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Bladder sludge

Free Ranger said:
Have you asked your vets whether they can x-ray without anaesthetic? Mine just wrap piggies tightly in a towel. We've also seen some posts where piggies have just been sat in a little box to x-ray... it's worth asking.
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definitely something i will ask! thanks!
 
i don’t suppose anyone could advise what i should possibly ask my vet today? tests etc, just thought everyone seems to know what to say and i’m clueless!
 
piggiemummy03x said:
i don’t suppose anyone could advise what i should possibly ask my vet today? tests etc, just thought everyone seems to know what to say and i’m clueless!
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What's her current symptoms? Is she still squeaking in pain?
 
Lucy3733 said:
What's her current symptoms? Is she still squeaking in pain?
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yes, on and off, sometimes whole days with no crying, then bam crying while weeing again. shes still leaky when you pick her up too and a shes got a little bit of a messy bum (not sopping wet like others have said during uti, just a little bit stained.
 
piggiemummy03x said:
i don’t suppose anyone could advise what i should possibly ask my vet today? tests etc, just thought everyone seems to know what to say and i’m clueless!
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this sounds really silly.. of course i know what to say to our vet, it was more if anyone thought i should ask for certain tests to be done or things to try etc!
 
piggiemummy03x said:
yes, on and off, sometimes whole days with no crying, then bam crying while weeing again. shes still leaky when you pick her up too and a shes got a little bit of a messy bum (not sopping wet like others have said during uti, just a little bit stained.
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If it was me I would first ask them to test her urine and maybe send off a culture as that's the least invasive, rules out UTI. I would then ask about repeating the x-ray incase she's developed stones with her previous history in mind too. Obviously you would have to discuss about sedation meds with her last reaction though. I would also ask if they did two views last time, one at the top, one 90 degree at the side to check for stones. But in the most polite I'm not questioning you way. Sometimes they do ultrasounds instead but having never had one done I don't know what the advantages of that is for checking stones. It can show inflammed bladders though.
 
piggiemummy03x said:
this sounds really silly.. of course i know what to say to our vet, it was more if anyone thought i should ask for certain tests to be done or things to try etc!
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I don't think it sounds silly. I like to hear other people's opinions on what they may ask for too.
 
What I would say though is you know her best, you know if she's suffering and what is worth trying risk wise. She's already on cystease. But what dose is she already taking? I've seen people online up there's during flares.
 
Lucy3733 said:
If it was me I would first ask them to test her urine and maybe send off a culture as that's the least invasive, rules out UTI. I would then ask about repeating the x-ray incase she's developed stones with her previous history in mind too. Obviously you would have to discuss about sedation meds with her last reaction though. I would also ask if they did two views last time, one at the top, one 90 degree at the side to check for stones. But in the most polite I'm not questioning you way. Sometimes they do ultrasounds instead but having never had one done I don't know what the advantages of that is for checking stones. It can show inflammed bladders though.
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thanks so much! this was what i was planning on doing to be honest so i’m glad you also agree! they definitely did multiple views last time as we where shown them! i’m pretty sure they did a ultrasound too as this showed there was a little sludge if i remember correctly.
 
Lucy3733 said:
What I would say though is you know her best, you know if she's suffering and what is worth trying risk wise. She's already on cystease. But what dose is she already taking? I've seen people online up there's during flares.
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thankyou, its so hard to know what the right decision is but she definitely isn’t right and with her history of stones i do think a scan is probably the best option😪 shes on one capsule a day currently.
 
piggiemummy03x said:
thankyou, its so hard to know what the right decision is but she definitely isn’t right and with her history of stones i do think a scan is probably the best option😪 shes on one capsule a day currently.
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It's horrible having to make these decisions. Nancy developed a stone within 4 weeks of her x-ray, either that or it didn't show up for some reason.

It would be much easier if they could tell us the symptoms and sit still for the scans!
 
Lucy3733 said:
@piggiemummy03x how did the vets go?
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apologies, its been extremely hectic here and i’ve not managed to update!

so vets on wednesday.. della showed slight discomfort while having her bladder felt but our vet couldn’t feel anything like a stone which i’m hoping means there isn’t one.. i know obviously this isn’t always the case but have everything crossed🤞🏻

because she isn't right, we have agreed to go for another xray and possible scan depending on what the xray shows. because of her reaction to the anaesthetic last time, our vet is going to try to give as little as possible, just enough to keep her still (she is extremely squirmy!) so we are on our way down now!
 
piggiemummy03x said:
apologies, its been extremely hectic here and i’ve not managed to update!

so vets on wednesday.. della showed slight discomfort while having her bladder felt but our vet couldn’t feel anything like a stone which i’m hoping means there isn’t one.. i know obviously this isn’t always the case but have everything crossed🤞🏻

because she isn't right, we have agreed to go for another xray and possible scan depending on what the xray shows. because of her reaction to the anaesthetic last time, our vet is going to try to give as little as possible, just enough to keep her still (she is extremely squirmy!) so we are on our way down now!
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Hope it goes well and the reduced sedation is much better this time!


I'm off to the vets with Nancy now. She was good for a few days, I thought we had won the battle. But all of a sudden blood and crying 😞
 
Vet said with Nancy she wouldn't repeat scans. She can't feel anything. She's constantly weeing, won't let her bladder fill up. So she's likely building up sludge etc. She's being put on gabapentin
 
Lucy3733 said:
Hope it goes well and the reduced sedation is much better this time!


I'm off to the vets with Nancy now. She was good for a few days, I thought we had won the battle. But all of a sudden blood and crying 😞
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had a call from the vet just before lunch.. the results show no stones! xrays and 2 scans show inflamed bladder and sludge.. upon picking the girls up later we will discuss plan from here! i am very surprised (but obviously extremely relieved!) there wasn’t a stone, but i guess its the sludge causing the pain?
 
Lucy3733 said:
Vet said with Nancy she wouldn't repeat scans. She can't feel anything. She's constantly weeing, won't let her bladder fill up. So she's likely building up sludge etc. She's being put on gabapentin
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bless her, yes our vet couldn’t feel anything either! our della has a small bladder she said so wonder if shes the same as your nancy? will be asking about bladder flush this evening. my della was put on gabapentin worked for a few days then crying returned😪
 
piggiemummy03x said:
had a call from the vet just before lunch.. the results show no stones! xrays and 2 scans show inflamed bladder and sludge.. upon picking the girls up later we will discuss plan from here! i am very surprised (but obviously extremely relieved!) there wasn’t a stone, but i guess its the sludge causing the pain?
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That's good she doesn't have a stone. Has she ever tried cartophen? I forgot to ask when I went because I was expecting a repeat of an x-ray. My vet is ringing me with how I can get gabapentin later so I was going to ask. Seen some good comments on here about it working.
 
so dellas results are back and it appears its a build up of sludge / an inflamed bladder which is causing her painful wees / poos. obviously extremely relieved no stones where found!

vet has suggested to cut out leafy greens, so no more coriander for the time being! i would like to ask, is wheat grass a big no now? we have just bought loads of seeds & grown trays of it😅

also forage.. should i stop? they barely get any to be honest, probably a pinch once or twice a week at max, but i know it’s higher in calcium and we’ve been told to keep to low calcium diet.

is there anything else i should avoid for a pig with sludge? (luna gets fed the same so it’s fair and also to prevent her from developing problems!) i feel like we are trying our hardest with limiting calcium, reduced pellets (now from piggie parcels), filtering water, only feeding peppers and cucumber now (was also one sprig of coriander before recommendation from vet) and not a lot of forage but i’m still worried we’re maybe not doing enough?

obviously be discussing with the vet more when we collect the girls this afternoon, and ill be asking when / if a bladder flush is recommended.

can grass be a contributor to sludge?
 
Lucy3733 said:
That's good she doesn't have a stone. Has she ever tried cartophen? I forgot to ask when I went because I was expecting a repeat of an x-ray. My vet is ringing me with how I can get gabapentin later so I was going to ask. Seen some good comments on here about it working.
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i don’t believe so, will have to look into it! hope everything goes okay with the gabapentin! is it every wee shes crying or on / off?
 
piggiemummy03x said:
i don’t believe so, will have to look into it! hope everything goes okay with the gabapentin! is it every wee shes crying or on / off?
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Last week she was just crying a lot, including poos night and day. Since late Wednesday night it's been just overnight and it's hard to see what she's doing. My theory is she feels safer at night and hides her pain during the day.
 
Lucy3733 said:
Last week she was just crying a lot, including poos night and day. Since late Wednesday night it's been just overnight and it's hard to see what she's doing. My theory is she feels safer at night and hides her pain during the day.
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bless her.. could it be pain meds running out? della seems to get worse just before her pm metacam so figured it was probably that running out! but sometimes has days when its all the way through but like on / off. its so strange!
 
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