Few questions about diet for special needs pigs

[Fweeper]

Hi again all, just wondering if anyone else had my current issue which is the exceedingly tricky special needs pig. Praline has lifelong bladder and gut issues, which severely limits his diet and what he can generally tolerate without getting ill, and it's definitely becoming an increasing issue as he ages.

Currently, he gets:
A massive pile of meadow hay, which he adores and stuffs his face with so no problem there. (just about to try a new supplier found via my last thread here, so thank you for that)
Burgess excel mint pellets, about a table spoon and a half a day, because it's literally the only pellets I've ever found that don't make him ill and as he ages, I'd like to keep him relatively chunky whilst not overweight. He is currently about 1.1kg, vet says that's good and would like to keep him there.
And then there's the veg, which is down to a butterhead lettuce leaf and a slice of cucumber every day, split across two meals, with a small broccoli floret twice a week, and maybe a little slice of apple, carrot or parsnip once a week as a treat. Essentially all other vegetables he either won't eat, or give him soft poo/are too high in calcium and cause him bladder issues.

I'm concerned this is getting boring for the poor lad to be honest, because he LOVES his food, but it doesn't love him. His brother is also on the same diet, but is much smaller at just about 1kg flat (he's always been dinky). The vet is happy, and they're eating, drinking their filtered water and perky as anything, but they are now coming up on 5 years old and obviously diets have to be adapted with age, so I'd like to check I'm still doing ok here, really?

 

[Teacake]

just bumping up this thread (:

 

[sport_billy]

@furryfriends (TEAS) IS there anything Simon recommends for bladder piggies?

 

[Fweeper]

Thanks for the signal boosts @Teacake and @sport_billy !

 

[Claire W]

I personally think that so long as he is eating and the veg you are feeding isn’t causing him any problems, I would be inclined to just carry on with what’s working for you both.

I also have a bladder pig and although I feed the same diet to all my piggies, her diet consists of unlimited meadow hay, a tablespoon of Harrington’s pellets, little gem lettuce, cucumber, pepper and green beans with a mini corn on the cob and a floret of broccoli as a treat as well as filtered water

 

[furryfriends (TEAS)]

@furryfriends (TEAS) IS there anything Simon recommends for bladder piggies?

Simon recommends as wet a diet as possible. Lots of grass and leafy salad and veg. He says we are generally feeding too dry a diet, which means the bladder isn’t getting flushed through properly.

 

[Seven7]

Mine get veggies three times a day and romaine lettuce is given daily. Other veggies given together with romaine lettuce in rotation are celery, cucumber, cilantro, dandelions, and etc. They get minimum amount of carrot, blueberry, apple, and grape due to their high sugar content.

In total, I think they get about a cup to a cup and a half of veggies per day per piggy.

 

[Fweeper]

Thanks for all the advice everyone, I'll see if I can balance his dodgy gut with the bladder issues and up his veg a bit then!