Bladder and kidney stones

[Claire.peebles]

Hi everyone,

Unfortunately my 3yo boar has been diagnosed with a large bladder and multiple kidney stones.

I am at a loss for what to do at this point. He is on 7 prescribed medications (3 of which to be given twice a day) and nothing seems to be relieving the pain he is in.

My exotic vet isn’t too keen on operating as the stones may just reappear.

They have advised maybe the best thing to do is to euthanise him, which of course I am reluctant to do.

He is eating, drinking, moving around and acting like his bright and inquisitive self so it seems harsh to me to put him to sleep so soon.

I have never experienced this before with my pigs and was wondering if anyone else has found them self in this position?

I guess I’m asking, do I continue to medicate and see what happens? Should I consider surgery? Or should I put him to sleep?

Just a disclaimer I’m not looking for medical advice just some opinions and guidance on what would be best for my wee boy.

Thanks in advance,

Claire

 

[Mockingjay13]

Hi Claire,

Very sorry to hear about your little guy and the pain he’s in. I was in a similar situation three weeks ago with my 6 year old sow who was diagnosed with bladder stones. Operating too risky and was advised to PTS. I was at a loss, you always want what’s best and to keep them out of pain. I wanted to give her another chance and scoured the internet for a ‘last chance saloon’ option and came across just4rabbits in the uk who stock Sherwood supplements, more specifically a cranberry based one that purportedly ‘dissolved stones’.

Well, as you might imagine I was both bemused at this claim and also why not, considering the other option! I ordered them on a Friday, they came on the following Monday and within 3 days she had passed a considerable amount of calcium and two formed stones! She is now not in pain and is eating and wanting all the attention just three weeks on from being given the worst decision as the only option.

I’m not affiliated with the company, just someone who wanted to give her a chance so gave this a try.

 

[Sue and Smartie]

I have had a pig who had bladder stones. He had an operation to remove the first one, it was just one large stone. Then a year later he had another surgery to remove a second large stone which had formed. Then about 6 months after that, he started peeing blood, and I don't mean just a little blood, it was thick red bloody wee. They did an x-ray there & then, he had at least two more stones and one of them looked to be stuck to the bladder wall, possibly attached to scar tissue from the previous surgeries. We had to let him go at that point as they advised there was very little chance of success with a third surgery.
I had changed his diet to a low calcium one, but it made no difference to Panda. He was one of those pigs who get stones. But he was an elderly pig by the time he was pts, so having two surgeries didn't stop him enjoying life.

 

[Claire.peebles]

Hi Claire,

Very sorry to hear about your little guy and the pain he’s in. I was in a similar situation three weeks ago with my 6 year old sow who was diagnosed with bladder stones. Operating too risky and was advised to PTS. I was at a loss, you always want what’s best and to keep them out of pain. I wanted to give her another chance and scoured the internet for a ‘last chance saloon’ option and came across just4rabbits in the uk who stock Sherwood supplements, more specifically a cranberry based one that purportedly ‘dissolved stones’.

Well, as you might imagine I was both bemused at this claim and also why not, considering the other option! I ordered them on a Friday, they came on the following Monday and within 3 days she had passed a considerable amount of calcium and two formed stones! She is now not in pain and is eating and wanting all the attention just three weeks on from being given the worst decision as the only option.

I’m not affiliated with the company, just someone who wanted to give her a chance so gave this a try.

Thanks so much for sharing your experience, I’ll definitely look into this! I would love to give my boy another chance as he is still ‘young’ only being 3 and it just doesn’t sit right with me to put him to sleep so soon.

Thanks again!

 

[Claire.peebles]

I have had a pig who had bladder stones. He had an operation to remove the first one, it was just one large stone. Then a year later he had another surgery to remove a second large stone which had formed. Then about 6 months after that, he started peeing blood, and I don't mean just a little blood, it was thick red bloody wee. They did an x-ray there & then, he had at least two more stones and one of them looked to be stuck to the bladder wall, possibly attached to scar tissue from the previous surgeries. We had to let him go at that point as they advised there was very little chance of success with a third surgery.
I had changed his diet to a low calcium one, but it made no difference to Panda. He was one of those pigs who get stones. But he was an elderly pig by the time he was pts, so having two surgeries didn't stop him enjoying life.

Thank you for sharing your experience, I’m definitely leaning towards surgery as a sort of last resort if the medication he has been prescribed doesn’t work out. It’s good to hear your boy had some time left in him before you unfortunately lost him. I’m hoping this is the same for my Loki.

As he is only 3 I am hoping the surgery will go well for him.

Thanks again

 

[Piggies&buns]

Hi everyone,

Unfortunately my 3yo boar has been diagnosed with a large bladder and multiple kidney stones.

I am at a loss for what to do at this point. He is on 7 prescribed medications (3 of which to be given twice a day) and nothing seems to be relieving the pain he is in.

My exotic vet isn’t too keen on operating as the stones may just reappear.

They have advised maybe the best thing to do is to euthanise him, which of course I am reluctant to do.

He is eating, drinking, moving around and acting like his bright and inquisitive self so it seems harsh to me to put him to sleep so soon.

I have never experienced this before with my pigs and was wondering if anyone else has found them self in this position?

I guess I’m asking, do I continue to medicate and see what happens? Should I consider surgery? Or should I put him to sleep?

Just a disclaimer I’m not looking for medical advice just some opinions and guidance on what would be best for my wee boy.

Thanks in advance,

Claire

I’m sorry to hear this.

Are the stones in the bladder?
What medications is he on?

In boars the only real option to remove stones is surgery. It is much less likely for boars to be able to pass stones unless they are tiny stones. They have an angle in their urethra where if a stone should travel to is unfortunately likely to become stuck (as I said, unless they are tiny) and that would then, sadly, be an immediate life threatening situation.

There is no medication which will dissolve stones.

Whether stones return - sometimes they do, sometimes they don’t. There is a genetic element to it which there is obviously nothing you can do about. All you can control as an owner is the diet (filtering drinking water and ensuring pellets are kept limited to one tablespoon per day, ensuring good urination by feeding a ‘wet’ diet ie plenty of veg but ensuring high calcium veg is kept limited).

 

[Cristina Codrea]

Hello everyone! Please help with your advice.
My guinea pig was diagnosed with stones bladder and she lost over 150 grams. The doctor recommended antibiotics and some painkillers. Yesterday she passed a big kidney stone. I thought that she’ll be better, but she isn’t. Today started peeing with blood and she acts like is still something there.
I paid already £500 for a scan and consultation. Can you please recommend a good doctor in SW London? I went to Companion Care Brentford but I need another opinion.

Thank you very much!