayed over the floor (she likes to spray her sister when she’s been pushed too much lol!) and the cries had returned with red wee

we started back up the gabapentin and booked in a phone call from our guinea vet for the 27th. the next few days there where some times della would go to the toilet with no crying or any what seemed any pain, then others where she would cry and strain herself.

27th we spoke to the vet (day 7 of week course) and we agreed to continue in the course for a further week incase it was just a stubborn UTI that needed longer treatment. the fact a few days in it started to make a difference i was hopeful it was just a UTI, but a little confused / concerned as to why it seemed to stop helping after them days.

we where also considering the possibility of a IC flare up (not diagnosed) as the girls seemed to be coming into season and we have noticed that every time they do, della would seem to have a couple of days of squeaky wees that we treat with metacam and then she would be fine.

27th april - 6th may was a mixture of wees with and without crying, poos with and without crying and leaking / slight mucky bum. i tracked each time i saw / heard della go, there doesn’t seem to be any pattern or anything i can identify as to what may have made it worse sometimes and better others, it’s completely random!

6th may we had another vets appointment, della was then prescribed baytril 0.3ml x2 a day for 2 weeks, incase there was stubborn bacteria not being killed of by the co-trimoxazole, metacam for 2 weeks even if crying had stopped (due to it being an anti inflammatory) and gabapentin until della seemed no longer in pain. our vet warned us that if the baytril didn’t make a difference within a week, we would be best to book della in for xrays once again to just insure it wasn’t stones / sludge that was causing the problem.

6th - 10th may, the baytril definitely seemed to have made a difference, there was definitely less crying overall but again a mix of crying while weeing and then some wees no crying (sometimes this would be within minutes of eachother, sometimes multiple good wees in a row or the other way round, then the opposite) some days leaky, other days not.

we spoke to the vet again on the 11th (friday) who said because we had seem some improvement with della being on the baytril, we can carry on with the 2 week course, if over the weekend things worsened we are taking her back on tuesday to discuss getting her in for xrays. if there is more improvement, we are pushing the appointment back by a week to see how she is after the full 2 week course.

since speaking to the vet, della has had a mix of squeaky / no squeaky wees and yesterday i have noticed a bit of straining once again.

so far this morning i’ve not heard any crying but this doesn’t mean there won’t be unfortunately.

we are so worried for our baby and really hope its just an extremely stubborn UTI, i just want to be prepared if it is something more serious…

i wonder if anyone has similar experiences and if you could share with me what it was in the end causing the problem?

does this sound like it could just be a UTI or is it most probably something more?

do utis / IC / bladder stones all have the same symptoms or is there normally a way to establish one from another, maybe another symptom that is common with one but not the other two?
if della did have IC, could this be the reason why it seems to worsen and then suddenly get better?

we know with dellas past that obviously she is predisposed to bladder problems and are aware this may be the ‘norm’ for her throughout her life, i just want to check that its not cruel / something to worry about or anything to have a pig on ABs / pain meds for lots of time in their life? she can live a happy life and won’t be resentful towards me? i can’t imagine the idea of doing anything else.. i can’t even bring myself to type it but i just want to make sure this is fair, other than her bladder problems she is such a funny, cheeky little monkey that does seem to love life (and lots of yummy food!) i just want her to have the best quality life we can possibly give her

we are at a complete loss as to what to think, of course i will keep you all updated on our little monkey, we are just hoping and praying she’ll improve over the weekend and it is just a nasty UTI, but only time will tell.

 

[piggiemummy03x]

@Mclayton

 

[Mclayton]

update on my della.. written as a new post so if anyone wants to read all information is in one section…

hi everyone! apologies for the lengthy post, i have tried to give as much information as possible as i am looking for some advice/experience, i just hope I’ve not missed anything!

so my girl della has been on ABs now since friday 21st april for a suspected UTI. her symptoms (which started on the 19th april) where crying while urinating, urinating more often, bits pulsing / straining, wet / messy bum and leaking (like on my hand when i picked her up).

originally she was prescribed co - trimoxazole, 0.2ml twice daily, along side metacam (0.3ml twice daily) for 7 days and gabapentin (0.09ml twice daily) for a couple of days, or until she appeared out of pain.

we stopped the gabapentin on the sunday (so 3 days of it) the morning dose being the last one as her cries had stopped and things seemed to be getting better. for the next couple of days things where good, crying had stopped, so had the leaking and we where feeling positive. come the 25th though (day 5 of co-trimoxazole) we noticed red marks on the girls fleece where della had obviously been wiping herself, later that evening red was sprayed over the floor (she likes to spray her sister when she’s been pushed too much lol!) and the cries had returned with red wee

we started back up the gabapentin and booked in a phone call from our guinea vet for the 27th. the next few days there where some times della would go to the toilet with no crying or any what seemed any pain, then others where she would cry and strain herself.

27th we spoke to the vet (day 7 of week course) and we agreed to continue in the course for a further week incase it was just a stubborn UTI that needed longer treatment. the fact a few days in it started to make a difference i was hopeful it was just a UTI, but a little confused / concerned as to why it seemed to stop helping after them days.

we where also considering the possibility of a IC flare up (not diagnosed) as the girls seemed to be coming into season and we have noticed that every time they do, della would seem to have a couple of days of squeaky wees that we treat with metacam and then she would be fine.

27th april - 6th may was a mixture of wees with and without crying, poos with and without crying and leaking / slight mucky bum. i tracked each time i saw / heard della go, there doesn’t seem to be any pattern or anything i can identify as to what may have made it worse sometimes and better others, it’s completely random!

6th may we had another vets appointment, della was then prescribed baytril 0.3ml x2 a day for 2 weeks, incase there was stubborn bacteria not being killed of by the co-trimoxazole, metacam for 2 weeks even if crying had stopped (due to it being an anti inflammatory) and gabapentin until della seemed no longer in pain. our vet warned us that if the baytril didn’t make a difference within a week, we would be best to book della in for xrays once again to just insure it wasn’t stones / sludge that was causing the problem.

6th - 10th may, the baytril definitely seemed to have made a difference, there was definitely less crying overall but again a mix of crying while weeing and then some wees no crying (sometimes this would be within minutes of eachother, sometimes multiple good wees in a row or the other way round, then the opposite) some days leaky, other days not.

we spoke to the vet again on the 11th (friday) who said because we had seem some improvement with della being on the baytril, we can carry on with the 2 week course, if over the weekend things worsened we are taking her back on tuesday to discuss getting her in for xrays. if there is more improvement, we are pushing the appointment back by a week to see how she is after the full 2 week course.

since speaking to the vet, della has had a mix of squeaky / no squeaky wees and yesterday i have noticed a bit of straining once again.

so far this morning i’ve not heard any crying but this doesn’t mean there won’t be unfortunately.

we are so worried for our baby and really hope its just an extremely stubborn UTI, i just want to be prepared if it is something more serious…

i wonder if anyone has similar experiences and if you could share with me what it was in the end causing the problem?

does this sound like it could just be a UTI or is it most probably something more?

do utis / IC / bladder stones all have the same symptoms or is there normally a way to establish one from another, maybe another symptom that is common with one but not the other two?
if della did have IC, could this be the reason why it seems to worsen and then suddenly get better?

we know with dellas past that obviously she is predisposed to bladder problems and are aware this may be the ‘norm’ for her throughout her life, i just want to check that its not cruel / something to worry about or anything to have a pig on ABs / pain meds for lots of time in their life? she can live a happy life and won’t be resentful towards me? i can’t imagine the idea of doing anything else.. i can’t even bring myself to type it but i just want to make sure this is fair, other than her bladder problems she is such a funny, cheeky little monkey that does seem to love life (and lots of yummy food!) i just want her to have the best quality life we can possibly give her

we are at a complete loss as to what to think, of course i will keep you all updated on our little monkey, we are just hoping and praying she’ll improve over the weekend and it is just a nasty UTI, but only time will tell.

I'm so sorry to read all this suffering for the little one. Yes, it really is so similar to my situation that has gone on for 5 months. Ideally, the only way I found out it was a stone by my vet doing a ultrasound scan on the abdomen. I'm surprised this has not already been done. The mistake with my first scan, was that only the bladder was checked, & not the rest of the urinary tract, (the ureter & urethra, & kidneys). Its cost me nearly £800 to get to the bottom of the problem. Its truly heartbreaking. I really do wish you the very best, & hope its not the news I've had. Has she had a scan?

 

[piggiemummy03x]

I'm so sorry to read all this suffering for the little one. Yes, it really is so similar to my situation that has gone on for 5 months. Ideally, the only way I found out it was a stone by my vet doing a ultrasound scan on the abdomen. I'm surprised this has not already been done. The mistake with my first scan, was that only the bladder was checked, & not the rest of the urinary tract, (the ureter & urethra, & kidneys). Its cost me nearly £800 to get to the bottom of the problem. Its truly heartbreaking. I really do wish you the very best, & hope its not the news I've had. Has she had a scan?

i thought it sounded similar this has only been 3 ish weeks. the last scan (and xrays) where done beginning of march, i will talk to my vet about more xrays and ultrasound on the abdomen so thankyou for that information. thankyou so much, same goes for your little man

 

[Mclayton]

i thought it sounded similar this has only been 3 ish weeks. the last scan (and xrays) where done beginning of march, i will talk to my vet about more xrays and ultrasound on the abdomen so thankyou for that information. thankyou so much, same goes for your little man

Well, my poor Squeak has already been diagnosed, so not sure how long he has. Maybe quite a while. He's very happy right now, so I'm concentrating on that, & giving him lots of love, & his brother Bubble too.

 

[piggiemummy03x]

Well, my poor Squeak has already been diagnosed, so not sure how long he has. Maybe quite a while. He's very happy right now, so I'm concentrating on that, & giving him lots of love, & his brother Bubble too.

i know he has, i meant the outcome, i’ve read lots of pigs living happy lives with stones.. just under pain management.. has the vet said a definite no to surgery?

 

[Mclayton]

i know he has, i meant the outcome, i’ve read lots of pigs living happy lives with stones.. just under pain management.. has the vet said a definite no to surgery?

Yes. He said its too risky, & he is a exotic pet specialist

 

[Mclayton]

i know he has, i meant the outcome, i’ve read lots of pigs living happy lives with stones.. just under pain management.. has the vet said a definite no to surgery?

At the moment he's, running, playing etc, always eating! Happy boy

 

[piggiemummy03x]

Yes. He said its too risky, & he is a exotic pet specialist

so sad.. so what are the options? surely it’s just going to keep getting bigger? where is it in him? this must be so hard for you i’m so sorry

 

[Mclayton]

so sad.. so what are the options? surely it’s just going to keep getting bigger? where is it in him? this must be so hard for you i’m so sorry

Its in his ureter

 

[piggiemummy03x]

Its in his ureter

and is this something that could pass itself or is it just in there now? its so sad the vet believes its too risky

 

[Mclayton]

and is this something that could pass itself or is it just in there now? its so sad the vet believes its too risky

Not been told it will pass. Don't think k any vet can answer that. The ureter is the tube leading from the kidneys into his bladder, so pretty high up. I just don't know anymore. Its metacam & cisapride, then back to the vets in 3 weeks for a check again