UROLITHIASIS In Male Goats

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UROLITHIASIS In Male Goats

• Marie S. Bulgin
• University of Idaho
• Caine Veterinary Center

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Urolithiasis

• Uro urine
• Lith stone
• Iasis condition
• Commonly referred to as calculi
• or stones

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So What Causes Stones?

• Urine is a highly saturated solution of minerals
  
• Something (?) causes certain minerals to come out
  of solution or precipitate
• Once a precipitate forms, more minerals tend to
  deposit on the nidus (an organic matrix of dead
  cells) and the stone grows in size

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Continued

• Urolithiasis occurs when the stone becomes
  too large to pass clear through the urethral
  passage.

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Reproductive system of the buck
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What Causes The Minerals To Precipitate?

• They tend to precipitate when
• A nidus is present to accumulate around
• The urine becomes too concentrated (not drinking
  enough water)
• Certain combination of minerals are present
  together
• Certain salts become unbalanced

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Nidus

• The cells that line the inside of the bladder are
  normally sloughed into the urine and discharged
• Estrogens tend to cause an increase in sloughing
  (such as high estrogenic clovers or implants)
• Bladder infections or inflammations (cystitis)
  increase sloughing
• These situations are usually not a problem in our
  area or in goats, in general.

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Urine Can Become Too Concentrated When

• The animals do not drink enough water
• The water freezes
• The water is too cold and they do not want to
  drink something cold in cold weather
• The water tank is empty
• The water tastes bad
• We see an increase of urolithiasis in goats when
  the weather gets cold.

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Certain Combinations Of Minerals Come Together

• Calcium carbonate (smooth, round, gold stones
  look like B-B pellets) common to pasture
  particularly clover-rich pastures or where
  oxalate containing plants occur (halogeton,
  spinach, rhubarb, swiss chard, dock, lambs
  quarter, pig weed, antifreeze, excessive use of
  ascorbic acid)
• Oxalates bind calcium, which come unglued in
  urine, allowing the calcium to then bind with
  carbonate
• Most common stone found in goats in this area

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Struvite Crystals

• Magnesium ammonium phosphate crystals (look like
  sand)
• High phosphate diets (grains are high in
  phosphorus) when too high, phosphorus combines
  with magnesium and ammonium and forms a sand
• High magnesium is gt 0.6, even when CaP is
  balanced (2-2.51)
• Most common in feedlot animals (sheep cattle)

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Apatite Crystals

• Calcium phosphate
• High calcium and oxalate intake
• Often found in goats in other parts of the country

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Silica Stones

• Some semi-arid range lands have high silica
  content in forage
• Mostly seen in range animals

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The Role Of pH

• A high pH (alkaline) facilitates the
  precipitation of stones in the urine, forage
  eaters normally have urine with a high pH
• A low pH (acid) affects the solubility of certain
  salts
• A low urine pH aids in the solubility of
  phosphate, carbonate and silica compounds

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pH

• pH ranges from 0-14
• 7 is neutral
• 0-6.9 is acid
• 7.1-14 is alkaline
• The urine of forage eaters is alkaline
• The urine of grain and meat eaters is acid

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Other Factors Favoring Stones

• Mucopolysaccharides - associated with rapid body
  growth
• Certain feeds - cottonseed meal, milo
• Pelleted feeds - increase mucoproteins in the
  urine, which act as a matrix and cementing
  substance
• Vitamin A deficiency - desquamation of bladder
  lining cells

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Continued

• Diameter of urethra
• Wethers and steers are more at risk because
  castrated males have smaller urethras
• In cattle, the urethral diameter of late
  castrates (6-mo old, compared to early castrate,
  2-mo old) was found to be 8 larger and able to
  expel a calculus that was 14 larger
• Bulls urethras are twice as large as steers

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Preventing Stone Formation

• Balance Ca and P, it should be at least a 21
  ratio
• Increase water intake
• Feed NaCl - up to 4 in the diet (most sodium
  (Na) mineral combinations are soluble and water
  follows salt)
• Tank heaters for the winter months
• Be sure water is always clean, fresh, easily
  accessible and enough for all individuals

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Continued

• Acidify urine by feeding
• Ammonium chloride (10 gms/day)
• Biochlor at least ¼ lb/day
• Soychlor
• Deferment of castration

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Signs Of Urinary Blockage

• Straining, dribbling urine, kicking at abdomen,
  crying
• Often mistaken for constipation
• Drops of bloody urine
• Grit on hair of prepuce (struvite crystals)
• Subcutaneous swelling on ventral abdomen
  indicates rupture of urethra

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Continued

• Bladder will rupture within 24 - 48 hrs, if the
  urethra does not rupture first
• Discomfort is alleviated and earlier symptoms
  disappear
• Ensuing uremia causes depression, lack of
  appetite and death within 5 days
• The earlier the animal is seen by the
  veterinarian, the better chance it has of
  surviving!

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Treatment

• Depends where, what kind and how many stones are
  present
• It they are at the end of urethra, stuck in the
  urethral process or anywhere along the urethra
  that is accessible
• Tx Clip the process off or cut over the stone
  and remove it
• If only one stone, treatment should be
  successful. If there is a bladder full of
  stones, the problem will recur.

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Continued

• If struvite crystals are removed
• Tx Acidify the urine, which will dissolve the
  crystals in the bladder and keep the animal on a
  urine acidifier as a preventative.
• Good prognosis

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Calcium Carbonate Stones

• Even if the stones in the urethra are removed,
  there are always more in the bladder
• Tx Urethrotomy - cutting the penis above the
  blockage and bringing it out the back, just below
  the anus
• Lto (long term outcome) Not good, urine scald,
  bladder and kidney infections

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Abdominal Surgery

• Tubular cystotomy-
• TX Bladder is opened and the stones are
  removed. An indwelling catheter is placed in the
  bladder and taken out through the abdominal wall.
  The animal urinates via the catheter until the
  urethra unplugs. Then the catheter is removed.
• Probably the procedure of choice

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Continued

• Marsupialization of the bladder
• Generally done, when the tube cystotomy is not
  successful
• Bladder is permanently opened and attached to the
  ventral abdomen
• Opening is large enough that stones pass right
  through
• Bladder infections and urine scald are common and
  must be treated fairly frequently

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Recommendations

• Quit feeding treats
• Grass hay calcium and phosphate ratio is 11
• Alfalfa hay is 5.681
• A combination of half alfalfa and half grass
• hay gives approximately a 2.31 ration

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Continued

• Spray pasture with 24-D to kill broadleaf weeds,
  which tend to be oxalate accumulators
• Castrate late, after 6 months of age, if you can
  stand to wait that long
• Banding
• Tetanus vaccination required
• A local anesthetic should be used
• The scrotum should be removed 3 - 4 days after
  banding, leaving the band in place

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Urine Acidifiers

• Ammonium chloride or ammonium sulfate 1 gm/day.
• Goats eat salt at about ½ - 1 oz per day. Mix 50
  lbs of loose trace mineral salt with 2.5 lbs of
  ammonium chloride and feed free choice

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Urine Acidifiers

• Biochlor or Soychlor
• Feed approximately ¼ lb or 1 measuring cup per
  head per day
• Some goats do not like the taste
• Can be mixed with corn meal, cracked grains, or
  dried molasses to entice them to eat it
• Vitamin C
• Large doses irritate the bladder
• Body compensates after several days and it no
  longer acidifies the urine

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Questions??
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