Urolithiasis is commonly encountered and frequently a fatal disease in the ruminant species. Clinical signs of urolithiasis are related to both its severity and chronicity. After complete obstruction of 24–48 h, bladder or urethral obstruction can occur. The varying urinary environments affect the type of stone development: phosphatic stones occur when cattle consume high phosphate diets; silica calculi form when grazing native grasses in the Western US; and calcium stones form when cattle consume high amounts of lush clover grass or alfalfa hay. Medical management is rarely successful as lone treatment but is used in conjunction with a surgical procedure. For a bull to return to reproductive function, the surgical procedure chosen must leave the urethra intact. The two procedures discussed presently are the ischial urethrostomy and tube cystostomy.

Cesarean section is an important life-saving surgical procedure frequently performed by small ruminant practitioners. Knowledge of normal parturition and indications for obstetrical intervention are necessary for successful outcomes. If a doe or ewe is observed in active labor for more than an hour without signs of progression toward delivery of a fetus, obstetrical examination is indicated to guide appropriate interventions. It is often possible to relieve a dystocia without surgical intervention if the cervix is adequately dilated and the dam’s pelvis is of sufficient size to allow manipulation of the fetus. If vaginal delivery cannot be performed safely, a Cesarean section or fetotomy is indicated. The surgery is generally performed with sedation and local anesthesia, with a lumbosacral epidural preferred by the authors. The dam may be positioned in right lateral recumbency, standing, or dorsal recumbency, based on the surgeon’s preference and specifics of the case. The abdomen is entered routinely, the gravid uterus identified, and gently exteriorized through the abdominal incision. A hysterotomy incision is made over the greater curvature of the uterus to allow removal of the fetus(es). The uterus is closed with absorbable suture using an inverting pattern. The abdominal incision is closed routinely. Systemic antibiotics, ecbolic agents, and analgesic agents are recommended for the dam postoperatively. Survival of the dam is reported at 81–99% with post-surgical complications encountered in 33–77% of cases. Females may be retained for future breeding following surgery, with 84–100% of females reported to become pregnant in the subsequent breeding season.

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An 18‐month‐old Angus bull presented to Auburn University College of Veterinary Medicine for a routine breeding soundness evaluation and lameness evaluation. He was classified as deferred potential breeder due to a lameness and was donated to the university. Following treatment, the bull's lameness resolved. He passed the breeding soundness examination in accordance with the Society for Theriogenology standards. However, avascular dilated areas at the level of the mediastinum testis of the right testicle were detected via Doppler ultrasonography. A high level of vascularity is routinely seen with neoplasia, such as teratomas. Due to the lack of vascularity, a presumptive diagnosis of tubular ectasia of the rete testis was made. The bull was castrated. The right testicle was submitted for histopathology revealing a definitive diagnosis of tubular ectasia of the rete testis.