[Gpdd] Health: Re: Brownie Bear's Stone Analysis

[Leah McNeil]

Hello Slaves,
Tex, the owner of the Stone Digest, wrote me
and informed me that I was given misinformation
and I wanted to correct myself. I would never
want to give my fellow Slaves wrong information.
Apparently, my Brownie Bear has a type of
bladder stone you don't want to have (Boo hoo!).
So, please read his message below:

*******************************************************
Leah,

I feel bad about this, but I have to tell you. I
believe the vet tech was wrong. Calcium Oxalate stones
are the ones that are easier to control by
diet. The stones with oxalte in them (usually the
outer shell) are often formed by feeding too much
foods with oxalic acid (such as spinach, etc.).
This acid reacts with the calcium crystals that are
excreted normally in the urine (calcium carbonate is
basically limestone), and forms an oxalate-based
shell. The process is kind of how a pearl forms. These

stones are often found to have a nidus (core) when
analyzed.

Calcium carbonate stones, on the other hand, usually
don't have a nidus. We don't know why they form, and
techniques that work on keeping them from forming in
one piggie may not work on another piggie. The most 
successful methods used to keeping calcium carbonate
stones in remission have been a combination of diet
and usually one of the "experimental" techniques 
such as polycitra-K syrup or actigal (a human
gallstone medicine that isn't supposed to work on
calcium stones, but does in some cases). 

My Smidgen had calcium carbonate stones. He was
stone-free for a year until they came back, and had
three more surgeries at closer intervals. The second
recurrance was because we did nothing but diet
modification; in addition, the calcium/phosphorus
balance was wrong (phosphorus was too high, as a
result of feeding lots of low calcium, but high
phosphorus grains such as oatmeal). We tried actigal
after the third surgery, but that did not work either.

The biggest things that may help keep Brownie Bear in
remission are lots and lots of extra water (try and
play "water games" with her to get her to drink more),
and close attention to diet. In addition, you may want
to start one of the experimental therapies (polycitra
syrup or actigal) sooner rather than later.

I hope the other members of the list will help recount
what has worked well for them to help you decide how
to proceed.

Tex
*******************************************************

Brownie Bear is drinking a lot more water now (about
3-4 ounces a day), but I'm going to go back to syringe
feeding her even more now. And I am going to look
into one of the experimental therapies that Tex
mentioned above.

Thank You Tex for correcting me and for the info on
the experimental therapies!!!

    Have a Good Wheeeeeeeeeeeeekend!
        Love 'n Wheeeeeeeeeps,
            Leah...Slave to Brownie Bear :-)

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