Caprine Health continued

Urinary Stones in Goats

Why Stones Form

Stones are caused by improper diet. Diets unbalanced in calcium and phosphorus are a major factor in the creation of some stones. The calcium-to-phosphorus ration should be 2:1 to 2.5:1. A diet that is unbalanced or too rich in either of these minerals can lead to stone formation. Excess calcium leads to calcium carbonate or calcium oxalate stones, while excess phosphorous leads to struvite (magnesium ammonium phosphate) stones.

Other dietary problems include eating forage that is grown in silicate rich soils (leading to silicate stones), or forages high in oxalates, which lead to oxalate stone formation. Also, intermittent large feedings and water deprivation contribute to stone formation.

Symptoms of Stones

The goat may show the following symptoms: pawing, restlessness, looking at its abdomen, tail twitching, vocalization, or other signs of colic. He may strain to urinate, and may prolapse his rectum in the process. This act could be confused with constipation. There may be drops of bloody urine, or crystals on the hairs aroung the prepuce. If the urethra has ruptured, the abdomen may be swollen (water belly) and the goat may lose its appetite and become depressed.

Treatment

Most treatments require the aid of a veterinarian. These include: flushing, surgicalremoval of the stones or pizzle, penile urethrostomy, and tubal cystotomy. If you suspecturinary stones, contact your vet as soon as possible to avoid costly complications.

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Prevention

The key to prevention is proper diet. Pet, hobby and show goats tend to be overfed grains and alfalfa by their well-meaning owners. Grains are high in phosphorus relative to calcium, thus upsetting the optimum Ca:P ratio discussed above. Alfalfa hay is higher in calcium than grass hay which can also upset the balance.

Avoid too much grain or pelleted ration. Feed frequent small meals and allow grazing in between. Also, always provide plenty of water. Check the waterers often to check for fecal contamination, debris, freezing (in winter) or any other factor that would reduce intake of water.

Bucks that are intended as pets should be castrated after the onset of puberty (3 to 6 months of age) to allow the urethra to mature.

An increase in dietary salt promotes water intake, and a bladder containing dilute urine with a higher chloride ion level is less likely to form calculi. A salt lick may not be used by the goat in large enough quantities, so salt can be applied directly to the feed, either applied loosely on moistened feed or mixed into just enough water to dissolve it and sprayed on hay. Consult with your local veterinarian or nutritionist for specific dosage reccomendations.

Another preventative additive is ammonium chloride, which helps to acidify the urine. This makes the crystal components more soluble, and the goat will be more likely to urinate them out than form stones.

Generally, commercial meat goat producers shouldn't have to worry about urinary stones in wethers because animals are slaughtered at a relatively young age and there is less tendency to misfeed grains and alfalfa. If a market wether does develop stones it is often much cheaper to slaughter the animal at the onset rather than try veterinary treatments which can run from $100 up to the thousands.

Jackie Nix is an Agricultural Extension Agent with the North Carolina Cooperative Extension Service. You may e-mail questions to her at Jackie_Nix@ces.ncsu.edu . This and other goat related information can be found at her website at http://www.ces.ncsu.edu/lenoir/staff/jnix/Ag/Goat/

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