Effect of Dietary Calcium and Phosphorus Levels on the Incidence of Urinary Calculi and on Urine and Serum Mineral Levels in Wethers

Abstract

The present experiment using fifteen wethers was conducted to examine the effect of calcium carbonate on the incidence of urinary calculi and on mineral metabolism. Calcium carbonate was used to obtain 0.1, 0.6 and 1.2% calcium, and the phosphorus level in the ration was shown to be 0.6% by chemical analysis in trial 1. The following percent of calcium; 0.1 and 1.3, were obtained by the addition of calcium carbonate to the basal ration, and the phosphorus level was shown to be 1.1% in trial 2. In trial 1, the incidence of urinary calculi was found in a wether given the lowest dietary calcium. In trial 2, urinary calculi was observed in two wethers which were given low and high dietary calcium respectively. Urine phosphorus concentrations were decreased by giving calcium carbonate to wethers which were fed with 0.6% phosphorus ration. However, urine phosphorus levels were not decreased by adding calcium carbonate to the basal ration of wethers given 1.1% phosphorus ration. The addition of calcium carbonate to the ration tended to increase urine sodium and potassium excretion and to reduce fecal sodium and potassium excretion. The results of this experiment suggested that the efficacy of calcium carbonate on the protection of forming of urinary calculi seemed to be due to the decreasing urine phosphorus level.