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Jasper has a bladder stone and possible renal damage

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gus and jack

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Well, Jasper has been having another bout of cystitus so I booked him in for an x-ray thinking it was probably a stone. It was, it's about the size of a fat grain of rice. The vet doesn't want to operate at the minute because he also showed some small crystal like masses in his left kidney. She wants to make sure he has full kidney function before putting him through an op as his wee was quite diluted, though that could have been all the cucumber and water to try and get him to give a urine sample. Has anyone got any experience with renal problems? Is there anything I can do dietary-wise apart from the low calcium diet he's already on? The vet is thinking if he has full kidney function of removing the stone and then giving me metacam for him for when those tiny crystals in his kidney move as this will be just as painul for him as it would be for humans.
 
Put the pig on high doses of fluid, water and/or cranberry juice to flush out the "sand".
The other method is fluid sub. cut. 4x10ml daily (with 10mg Frusimide on the first day) I mention that method for completeness, not that I would recommend it, unless you know what you are doing.
 
There is a sticky thread in the top of the food section about the calcium:phosphore ratios with practical tips for diet by CCC4.

Most vets recommend a low calcium diet, but the phosphor:calcium ratio seems to be more important.
 
Just used CCC4s Ca:Ph thread and the guinea lynx calculater. The diet the pigs are getting is only about 0.8:1! ?/ I thought it was quite well balanced. Going to plan a menu out for them all now and see what kind of difference that makes.
 
I am glad you found it useful. My original diet was the same ratio, I had them all on a low calcium diet due to intermittent bouts of cystitis (which still occurred on a low calcium diet) and was still seeing calcium spots in the cage. I upped the calcium a couple of months ago to balance the ratio and, as if by magic, no calcium spots and no cystitis! Of course it won't work wonders for every pig, some pigs do seem "predisposed" to stones. I should add that I don't intend to make any medical claims by anything I have said in regards to the Ca: P ratio, I just did the translating what others have said into plain English. :))

I do agree with AP that in cases where stones have been diagnosed, lots of fluids are essential.
 
I can second the importance of fluids!l
 
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