[Stones] stones -how to prevent...

[S Mogensen]

Hi Tex
Thank you for your answer.
No I am not looking for a calcium/phosphor ratio chart, I already know how 
to calculate this, but thanks:) The calculation I would like to be able to 
make is one where you can calculate if a certain food item creates acid or 
alkali in the urine, I have read about this German doctor Ragnar Berg who is 
world famous among vegetarians who was able to calculate this, but can not 
find the calculation anywere:(.
I know that a acidic urine can make calsiumoxalate (I almost newer feed 
spinach by the way:)) stones form, but I am not trying to make the pigs 
urine acidic... just less alkali:
I have tested the urine on several of my gp´s and found that the ones with 
stone problems (mostly not real stones but visible crystals who mostly gets 
peed out so far) has urine with ph 8.5-9 and the ones with no problems has 
urine with ph 7,5-8, as you see both groups has alkali urine and this is 
also how it is supposed to be, I know that. The problem is just that the 
ones forming stones has a bit more alkali urine and therefore the crystals 
has a chance to get bigger before they are peed out. Crystals in the urine 
irritates the urinary tract which leads to blatter infections... and should 
therefore be prevented...
I have had my vet on this subject but she is not much help... she has even 
asked (world famous?) Mette the vette with not more success... But one thing 
the vet has found out is the same as I have guessed my self: by feeding the 
stone pigs with something that can make their urine more acidic (read it as: 
less alkalic) we might be able to get rid of those pesky blatter 
infections... I have tried dry cranberry capsules with good result but they 
are not eating them willingly and is to much of a job for me to feed it to 
them each day

Crystals can also get so large from time to time that they cloth the urinary 
tract and has to be manually removed... not a real massive stone but 
something is stopping the urine anyways... This has happened to a sow of 
mine recently, she is recovering fine now after a visit to the vet, but if I 
do not change her vegetable diet it is bound to come again... The dry food 
is ok I am sure because I use the same as almost every other breeder in DK 
and only a few has this problem, as far as I know... Funny but the ones I 
have talked with about this who has problems are also the ones who feed many 
vegetables as my self...  So "statistic" shows me that it is the vegetables 
that is the problem...
/Susan