Abstract

POORE, Luke A.; HENDRY, Ross; STEYL, Johan  and  PFITZER, Silke. Perineal urethrostomy to treat obstructive urolithiasis in a captive hand-raised steenbok (Raphicerus campestris). J. S. Afr. Vet. Assoc. [online]. 2017, vol.88, n.1, pp.1-6. ISSN 2224-9435.  http://dx.doi.org/10.4102/jsava.v88i0.1536.

The steenbok (Raphicerus campestris) is a small antelope of the family Bovidae native to the African continent. Urolithiasis, the formation of urinary calculi in the urinary tract, can be caused by a variety of factors such as diet, dehydration, infection and anatomical predisposition. Urolithiasis, with uroliths identified as magnesium calcium phosphate carbonate in composition, was diagnosed in a hand-reared 5-month-old steenbok. Perineal urethrostomy was performed as a component of the broad treatment regime that included fluid therapy, antibiotic and anti-inflammatory treatment. However, the animal died 4 days later as a result of systemic hypoxia and energy depletion because of stress and cachexia. The challenges of post-surgical treatment, the importance of positive energy balance in small ruminants under stressful circumstances, as well as the role of diet of hand-reared antelope in predisposition to urolith formation are highlighted.

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