Stones Possible bladder stones

I had a boar pass a stone on his own, but it is extremely rare for this to happen. He passed it during the night over a weekend when my vet was closed, and I found it the next morning when I went to clean out the cage: small, perfectly round, white, hard, and about the size of a B.B. I recognized that it was a miracle that he had passed the thing. A few months later when he developed more stones, I didn't fool around expecting him to pass them; I took him to the vet and booked him for surgery. Unfortunately, if your vet is closed this weekend, I'm not sure of anything you could do to help... Did your vet do an x-ray when he/she put your pig on antibiotics?

Turns out the vet is open for a few hours on Saturday so they were able to see us. She suspects bladder stones so we're going back next week for an x-ray and possibly blood tests. In the mean time we were given septrin and tramadol(he didn't tolerate a different anti inflammatory the last time) if he has any pain pooping. But she said tramadol can act as a sedative and can make pigs hallucinate,so if it happens to only give half the dose the next time. I'm so worried,I wonder if I should give half the dose the first time.
He didn't have an x-ray before I guess because he had clear early URI symptoms so there was no need. I guess it's a coincidence that he started having pain pooping the day he finished his URI treatment.

Update on Piggy, the little guy had an x-ray, unfortunately they couldn't get a blood sample. He has early arthritis, which is why he was uncomfortable pooping. He spent three nights at the vet's, eating and pooping fine the whole time, so he was able to come home. He is now on meloxidyl once a day for 2 weeks, septrin twice a day for a week and zantac twice a day for 2 weeks. He seems comfortable, eating everything, poop is mostly good, though some are still small, and I saw three small ones strung together a couple of hours ago, I am pretty concerned about those, but I haven't seen any more. We have a follow up appointment in a few days. Fingers crossed for piglet

Try adding some BeneBac about 60-90 minutes after the Septrim. Septrim isn't as hard on the gut as some other antibiotics, but the probiotic won't hurt and may help.

Littlepig said:

unfortunately they couldn't get a blood sample.

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Not only is it difficult to get a blood sample from a cavy, it rarely reveals any truly useful information (unlike humans). I wouldn't be concerned about it.........nor would I agree to it in the future. From my experience, they are just an unnecessary expense.

Ditto @spy9doc.

I have been giving avipro plus twice a day after the septrin. I'm sure the poo would be even stranger without it. Zantac also seems to be doing the job.
I've read that glucosamine can be helpful as well.
He's 6 years old, very happy old pig, I hope I can give him a good quality of life, and perhaps he can give me a couple more years even.
I have many questions for the vet at our next appointment, I'm afraid I was so happy to see him and bring him home that I forgot to ask half the stuff

Oh no, today at floor time he coughed three times, and I heard soft sneezes a few times in the last two days.He was treated for a URI a few weeks ago with baytril, and since then has been on septrin twice a day for the last three weeks. The x-ray didn't show anything wrong in his lungs and we were given the all clear even before that. Is it possible that the URI is back?? We do have a follow up appointment in three days.

Watch him closely, but it doesn't necessarily mean it's back. I have a little man who has been a cougher since he was a baby. I always worry every time I hear it, but I know for him it's normal. He gets a little over exuberant in his hay.
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Only you know your pig best. Are there signs of a discharge from his eyes or nose? Lethargy? As I said, monitor him closely. You should be able to tell if he's worsening.

He is an occasional cougher, he's always done it maybe once a week when eating vegetables too greedily. No discharge, and he didn't have that or other symptoms the last time either, it was a very early URI. But the last time I heard him cough so many times in a row was before he was diagnosed with a URI he's acting normally though. It's been quite a rollercoaster with this little guy, first a URI, then suspected stones (none found luckily), now arthritis, and again coughing now although it was three times in a row earlier, he hasn't coughed in hours

My little fella Punkin coughs multiple times a day. Almost always after diving headfirst into a hay pile. I know exactly what you mean by rollercoaster. I went through it with both Pooper, and now going through it for 18 months with Sly.

Is he on medication for the arthritis? I found once Sly was on it for pain management, he's improved quite a bit.

He's been on meloxidyl once a day for 4 days. There's without a doubt a huge improvement,he's more himself. He's also on zantac which has helped with his appetite and pooping. While on antibiotics he lost the appetite for some vegetables, no problems with that now. However I did see him experience slight pain once today when pooping, but the vet did say it may happen occasionally. But absolutely no pain in the days before or since. I am still concerned about him not eating the special poos. I'm guessing the medication has put him off them?? Maybe even pain from arthritis, though now that he's not in pain, I still don't see him eat those

He may eat them when you won't notice.

I hope so, I used to see him do it all the time, kinda stand up a little, bend over and reach for his bum, maybe now he just picks them up after

I used to see Sly do it all the time, also. But I've not seen him do it since the troubles with his teeth started, and that was 18 months ago. Sly also deals with arthritis, so it could very well be that he doesn't curl himself up to do it anymore, either.

How is Sly doing on his medication? Is it also meloxidyl, perhaps under another name? Is there anything we should know? I appreciate any advice, since you have experience, it's only been less than a week since my pig's diagnosis, so I've no idea what to expect. I've gotten some glucosamine from a health shop, and I'll ask the vet how much and how to give it to him.

Poor piggy was doing really well until 3 days ago when the pain came back, he's still on metacam in the morning and tramadol in the evening, and still he has pain pooping. Waiting for the vet to get back to us, but I honestly don't know what else there is to investigate, x-ray showed no stones and the arthritis is very early. I just don't understand why the medication has stopped working

I'm sorry, @Littlepig. I didn't see your question until just now.

I have had Sly on the Oxbow Joint support tablets at night, and the Liquid glucosamine (1ml syringe) in the morning for approximately a year and a half. I was hoping it would help to ward off any arthritis, but he seemed to develop it in his jaw anyway.

Even though he is on the metacam, he still seems to walk somewhat funny sometimes. Almost like his back legs are stiff, and if he's lying down and gets startled to the point where he runs, he has a lot of trouble walking. He pretty much stumbles until his legs loosen up. I KNOW the metacam helps him, he's so much more active and happy now that he's been on it.

I do very much hope whatever is wrong with Piggy gets resolved. It's so heartbreaking when your little furry babies are in pain.

Thank you for your reply. I have ordered joint support, and I was told to crush the glucosamine and sprinkle on his food in the mean time.
Every account of pigs with arthritis says metacam helps, I really don't understand why it has stopped working for us. Yesterday he looked like he was straining for a second, then arched his whole body like I've never seen before, I've only ever seen cats do it to that extreme. Then he bent over normally and ate some of his night poos( he started eating them again a few days ago, something to be happy about).The vet said to try giving him tramadol twice a day as well as the same dose of metacam once a day to see if it helps. I haven't seen any side effects from the tramadol, he's not sleepy or anything. I am also giving zantac to help with appetite and pooping. She also agreed that since we have found the problem, we need to find suitable pain management, she was very surprised to hear that the pain relief has stopped working, and doesn't know what the reason for the pain may be. I may have to bring him in sooner than the next scheduled appointment. Despite the pain pooping he is perfectly fine otherwise, jumping and running without a problem, the poos themselves look normal.