should sludge always be flushed out?

[piggiemummy03x]

interested to know wether sludge should always be flushed out or not? dellas due in for her scan today (hopefully our vet is feeling better!) and i just want to know about options depending what is found. obviously from the last scan we know she had sludge so if theres an increase i’m assuming a flush would be the best option, but if its reduced, should a flush still be done because there is still still sludge in the bladder?

obviously no idea what we are looking at until she’s had her scan iust want to be prepared so i know what i can do!

 

[Wiebke]

interested to know wether sludge should always be flushed out or not? dellas due in for her scan today (hopefully our vet is feeling better!) and i just want to know about options depending what is found. obviously from the last scan we know she had sludge so if theres an increase i’m assuming a flush would be the best option, but if its reduced, should a flush still be done because there is still still sludge in the bladder?

obviously no idea what we are looking at until she’s had her scan iust want to be prepared so i know what i can do!

Hi

It depends on how much sludge and how tightly packed it is. Sludge can cause as much damage to the bladder walls as a stone.

Milder cases with loose sludge can be gently flushed out. A tightly packed bladder will require an operation. Medication has got a very spotty record; occasionally it can work but often it won't.

The problem is what is causing the crystal production and whether it can be tackled or not. The calcium absorption process is complex and not yet well researched. For the formation of stones and sludge there are usually several factors that need to come together, from a genetic disposition to not being a good natural drinker to something suddenly going wrong in the absorption process or to the diet being just off the balanced sweet spot if more than one unrelated piggy is affected. Diet can sometimes help only so much and medication options are limited - it really depends on what is causing the sludge/stones.

All the best.

 

[Raymond92]

Hope it goes well. My 3 year old boar has a problem with sludge. He had a bladder flush which was successful but now has to be treated with painkillers and a muscle relaxant as his sludge not diet but gene related

 

[piggiemummy03x]

Hi

It depends on much sludge and how tightly packed it is. Sludge can cause as much damage to the bladder walls as a stone.

Milder cases with loose sludge can be gently flushed out. A tightly packed bladder will require an operation. Medication has got a very spotty record; occasionally it can work but often it won't.

The problem is what is causing the crystal production and whether it can be tackled or not. The calcium absorption process is complex and not yet well researched. For the formation of stones and sludge there are usually several factors that need to come together, from a genetic disposition to not being a good natural drinker to something suddenly going wrong in the absorption process or to the diet being just off the balanced sweet spot if more than once unrelated piggy is affected. Diet can sometimes help only so much and medication options are limited - it really depends on what is causing the sludge/stones.

All the best.

thanks for your reply!

okay so at the vets today i should probably ask how tightly the sludge is packed?

by the sounds of it even if its just a little sludge it should probably be flushed anyway due to the potential damage to bladder wall?

i suppose there is no way of finding out what is causing the sludge either.. i think it’s possibly down to genetics (as she had a stone at just 13 weeks) and she also isn’t the best drinker so this won’t help!

i do the most i physically can regarding diet / filtering water so really hope this isn’t still a factor in it.

 

[piggiemummy03x]

Hope it goes well. My 3 year old boar has a problem with sludge. He had a bladder flush which was successful but now has to be treated with painkillers and a muscle relaxant as his sludge not diet but gene related

thankyou! how do you know that its gene and not diet related please?

 

[Wiebke]

thanks for your reply!

okay so at the vets today i should probably ask how tightly the sludge is packed?

by the sounds of it even if its just a little sludge it should probably be flushed anyway due to the potential damage to bladder wall?

i suppose there is no way of finding out what is causing the sludge either.. i think it’s possibly down to genetics (as she had a stone at just 13 weeks) and she also isn’t the best drinker so this won’t help!

i do the most i physically can regarding diet / filtering water so really hope this isn’t still a factor in it.

How tight or affected a bladder is can usually be felt by a palpation and is confirmed by an x-ray if the bladder is feeling rather hard and tight. Your vet will do their own examination and assessment, and take it from there.

Very little sludge can be tried to get rid of medically by stimulating the urination. More may need to be flushed as the crystal shards will be banged into the bladder walls with every pee your piggy makes; it is very uncomfortable and painful when the walls are being scratched. For a bladder that is too tightly packed for a gentle flush, an operation is the only option - in this case you have to visualise the packed sludge rather as behaving like a cracked large stone that won't come out on its own.

We cannot tell you what tests and approach your vet will choose and we cannot tell you whether what you expect will come out during the examination. Please keep that in mind. None of us is a vet and we cannot anticipate their job. Having too firm expectations could throw you majorly if things do not go as you think they should.

All the best.

 

[piggiemummy03x]

How tight or affected a bladder is can usually be felt by a palpation and is confirmed by an x-ray if the bladder is feeling rather hard and tight. Your vet will do their own examination and assessment, and take it from there.

Very little sludge can be tried to get rid of medically by stimulating the urination. More may need to be flushed as the crystal shards will be banged into the bladder walls with every pee your piggy makes; it is very uncomfortable and painful when the walls are being scratched. For a bladder that is too tightly packed for a gentle flush, an operation is the only option - in this case you have to visualise the packed sludge rather as behaving like a cracked large stone that won't come out on its own.

We cannot tell you what tests and approach your vet will choose and we cannot tell you whether what you expect will come out during the examination. Please keep that in mind. None of us is a vet and we cannot anticipate their job. Having too firm expectations could throw you majorly if things do not go as you think they should.

All the best.

thankyou soso much! this is really helpful information to know, i really appreciate it and i didn’t really know what to expect at the vets i just wanted to have a bit of knowledge around it!

 

[Raymond92]

thankyou! how do you know that its gene and not diet related please?

It was process of elimination. It’s taken 2 years for us to determine that it’s not diet related. We put him on a strict low calcium diet, he went to the vet to have his bladder flushed, and sadly within weeks the irritation was back. They also did some tests to make sure it wasn’t an infection.

 

[piggiemummy03x]

It was process of elimination. It’s taken 2 years for us to determine that it’s not diet related. We put him on a strict low calcium diet, he went to the vet to have his bladder flushed, and sadly within weeks the irritation was back. They also did some tests to make sure it wasn’t an infection.

thankyou! oh bless him thats so sad..

 

[Raymond92]

thankyou! oh bless him thats so sad..

Sorry for the late reply. How is your piggy getting on?

 

[piggiemummy03x]

Sorry for the late reply. How is your piggy getting on?

don’t be silly. touch wood della is doing great at the moment! hows your piggle?