Does cranberry juice actually help with bladder stones/UTI?

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serelixyue

Post   » Wed Mar 30, 2011 3:34 pm


I've had two vets told me that cranberry juice does NOT help a piggy with bladder stones/UTI problems. She said that the juices inside a pig is different than that of humans, and cranberrry juice would have NO effect on a pig.

But I think a number of GL members still feed our pigs cranberry juice nonetheless? There can't be any harm to it...so I thought it's always worth a try, isn't it? Can you give too MUCH cranberry juice?

Snowy has blood in her urine, probably an UTI, and the first thing I did was buy unsweetened cranberry juice, I've been mixing her critical care with crnaberry juice and water instead of just water, and she seems to like it the same. Do any of you guys mix critical care with juice isntead? and do they work, or not?

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Regiane
Cavy Slave Since '08

Post   » Wed Mar 30, 2011 3:41 pm


About the cranberry juice, as far as I know it can help to prevent urinary problems. I don't know if it would help with an existing problem, but it won't hurt.

Cinnabuns Legacy

Post   » Wed Mar 30, 2011 3:45 pm


I don't know if it would help with stones, but it's known to help cats, people, and dogs with bladder health and urinary tract infections, I've been told by doctors to take cranberry supplements or 100% cranberry juice for UTIs. If it's straight cranberry juice with no added sugar or other additives it really can't hurt.

I know when my mother's dog was diagnosed with bladder stones I bought her some berry balance which has cranberry and blueberry powder and that really seemed to help (in addition to antibiotics).

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rshevin

Post   » Wed Mar 30, 2011 4:28 pm


My avatar pig, Piggy, was a stone pig. I did feel like fresh, whole cranberries increased his comfort level. I think I have 3-4 a day with the veggie meal. They're highly seasonal and hard to get. Have you ever even seen them for sale there?

He wouldn't take anything with cranberry juice in it though. I had to force syringe it, and that wasn't practical on a long term basis. Cranberries are close enough to a pig's natural, normal diet that I feel it's a 'do no harm' treatment.

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CavyPrincesses

Post   » Wed Mar 30, 2011 7:45 pm


I mixed Cranberry Juice to water bottle sometimes to my pigs when I see they got gritty pee.. They somehow helped but I am not sure if its because I also changed the diet xD But it really wont hurt. Plus they love it and fight over the water bottle.

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merrie

Post   » Wed Mar 30, 2011 8:23 pm


I hope Snowy is feeling better soon. I've given cranberry juice via syringe to both my pigs and buns, especially my sludge-prone bun Bella. I can't say I've really noticed any difference, to be honest, but it definitely doesn't hurt, mine seem to like it, and it has the psychological benefit of making me feel like I'm doing something proactive. So why not?

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AldenM1
Supporter in '21

Post   » Wed Mar 30, 2011 9:46 pm


My pigs had rosemary and cranberry Oxbow treat. They looked at it a little skeptically in the palm of my hand, so I poured a little over their pellets, and it's ALL gone today. Both the rosemary and the cranberries.

Apropos of nothing, I guess, except if you wanted to give them more cranberries in another form.

rockharder81

Post   » Wed Mar 30, 2011 9:56 pm


This is an unscientific observation, but I have noticed that since I stopped giving my boys fresh cranberries daily, both of them have had grittier pee. I thought ahead enough to throw two bags in the freezer around the holidays, so I'm going back to them ASAP. I just have to thaw them under warm water before giving them. They sem to keep enough crunch that they will both eat them, as opposed to letting them thaw slowly and having them be mushy.

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PinkRufus
Contributor in 2020

Post   » Wed Mar 30, 2011 10:52 pm


Cranberry juice supposedly cuts down on the incidence of UTIs by 50%. It is a preventative, not a cure. Since UTIs can possibly be a contributing factor in the formation of stones, keeping them at bat may also reduce the occurrence of stones.

I give my stone pigs fresh cranberries when they are in season. I use unsweetened juice, freeze dried or powdered cranberry sprinkled on their greens the rest of the time.

Cranberry juice is mentioned on this page:
https://www.guinealynx.info/uti.html

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Lynx
Celebrate!!!

Post   » Wed Mar 30, 2011 11:17 pm


Thanks for writing that. I was going to explain it.

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PinkRufus
Contributor in 2020

Post   » Wed Mar 30, 2011 11:20 pm


Too late to edit: I meant to say keeping them at bay, not at bat. :-)

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serelixyue

Post   » Wed Mar 30, 2011 11:33 pm


oh it's so nice to wake up in the morning and find a wealth of responses :) thank you!!

Q 1: If cranberry juice is a an effective preventative measure...then would you suggest I feed a little to my pigs a few times a week?

Q 2: how much do I feed? do I dilute it in water 1:1 and syringe feed? I currently mix with critical care...

Q 3: how do you know your pig is a stone pigs....by observing their urine, etc. But I have 7 girls in one cage, maybe I'll just them all a little a day

Berrie are always expensive at the supermarket, I'm sure I've seen cranberries but very very rarely. We get a lot of blueberries and blackberries.

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