PATIENT OF THE MONTH

December’s Patient of the Month at Desert Pines Equine Medical and Surgical Center is not a horse but a goat. Billy Goat is a two and one-half year old Nubian Pygmy wether (castrated male) owned by the Binfield family. He was seen during emergency hours over Halloween weekend because he was quieter than normal, off feed, standing under himself in the hind, and acting uncomfortable. Lori Binfield said that Billy Goat was usually a very active and friendly goat and was concerned that he wasn’t acting himself. She took his heart rate, respiratory rate, body temperature, and looked at his gums. His heart rate and respiratory rate were a little elevated and Lori was unsure if Billy Goat passed any urine that day, so she decided to bring him to the office at DPEC.

When Billy Goat arrived at DPEC, he was quiet and depressed. His heart rate and body temperature were normal, but his respiratory rate continued to be increased. Billy Goat’s abdomen was also very tense and painful when palpated. Rumen contractions were heard with a stethoscope and determined to be normal (1-2 contractions per minute). Despite showing mild clinical signs of illness, Billy Goat remained uncomfortable and depressed.

A sick goat is often an emergency since it is their defensive instinct to act OK although they feel ill. It is also concerning if the sick goat is a wether, as they are prone to developing uroliths, also known as urinary stones. To help diagnose a goat with urinary stones, the goat is sedated and the tip of their penis is exposed (as this is where urinary stones often become stuck). This was done to Billy Goat, and sure enough a total of 5 urinary stones were found. Soon after, Billy Goat was dribbling quite a bit of urine. Billy Goat went home with instructions to stimulate his thirst by sprinkling a teaspoon of salt on his feed daily and to feed him a diet with an appropriate mineral balance like timothy hay. By stimulating his thirst, Billy Goat would continue to urinate and try to clear any stones that might remain. Feeding a diet with the appropriate mineral and energy balance is also helpful. Feeds that are high in magnesium, silica, carbohydrates, or have an unbalanced calcium to phosphorus ratio can increase the chances of forming urinary stones. Lori is also a veterinary technician at a small animal hospital, and she said she would take an x-ray of his abdomen the next time she would go to the office.

The next day, Lori said that Billy Goat was doing OK, but was concerned about how his x-ray looked. On his x-ray, there was a white, lumpy mass sitting in his urinary bladder which looked like more urinary stones bunched up together. Since the likelihood of Billy Goat passing all of the stones without getting blocked again was unlikely, the Binfields decided that surgery would be best to remove the urinary stones.

Three surgeries later, the urinary stones were successfully removed from Billy Goat’s urinary tract. A procedure called a perineal urethrostomy was one of the surgeries performed. This is a procedure when the urethra (the tube that the body urinates out of) is cut into from between Billy Goat’s haunches so he could urinate a little more easily. Billy Goat is doing well today and continues to enjoy being a companion for the Binfields’ goats and horses.

What was important to Billy Goat’s survival was the willingness of the Binfield family to have the urinary stones surgically removed. Both goats and sheep, especially castrated males, are prone to forming urinary stones. A diet with an inappropriate mineral balance, high in carbohydrates, and an increased genetic predisposition for forming stones have been implicated as causes of urinary stone formation. Once the stones are removed, the likelihood of more reforming remains high, giving the animal a poor prognosis. Billy Goat’s chances of recovering were improved by surgically removing the urinary stones and performing the perineal urethrostomy. These procedures ensured that all of the urinary stones were removed and that Billy Goat had an outlet to appropriately urinate out of. Billy Goat will have to continue to be fed a diet with an appropriate mineral and carbohydrate content and have his thirst stimulated by adding no more than a teaspoon of salt to his feed each day. With this stringent continuing care, Billy Goat’s road to recovery should be smooth.

The veterinary medical team at Desert Pines Equine Medical and Surgical Center are here to help answer any questions you may have about your small ruminant. We perform general procedures such as vaccines and health examinations in addition to emergency care. Please do not hesitate to contact us if you have a goat or sheep in need of medical care. Happy Holidays!