Goat Urinary Calculi info(updated page 3)

[Chris09]

I have well water and it shouldnt bother them and pygmy goast can get it (weathers and billys)

 

[mandolinmama]

Quote:
I wish everyone would come over there! I posted a question earlier and there's nothing but crickets there.

Sorry for the thread hijack.

 

[cutiepieacres]

Ths little guy is a pygmy.

I havent heard back yet on how he is this evening. But this morning when she came to pick him up he started dribbling quite a bit and she called after she got home and said he just flooded the driveway when she got him back so we are hoping he is passing the stones.

She did call the vet and I havent heard back on what they said. I did talk to a friend that uses the same vet we do and she has 2 UC survivors that had new procedure done on them that came out well, so that may be an option if he still has stones that may block him.

 

[Chris09]

do you know what kind of feed is she feeding and amount of Protein in it?

 

[toredano]

I had a Nubian buck with UC.. the first time they cut the process off ( vet) .
Second time it was so far up the vet suggested maybe a catheter on the side of his belly or at the hind quraters but he also said they like ot rip them out . So we made the desision to have him euthanized.
Vet said ( who specializes in farm animals) said its a feeding issue.Allthough I had them of goat feed. a lick stone .. plenty of fresh water and on top free ranging on Kudzu, weeds ,gras whatnot, etc.. it still happend. I cried for days. That little dude was a sweetheart

He was in a lot of pain.. strained alot and would only dribble. once he got the UC off.. wow it was like the dam broke.He showed me the pepple he got out.It was allmost the size of a BB.

Second time he wasnt so lucky.
UC is a bad thing.. if you can cut the part off ( it will only bleed minimal for a bit) then he should be ok.But it will more than likely come back if the food isnt changed and the mineral balance isnt changed

Good luck >i hope he makes it

 

[cutiepieacres]

In talking with my friend that has her two UC survivors one had it 4 years ago and is still going strong with no relapses the other was just given to her and treated a few months ago and she feeds her UC boys grass hay only, they are on a rye grass now, that is what they are staying stone free on.

This little wether that is undergoing UC issues now was on the same thing all my goats are on as well as the owners other two goats including a 2 year old wether and that is an alfalfa pellet which is phos:ca balanced.

According to our vet feed does have a lot to do with it but he also said in a whole herd of goats only 1 or 2 may develop UC on the same exact diet meaning some goats may just be more prone to issues with UC and may need a special diet even though everyone else does fine with the "normal stuff". Luckily this vet is the same vet who treated my above friends boys as well as many others so we are very optimistic that this little guy has a chance for recovery.

As of tonight he is sill able to urinate and first thing monday morning(the vet was confident he will be ok until then, if he blocks up at any point between now and then he did give us his emergency #) he will go in for an ultrasound to look for any more stones and if there are he will undergo the treatment where they empty his bladder and then inject a chemical into it that will dissolve the stones and they flush them out guided by the ultrasound(not sure if I had it all correct but somthing to that effect). In any case it's not as invassive as sugery and the vet says he has had much better results.

 

[cutiepieacres]

Just thought I add a pic of this little guy, of course he is much bigger now and has some bucky features at the moment but he is just as swet as can be and loves his people.

He no longer belongs to me but only lives about 3 miles down the road and all my babies come with lifetime support so that no matter what, their owners always have somewhere to turn in any situation. Each special little goat was born here and I feel responsible for their well being.

 

[username taken]

no no no no no no no

it has nothing to do with protein levels

Give me a few hours guys, and I'll write up Urinary Calculi 101 for you if you like, complete with pictures

But bear with me, I've just got back from a 12 hr road trip delivering goaties

FWIW I've had great success with urethral process amputation, perineal urethrostomy, and a bit of a variation on the perineal urethrostomy, that we jokingly called Keren's Patented Abdominal Urethrostomy.

 

[toredano]

Taken off a website .. this is dead on.



Urinary Calculi, commonly called known as "Water Belly," is a urinary-tract disease in goats. Urinary Calculi prevents both urination and breeding in males. Female goats can but seldom do contract Urinary Calculi because of the straightness and shortness of their urethra. The twists and turns of the longer male urethra make passing solid particles difficult at best and impossible at worst. Urinary Calculi is a disease that can and does kill goats quickly.

Urinary Calculi is almost always the result of improper feeding by the producer. A proper calcium to phosphorus ratio in feed, hay, and minerals is critical; this ratio should be 2-1/2 to 1. Although the disease is called Urinary Calculi, the real culprit is phosphorus -- specifically too much phosphorus in relation to the amount of calcium in the diet. Feeding too much grain concentrates and/or feeding grain concentrates with an improper calcium-to-phosphorus ratio is a major cause of Urinary Calculi. Overfeeding or improper feeding of grain concentrates causes solid particles to develop in the urine; these solid particles block the flow of urine out of the goat's body, causing great pain, discomfort, and oftentimes death. Producers who have experienced urinary-tract stones themselves will understand the seriousness of and pain associated with this condition.

Besides grain concentrates, there are other factors affecting the calcium-to-phosphous ratio in the goat's diet. If the minerals being fed have the proper calcium-to-phosphorus ratio and the goats are not being fed a diet heavy in grain concentrates, then the producer should have both water and hay tested for mineral content. Many types of hay (Bermuda is one example) are high in phosphorus. Hay fertilized with chicken litter will be even higher in phosphorus levels. Adding calcium carbonate (ground limestone) to goat minerals can help bring the calcium-to-phosphorus ratio back to the 2-1/2 to 1 range. However, it is essential to work with a goat nutritionist to find the right amount of calcium carbonate to add to the mineral mixture to get these ratios on target

 

[cutiepieacres]

I am very aware that UC is caused by improper cahos ratio and not protien levels. As I said all my goats are on a 2-2 1/2:1 balanced diet and I always make sure I read labels on any feed they get. I personally feed a meat goat ration(grain) that is also 2:1 and contains ammonium cholride and I have never had issues with any goats at my house.

This little guy left at 2 months of age so he was on a differet diet, though he was getting the same exact hay pellet, I know he was getting a tiny bit of grain but I am not sure if its what I feed or not....I need to ask.

I am not sure what the balance is on the grass hay but horses also need 2:1 and do very well on just grass hay. The only diet my friends boys can handle without raising their chance for stones are grasses as she did try them on a balanced alfalfa diet and still had issues, she tests blood and/or urine 2-4 times per year on these boys to ensure they are at the proper levels. She does give them a blanced mineral and other than that they get free choice rye grass.