Is a bladder flush for sludge effective?

[Dilly's Piggies]

Hi! My 3 year old sow Lottie has been diagnosed with bladder sludge via ultrasound and xrays. She is crying when peeing and pooping and is underweight. My vet has recommended a bladder flush to remove the sludge, can anyone tell me if this is the best treatment for sludge and if it's safe and effective? I want to make the right decision for my baby. Thanks!

 

[Swissgreys]

I am not an expert, but when Ruby was diagnosed with an actual blockage caused by bladder sludge she did have a flush.
It can be a tricky procedure becasue if done too forcefully it can cause kidney damage, however if your vet is expereinced (ours is) then this shouldn't be an issue.
The advantage of a flush is that it is non invasive, so no wound to deal with afterwards.

In Ruby's case she had the flush and then was on antibiotics and pain meds/anti inflammatory meds for 3 weeks to make sure everything had settled down.
We fed her limited wet veg during her recovery period, and switched to filtered water (she was already on a grain free pellet).
This was over a year ago and she has never had any problems since, so for us it worked well and with a good vet I think it can be a very useful procedure.

 

[VickiA]

I’ve had 2 piggies who have had bladder flushes. One worked brilliantly and we never had another problem, with my sow living for another couple of years. The other was in a piggy with multiple problems and it seemed she had some underlying problem as despite all correct treatment she had a recurrence very soon afterwards. As a procedure they do seem to bounce back quite quickly if given ABs and Metacam.

 

[furryfriends (TEAS)]

As long as it's done by an experienced vet, it can be a very effective way to remove sludge. However, it is a tricky procedure, so please make sure your vet is knowledgeable!

 

[MimiCreamie18]

I agree with the others. Follow your vets recommendations and make sure they are an experienced veterinarian. I haven't ever had a piggie with this issue, but I'm sure this will work from research I've done. Hope all goes well with your piggie