Urolithiais: Male Goat Disease

1212 Words3 Pages

Urolithiais is a common and sometimes dangerous condition that is frequently seen in goats with males more commonly affected than females. Left untreated this disease can quickly lead to serious complications, such as a ruptured urethra, a ruptured bladder, or death. This condition is caused when uroliths form somewhere in a goat’s urinary tract and become lodged, and the goat is unable to pass them. Urolithiasis can cause the goat to be unable to urinate, despite the fact that urine is still being produced. Several different factors play a role in a goat’s chances of developing urolithiasis. For example, a goat’s diet and amount of water he drinks play a role in his chance to develop this condition. In addition, the age, breed, and sex of a goat, and the PH of his urine can affect the likelihood of a goat being diagnosed with urolithiasis. There are several different types of uroliths that can form, depending on the goat’s diet. For instance, silica uroliths are commonly found in goats that have been grazing on silica-rich material. Another type of urolith that can form due to problems with a goat’s diet is calcium carbonate uroliths. This type of urolith is formed when a goat’s diet has excess amounts of calcium. One of the more common types of uroliths found in goats is struvite uroliths. Struvite uroliths are caused by an improperly balanced calcium phosphorus ratio. A proper Ca: P ratio for goats is around 2:1; if the goat is fed a diet that is too high in phosphorus and too low in calcium, struvite uroliths are likely to develop. Sturvite uroliths are commonly caused by high grain diets, due to the excess phosphorus in the diet.

High grain diets will increase phosphorus levels and decrease salvia production. Salvia is ben...

... middle of paper ...

...of recovery and observation it is determined that the surgery has relieved Pepper’s obstruction. He was no longer exhibiting symptoms that signaled he was in pain, and he was able to urinate regularly. To help ensure Pepper did not form any more stones, Mr. Smith was sent home with a urinary acidifier, ammonium chloride to lower the PH of Pepper’s urine. Mr. Smith was instructed to give Pepper one teaspoon once a day by mixing it into one to two gallons of fresh water. Mr. Smith is told to come back in a week or two to retest Pepper’s urine to see if he needs to continue on the acidifier and to check for crystals. In addition, it was recommended for Mr. Smith to ensure that the diet Pepper is eating has a properly balanced calcium phosphorus ratio. Hopefully with the surgery, urinary acidifier, and correct diet Pepper will not have another problem with urolithiasis.

More about Urolithiais: Male Goat Disease

Open Document