Urolithiasis In Ruminants/Camelids

Question 1

Nidus + precipitation of materials =

Answer 1

Urolith

Question 2

Precipitation of minerals results from:

Answer 2

Concentrated urine

Question 3

5 things that can act as a nidus for stone formation:

Answer 3

Debris, casts, mucoprotein, cells, bacteria

Question 4

What are the biggest 4 predisposing factors for Urolithiasis in camelids/ruminants?

Answer 4

1. Being male
2. Inappropriate Ca:P
3. Poor water management
4. Weather

Question 5

What 2 things can can cause an inappropriate Ca:P in camelids/ruminants?

Answer 5

1. High phosphorus diet (to much grain + concentrated pellets)
2. High calcium diet (alfalfa hay!)

Question 6

How does poor water management contribute to urolithiasis?

Answer 6

Animals don’t want to drink nasty H2O
Need to make sure clean fresh water is available
Lack of H2O = making more concentrated urine to reserve water

Question 7

How does weather contribute as a predisposing factor to urolithiasis?

Answer 7

Cold weather = frozen water
No water = body makes more concentrated urine to save water

More concentrated urine = precipitation of minerals + Urolith formation

Question 8

What are 3 other important predisposing factors for urolithiasis in ruminants/camelids?

Answer 8

Age

Breed

Geography

Question 9

How does being male predispose to urolithiasis formation in ruminants/camelids?

Answer 9

Males have longer, narrower urethra

Question 10

How does age relate to Urolith formation?

Answer 10

Testosterone influence causes a wider urethra
(Young, in-tact males)

Young animals are also less likely to develop calcium carbonate stones because those crystals take a long time to form

Question 11

What breed are more predisposed to forming stones?

Answer 11

Breeds of African descent
(Boer, Pygmy, Nigerian Dwarf)

Question 12

How is geography tied to Urolith formation?

Answer 12

Silicate and oxalate stones are uncommon in Ohio and more common out west

Question 13

Normal ruminant on a normal balanced diet will have ______ salivary phosphate excretion
and _____ urinary phosphate excretion

Answer 13

Increased salivary excretion
Decreased urinary excretion

Question 14

A ruminant on a high phosphorus diet will have:

______ salivary phosphorus excretion

_______ urinary phosphorus excretion

Answer 14

Decreased

Increased

Question 15

Normal ruminant urine pH is _____

Answer 15

Alkaline

(7.2-8)

Question 16

Normal USG for ruminants is:

Answer 16

1.015, 1.035

Question 17

Fase positive or trace protein on a dipstick in a ruminant could be due to:

Answer 17

The naturally alkaline pH of their urine

Question 18

Normal Ruminant urine should not have glucose.

If you do see glucose in the urine, it could be due to:

Answer 18

Administration of alpha-2 agonist like xylazine

Question 19

What are the 2 most common places for stones to lodge in a ruminant/camelid?

Answer 19

Urethral process

Distal sigmoid flexure

Question 20

What is a third (slightly less common) place for stones to lodge in a ruminant?

Answer 20

Urethral diverticulum
(At ischial arch)

Question 21

If a stone is lodged in the urethral process of a goat, what is the likely first step in treatment?

Answer 21

Amputate it

Question 22

The urethral process is an _____ of the _____
Located at the _____ of the ______

Answer 22

Extension, urethra

Distal tip, penis

Question 23

The distal sigmoid flexure is the site of the insertion for the ________ muscle

Answer 23

Retractor penis

Question 24

The Sigmoid flexure in the urethra of a small ruminant allows stones to lodge because it is a
______ and has a ____ _____

Answer 24

Tight turn

Decreased diameter
(In comparison to rest of urethra)

Question 25

What are the 2 most common stone types you’ll see small ruminants present with in Ohio?

Answer 25

Struvites and Calcium carbonate stones

Question 26

Struvite crystals are chemically called:

Answer 26

Magnesium ammonium phosphate crystals

Question 27

What conditions do struvites form under?

Answer 27

Alkaline urine Low Ca: P ——> from diet low in calcium, high in phosphorus

Question 28

Struvite crystals on on urine sediment look like:

Answer 28

Coffin lids

Question 29

Macroscopiclly, Struvites look like:

Answer 29

Gritty, white-tan sand

Question 30

What is important to remember about struvites and diagnostic imaging?

Answer 30

Struvites are not radio-opaque! You ain’t gonna see them on rads

Question 31

Calcium carbonate crystals form due to:

Answer 31

High calcium ingestion (Legumes like alfalfa hay and clover hay are very high in calcium!) -hard water contains lots of calcium too

Question 32

Macroscopically, calcium carbonate crystals are:

Answer 32

Spherical and smooth and hard (not crushable)

Question 33

What is an important thing to remember about calcium carbonate crystals and diagnostic imaging?

Answer 33

Calcium carbonate crystals are radiodense! You will see them on rads!

Question 34

Silicate stones form due to:

Answer 34

Ingesting plants grown in sandy soils that are rich in Silica

Question 35

What geographic region are you more likely to diagnose a patient with silicate stones?

Answer 35

Western and southwestern US

Question 36

silicate stones look like:

Answer 36

Jacks! Very spiky and bowsery looking

Question 37

Oxalate stones form due to

Answer 37

Ingestion of plants with high oxalate content

Question 38

What stone type is rare in ruminants?

Answer 38

Oxalate stones

Question 39

Are oxalate stones radio-opaque?

Answer 39

Yes

Question 40

What can be mistaken for struvites in small ruminants?

Answer 40

Amorphous magnesium calcium phosphate crystals (They’re white, tan and gritty and are +/- radio-opaque) Can be troublesome when trying to treat and prevent stone formation