Most people think that avoiding urinary calculi in male goats is as easy as balancing the calcium and phosphorus ratio, but that's only the beginning.
We are talking to Dr. Robert VanSaun, professor of veterinary science and extension veterinarian at Penn State University, about all of the different types of urinary stones, what causes them, how to prevent them, and how to treat them.
Balancing calcium and phosphorus is only helpful for preventing struvite stones, and that may not even be helpful if the goat simply has too much phosphorus in the diet.
In addition to struvite stones, goats can wind up with calcium stones from consuming too much calcium, and unlike struvite stones, calcium stones cannot be prevented or treated by adding ammonium chloride to the goat's diet.
If you live in the western US, you may see more silica stones if your goats are consuming grasses that are high in silica.
This is a must-listen episode for anyone who has male goats, whether they are intact or not.
See full show notes here >> https://thriftyhomesteader.com/urinary-calculi-in-goats/
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