The Use of Additives to Prevent Urolithiasis in Lambs Fed Diets with a High Proportion of Concentrate

Abstract

This study aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of different additives in preventing urolithiasis in lambs fed a diet rich in concentrate and their impact on performance and blood and urinary parameters. Thirty-two noncastrated male lambs, crossbred Dorper × Santa Inês, with initial body weights (BWs) of 23 ± 0.1 kg and ages of 50 ± 5 days, were kept in individual pens and fed a diet composed of 6% Cynodon ssp. hay and 94% concentrate and subjected to four treatments: CON without inclusion of additives, addition of ACL 5 g/kg of dry matter (DM), addition of CCL 6.3 g/kg of DM, and addition of BZA 5 g/kg of DM. There was no effect of treatment or interaction with time on blood parameters (p > 0.050), and performance characteristics, morphometry of ruminal papillae, and scores of cecum and rumen lesions were not affected by the addition of additives to the diet (p > 0.050). Greater urinary acidification was observed in animals from CCL and ACL treatments (p = 0.033). Calcium chloride acidified the urinary pH and can be used instead of ammonium chloride at a concentration of 0.63% based on DM, when this is the objective.

Keywords

• ammonium chloride
• benzoic acid
• calcium chloride