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Ten young, male, entire small ruminants (seven kids and three lambs) with obstructive urolithiasis, which were presented within three days of complete blockage and before rupture of the urinary bladder and urethra, underwent a minimally invasive surgical tube cystotomy through the left paralumbar fossa. The catheter was placed in the bladder lumen through a metallic cannula and fixed to the skin with a stay suture. Surgery was performed with the animal standing (six cases) or in right lateral recumbency (four cases) on the day of presentation. All animals were discharged the same day. Eight animals urinated normally within a mean of seven days (range four to 10 days). One animal had a blockage of urine flow as a result of kinking of the catheter on the third postoperative day, and in another the catheter collapsed on the fourth postoperative day. These were managed by a second, conventional surgical tube cystotomy. No recurrence of the condition was noticed in any of the animals during a six-month follow-up period.

Musculoskeletal system deformities were observed in 24 (34.3%) of 70 neonatal dairy calves that presented with different congenital abnormalities. Among them, 19 calves (27.1%), the majority of which were crossbred Jersey calves of either gender with mean (± s.e.) body weight 22.00 kg ± 1.17 kg and aged 7.11 ± 1.16 days, were presented for treatment of congenital knuckling. Five of the knuckling calves had additional concurrent congenital conditions and were excluded from the present study. All of the remaining 14 calves showing moderate, bilateral fetlock knuckling had a wooden or polyvinyl chloride (PVC) splint applied to the palmar or plantar aspect of the affected limbs. All of the animals received a dose of the analgesic tolfenamic acid intramuscularly, and were randomly allocated to two equal groups. Calves of Group I additionally received oxytetracycline (20 mg/kg intravenous daily for 3 days). The condition resolved satisfactorily in 83.3% and 80.0% calves from the two groups, respectively. The left and right fetlock angle (mean ± SE) reduced significantly (p ≤ 0.01) from 50.57° ± 4.20° to 4.00° ± 2.27° and 48.71° ± 2.37° to 5.33° ± 3.03°, respectively in animals of Group I. In Group II calves, the angles showed reduction from 50.86° ± 2.94° to 4.20° ± 2.75° and from 48.71° ± 3.14° to 6.80° ± 3.34°, respectively. From the present study, it was concluded that bilateral moderate fetlock knuckling in the neonatal dairy calves can be managed satisfactorily with early application of splints. Supplementary use of oxytetracycline at repeated doses of low toxicity had only a marginally beneficial effect.

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