Your water belly comment, gcreek...
Water belly is a calcium-phosphorus imbalance called
urinary calculi.
Here is something I found that explains it well. And some literature
that supports nutritionists stance of feeding at least a 2-1 calcium
to phosphorus mineral. It's phosphorus that is the culprit in water
belly, not calcium. I think calcium gets the blame because of water
belly being called "urinary calculi".
Urinary Calculi or “Water Belly”
Cause: Urinary calculi (kidney stones) are hard mineral deposits in the urinary tracts of cattle. Affected cattle may experience chronic bladder infection from mechanical irritation produced by the calculi. In more serious cases, calculi may block the flow of urine, particularly in male animals. The urinary bladder or urethra may rupture from prolonged urinary tract blockage, resulting in release of urine into the surrounding tissues. The collection of urine under the skin or in the abdominal cavity is referred to as “water belly.” Death from toxemia may result within 48 hours of bladder rupture. Signs of urinary calculi include straining to urinate, dribbling urine, blood-tinged urine and indications of extreme discomfort, e.g., tail wringing, foot stamping and kicking at the abdomen. Phosphate urinary calculi form in cattle on high grain diets, while silicate urinary calculi typically develop in cattle on rangeland.
Prevention: Strategies to prevent problems with urinary calculi in cattle include lowering urinary phosphorus levels, acidifying the urine and increasing urine volume.
To lower urinary phosphorus levels, rations high in phosphorus should be avoided. Maintain a dietary calcium to phosphorus ratio of 2:1.
Acid-forming salts such as ammonium chloride may be fed to acidify the urine. Ammonium chloride may be fed at a rate of 1.0 to 1.5 ounces per head per day. Urine volume may be increased by feeding salt at 1 to 4 percent of the diet while providing an adequate water supply.
Treatment: Limited success with treatments designed to facilitate passing or dissolving urinary calculi leaves few other treatment options. Surgery may be the most effective treatment. However, the cost of surgery should be considered and weighed against the value of the animal.
A few years back, we gained a new customer who was having a hard time with water belly.
We evaluated the situation and changed his mineral from the 12-12 he
was using from the competition to our 13-7 basic mineral and his problems stopped. He remained a customer til he sold his ranch and the
new owner has fed our mineral ever since, with no water belly problems
I hope this sheds some light on it for you. Good luck!
I also found this:
The term "urinary calculi" describes mineral deposits in the urinary tract (Emerick and Wohlgemuth, 1985). These deposits may block the flow of urine in male cattle. Prolonged blockage generally results in rupture of the urinary bladder or urethra, releasing urine into the surrounding tissues or abdomen. This produces the condition referred to as "water belly. Two types of urinary calculi predominate in cattle and sheep: (1) the phosphatic type formed principally under feedlot conditions and (2) the siliceous type occurring mainly in range animals.
Clinical Signs: Animals afflicted with urinary calculi may at first appear restless with frequent straining in an unsuccessful attempt to urinate. They may repeatedly stamp their feed and kick at the abdomen. In some cases when urinary blockage is not complete, urine may dribble slowly from the sheath. After complete blockage of urine flow, the bladder or urethra finally ruptures releasing urine into the body cavity and surrounding tissues. At this stage the animal may show a complete loss of appetite and stand quietly or lie down. A ruptured urethra results in a large swelling under the skin in front of the scrotum.
Phosphatic Urinary Calculi: A high phosphorus level and calcium-phosphorus imbalances promote this type of urinary calculi. Lower water consumption by animals during the winter is believed to be an important reason for the higher urinary calculi incidence associated with that season.
Hard water is often blamed for the occurrence of urinary calculi. However, calcium and magnesium that constitute the "hardness" of water have been found to promote protection against phosphatic urinary calculi. The best prevention method to maintain a 2:1 to 1.2:1 calcium to phosphorus ratio.[/b]