Uroperitoneum and bilateral renal rupture in a buck following urethral and urinary bladder obstruction due to carbonate apatite/struvite urolithiasis.

Urolithiasis is encountered less frequently in goats compared to other ruminants. When followed by lower urinary tract obstruction, it may, if not diagnosed and treated early, lead to urethral or bladder rupture,
azotemia and death. We describe a case of obstructive carbonate apatite/struvite urolithiasis in a buck, causing complete urethral and bladder blockage followed by bilateral renal rupture and uroperitoneum. A buck from a herd
from Asvestohori, Thessalonica, Greece, with a history of dysuria that had progressed to anuria and death was submitted for necropsy in May 2011. The other buck of the herd showed similar signs albeit to a milder degree. The
animals were fed straw, alfalfa hay, and commercial concentrates, and were allowed to graze for a few hours daily. The two months prior to presentation, the water supplied to the animals came from a well within the farm
compounds. On necropsy, perineal erythema, severe abdominal distention due to severe uroperitoneum and bilateral renal rupture were noted. A large number of spherical smooth olive-green stones 1mm to1.5cm in diameter was
present in the bladder and urethra, causing their complete obstruction, severe distention of the bladder, and hemorrhagic content throughout the urethral lumen. Bacterial culture of urethral samples in aerobic conditions was
negative. Chemical analysis showed that the uroliths were composed of struvite (40%) and carbonate apatite (60%). Urolithiasis in the buck may be due to carbonate apatite-struvite uroliths. Bilateral renal rupture and uroperitoneum
due to obstructive urolithiasis is rarely reported in the goat.