[Gpdd] Health: Can a Male Pig Pass a Bladder Stone?

[pat schuett]

Hi Cindy,
I'm so sorry to hear you and Eddie are still having difficulties.
I do think it's possible for a male pig to pass a stone, but it would have to be a very small stone and a very lucky piggy (and slave).  According to my vet, even with a small stone it's so painful once it gets into the urinary passage that the piggy will clench his muscles, usually stopping the stone in mid-passage.  
My vet was once able to work a stone out of my piggy Horatio's penis.  It had gotten stuck halfway through and was almost completely blocking the urine flow.  The vet was intending to push it backwards into his bladder and do a regular stone removal, but once Horatio got the pre-surgery pain medication and anesthetic, his muscles relaxed and she discovered it was easier to push the stone forwards than backwards; within a few minutes she was able to work it out the end.  (The vet herself was amazed she was able to do this, and told me she had always been advised never to even consider trying it.)  
Only another x-ray or an ultrasound could tell you conclusively whether Eddie has a stone at the moment.  Are you seeing a normal amount of urine in his cage?  You are correct that these awful stones can form very quickly,  but if there was no stone at all two weeks ago, it seems as if there might be something different bothering Eddie.  
Is he on any pain medication?  I would definitely be giving him something; children's ibuprofen is safe and works well for piggies --- it also helps with inflammation as well as pain.  If he responds positively to the pain medication, that might give you some extra information about the cause of his problem, though almost any kind of urinary difficulties would involve some discomfort and inflammation so it does not narrow things down very much.
Good luck --- I have had several stone pigs and know just how you are feeling right now.  Feel better, little Eddie!
Pat and the Prairie Pigs