[Stones] oxalobacter; water

[ABSiev at aol.com]

My piggie Skippy had a flush to remove sludge only 3 months ago, and is now 
at the vet recovering from surgery to remove an ENORMOUS bladder stone that 
formed in this short time despite dietary adjustments etc.  (His brother is there 
with him for moral support.  His brother - littermate, twin, same exact diet 
- is 100% stone free.)

My research tells me there is a cure for this - several studies have shown 
pretty clearly that the beneficial bacterium oxalobacter formigenes is missing 
in repeat oxalate stone formers, and present in the guts of the rest of us. It 
produces an enzyme that breaks down oxalate.  It is being manufactured for 
supplementation in a frozen paste form but only for clinical trials; nobody 
anywhere has any available for those of us who need it now.  The company OxThera 
Technologies says they expect it to be available in about a year.  They are 
making OC-3 (oxalobacter) and OC-4 (the enzyme itself).

Meanwhile, I wonder if anyone has anything on water and stone formation.  Dr. 
Sitinas looked at the x-ray and said "what's in your water?" because one of 
my previous piggies, Byron, was a chronic stone former, and Dr. S doesn't see 
many piggies with bladder stones even though he's a superb "exotics" vet.  My 
water, as it happens, is very soft, low in minerals, and I run it through a 
Brita filter before giving it to my pigs.  It does have fluoride.  Any data on 
that?  I can give them Poland Spring or something but bottled water is high in 
minerals, isn't it?  And distilled water doesn't seem like a good idea.

My only other thought is the hay itself.  Their primary hay used to be Oxbow 
orchard grass, but the last few months it's been KleenMama mountain grass.  
Anyone have any experience with different hays and stone formation?

Dr. Sitinas was certain it has nothing to do with diet and is just a genetic 
metabolic error, but he is very intrigued by the oxalobacter studies.

Amy
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