Has double filtering tap water actually been known to work?

[DMS260820]

I'm trying this to prevent bladder sludge build up. Some slight squeaks from dot this morning, but she hasn't yet finished her course of sulfatrim. So there's still that to think about

 

[Piggies&buns]

I’ve just googled this and it said that the benefits would be virtually non existent because if particles were small enough to get through the filter the first time, then they won’t be caught by a second run through

 

[DMS260820]

I’ve just googled this and it said that the benefits would be virtually non existent because if particles were small enough to get through the filter the first time, then they won’t be caught by a second run through

Ok, thanks, I've done it, but no point carrying on

 

[Swissgreys]

Just remember that it can take several weeks for a bladder to settle down after a flush.
With Ruby I was also anxious i nthe first few days afterwards as she didn't 'seem' better at all.
But we stuck with the meds, pain killers, etc. and added in filtered water, diet changes and wet veg, and she hasn't had an issue in almost 2 years.
Try not to over think every little thing, and give it a bit of time to respond to the treatment and settle down gradually.

 

[DMS260820]

Just remember that it can take several weeks for a bladder to settle down after a flush.
With Ruby I was also anxious i nthe first few days afterwards as she didn't 'seem' better at all.
But we stuck with the meds, pain killers, etc. and added in filtered water, diet changes and wet veg, and she hasn't had an issue in almost 2 years.
Try not to over think every little thing, and give it a bit of time to respond to the treatment and settle down gradually.

Thanks, you made me feel quite alot better, straight after the flush until today she hasn't yelped, but she has twice today that I know of, but nothing loud atall. I'm noticing it because I'm looking for it.

Thanks so much for the reply, really has helped me instantly lol

 

[DMS260820]

Just remember that it can take several weeks for a bladder to settle down after a flush.
With Ruby I was also anxious i nthe first few days afterwards as she didn't 'seem' better at all.
But we stuck with the meds, pain killers, etc. and added in filtered water, diet changes and wet veg, and she hasn't had an issue in almost 2 years.
Try not to over think every little thing, and give it a bit of time to respond to the treatment and settle down gradually.

May I ask what veg you cut out and other bits?

 

[Swissgreys]

Thanks, you made me feel quite alot better, straight after the flush until today she hasn't yelped, but she has twice today that I know of, but nothing loud atall. I'm noticing it because I'm looking for it.

Thanks so much for the reply, really has helped me instantly lol

I am glad it made you feel a little better - it really is hard not to panic when you are in the midst of it all and watching for every little squeal or sign that something is wrong.
I was just the same in your situation.
Take a deep breath - you are doing a great job with Dot.

But sludge is nasty, and all that cr*p has probably caused some major irritation to the bladder walls and lining, and it will just take time to repair and settle down.
Ruby peed blood for a while (around a week I think) after her flush, and ended up being on antibiotics for a month (2 different types).
The vet told us it would probably be reccurring, but thanks to some luck and the advice of this Forum we have never had another issue.

I follow the low calcium diet recommended in the diet guide.
I feed a very limited amount of grain free pellets (Versele Laga).
I filter her water.
I feed as much fresh grass as possible - currently that is about 80% of her diet, with the rest being hay and a small amount of fresh veg daily.
But the reality is that in Winter it simply isn't possible to get fresh grass, so then we switch back to hay, with a small amount of fresh.
But in Winter I also put her fresh veg in a colander and douse it liberally with filtered water before feeding.
I gently shake off the excess and feed the veg on a plate while it is still quite wet.
She also has 2 water bottles (one glass and one plastic) to make sure she always has plenty of water available.

And that's it.
We don't feed any commercial treats, and avoid the classic high calcium veg except as an occasional treat, but ultimately I believe that for Ruby water intake is key. In an ideal world I would love for her diet to have a high amount of good quality mixed fresh grass on a daily basis, but I also have to be realistic about what is possible so we just do the best we can.

 

[DMS260820]

I am glad it made you feel a little better - it really is hard not to panic when you are in the midst of it all and watching for every little squeal or sign that something is wrong.
I was just the same in your situation.
Take a deep breath - you are doing a great job with Dot.

But sludge is nasty, and all that cr*p has probably caused some major irritation to the bladder walls and lining, and it will just take time to repair and settle down.
Ruby peed blood for a while (around a week I think) after her flush, and ended up being on antibiotics for a month (2 different types).
The vet told us it would probably be reccurring, but thanks to some luck and the advice of this Forum we have never had another issue.

I follow the low calcium diet recommended in the diet guide.
I feed a very limited amount of grain free pellets (Versele Laga).
I filter her water.
I feed as much fresh grass as possible - currently that is about 80% of her diet, with the rest being hay and a small amount of fresh veg daily.
But the reality is that in Winter it simply isn't possible to get fresh grass, so then we switch back to hay, with a small amount of fresh.
But in Winter I also put her fresh veg in a colander and douse it liberally with filtered water before feeding.
I gently shake off the excess and feed the veg on a plate while it is still quite wet.
She also has 2 water bottles (one glass and one plastic) to make sure she always has plenty of water available.

And that's it.
We don't feed any commercial treats, and avoid the classic high calcium veg except as an occasional treat, but ultimately I believe that for Ruby water intake is key. In an ideal world I would love for her diet to have a high amount of good quality mixed fresh grass on a daily basis, but I also have to be realistic about what is possible so we just do the best we can.

I'm pretty much doing the same as you are. 2 water bottles awell. Just see some blood, a little bit, but that's it. But this had been happening on and off for about 2 years. I. C had been mentioned by our vet back then, when blood appeared, no stones shown on xray and antibiotics wouldn't clear it. We tried zythromax and marbocyl back then, if it was something serious I'm sure she would have been dead before now. But then this sludge and stones appear. The only thing I can think I was doing wrong was feeding parsnip everyday and celery

 

[piggieminder]

I double filter water, whilst it may not do any good it won't do any harm! I've done it for years for me after being advised to do so by a nephrologist, the same man who told me to drink more, didn't matter what it was just drink. If I do it for me I might as well do it for the piggies.
I have been advised by a vet not to feed root veg or celery, stick to grass and leafy greens. The high calcium greens feed only occasionally in very small amounts. In the end though you can only go with what you feel is right for you and for your piggy. If I notice spots of thicker calcium on the fleece I hold off feeding anything I think may have caused it and gradually reintroduce one thing at a time to eliminate the culprit, every piggy is different and may react differently to different veg.
Sending Dot healing vibes, hope she is better soon.

 

[DMS260820]

I double filter water, whilst it may not do any good it won't do any harm! I've done it for years for me after being advised to do so by a nephrologist, the same man who told me to drink more, didn't matter what it was just drink. If I do it for me I might as well do it for the piggies.
I have been advised by a vet not to feed root veg or celery, stick to grass and leafy greens. The high calcium greens feed only occasionally in very small amounts. In the end though you can only go with what you feel is right for you and for your piggy. If I notice spots of thicker calcium on the fleece I hold off feeding anything I think may have caused it and gradually reintroduce one thing at a time to eliminate the culprit, every piggy is different and may react differently to different veg.
Sending Dot healing vibes, hope she is better soon.

Interesting read that is. Thnskyou, I can go back over all these replies when my brain is in overload

 

[rudent]

I've got a boar who's struggled with stones for his whole life & have done a lot of research into water filtration, so I'll share what I've experienced.

Firstly, there are different types of filtration. Ion exchange used to be common -- where minerals that create limescale (primarily calcium) are replaced by other minerals (usually sodium). This form of filtration has been gradually replaced by sequestration -- which keeps calcium & other minerals in the water but introduces a specific chemical to prevent them from combining to create limescale. The reason for this is that humans consume too much sodium already, so replacing calcium with sodium in human drinking water isn't great. BUT, depending on the formation of your pig's sludge (most commonly calcium but can be other minerals), removing calcium from water can be very helpful. In this scenario, ion exchange filters have worked really well for my boar, and his urine is very low sludge now. If you were to use a sequestration filter, though, you'd see no results, because it doesn't remove calcium from the water. You actually have to do a ridiculous amount of digging into a filter's product description to figure out what kind it is, because for most people it doesn't matter. So it's worth a try but, as others have said, the most important thing is that the pig should drink as much as possible. Hope this helps!