Aetiopathogenesis of Bovine Obstructive Urolithiasis

Urolithiasis in countries like India presents an important economic repercussion where cattle - based agriculture is strongly linked with the livelihood of an important segment of the population. Investigations on clinical studies on obstructive urolithiasis in cattle calves, were carried out from October 2006 - April 2008 with the objectives of studying the aetiopathogenesis of the disease. Thirty clinical cases of obstructive urolithiasis with 15 ruptured and 15 intact urinary bladders were brought to the clinics for the treatment during the study period. Diagnosis of the disease was made on the basis of history of anuria, clinical signs, radiographic, ultrasonographic, haematobiochemical, and peritoneal fluid examinations. Most of the calves suffering from obstructive urolithiasis had the history of feeding on diets containing wheat bran, commercial cattle feed, rice bran and rice straw. Wheat bran alone and in combination with other feed and fodder was given to maximum 76.66 per cent calves. Herbal litholytic agent (Tab. Cystone) was the most commonly used medication, which was used alone in 19 per cent and in combination with other drugs in 47.61 per cent cases. Under field conditions diuretics were the second most common drugs administered to the calves under study, before their presentation at the faculty clinics. In 90 per cent cases struvite was the only component of the calculi, while in rest of the cases other minor components like calcium phosphate, calcium carbonate, oxalate etc., were also found. High concentrate feeding with little provision of water during winter months seemed to be the most prominent predisposing factors for the development of the disease.