Use of ammonium chloride to prevent urolithiasis in sheep

Multifarious feed additives on lamb performance on Kuwait farms

Background and Aim

A change in the livestock feeding strategy is of utmost importance for the stability of animal health and sustainable livestock productivity to overcome the problem of subsiding the environmental effects of sheep production. Supplementing dietary feed with safe and efficient additives provides optimal animal performance and maximizes productivity. This study aimed to assess the effects of adding various feed additives to lamb rations for optimizing feed efficiency in weaned lambs for meat production in Kuwait.

Materials and Methods

The feed additives, namely, ammonium chloride, urea, algae, fishmeal, and humic acid, were investigated on the physical performance of lambs for their effect on body weight, length, height, and waist length. The total feed consumption rate and feed efficiency were also measured. Each treatment comprising five healthy lambs was randomly allocated into six treatments comprising 30 lambs. The six treatments were the basal ration supplemented with ammonium chloride (50-100 g/day/head), urea (30 g/day/head), fishmeal (35 g/day/head), algae (Spirulina platensis) powder (50 g/day/head), humic acid (2.5 g/day/head), control group with only basal ration. The study was conducted for around 27 months and the data were recorded once in 2 weeks.

Results

The results indicated a positive elevation in the physique of lambs with all tested additives, showing an affirmative insignia for lamb fattening. The growth parameters in terms of augmented length, height, and waist length of lambs' bodies amplified significantly with ammonium chloride and fishmeal supplement, while the other additives reported a non-significant increment. The feed consumption was significantly elevated for ammonium chloride, algae, and fishmeal supplementation, while humic acid was recorded the least. Concerning feed efficiency of young lambs, fish meal and ammonium chloride were reported best, followed by urea. In contrast, algae and humic acid exhibited a non-significant effect on feed efficiency.

Conclusion

This study exposed noteworthy influence on a lamb body's performance with the addition of fish meal and ammonium chloride in lamb rations, trailed by urea and algae.

Crystallurical profile in sheep after ammonium chloride supplementation

ABSTRACT Although urinary crystals are habitual components, urolithiasis formation is always preceded by these concretions. We aimed to identify the change in the crystalline profile in sheep supplemented with ammonium chloride. Twenty-five male sheep aged three months, feedlot and randomly distributed into three groups were used: Control Group (CG) n = 5 did not receive Ammonium Chloride; G200 Group (n=10) (200mg/kg) of Ammonium Chloride for 56 consecutive days; G500 Group (n=10) (500mg/kg) of Ammonium Chloride for 56 consecutive days, administered daily orally. Sampling times and clinical evaluation were performed at seven days, with M0 (immediately before Ammonium Chloride), M1 (seven days after) until M8, totaling 70 days of feedlot. Urine samples were performed to identify the presence, type, and quantity of crystals. There was an increase in crystalluria in all groups in relation to time due to dietary influence, mainly in the CG, which presented more crystals of amorphous calcium phosphate and calcium oxalate. In addition, the G500 Group presented a higher presence of urate/uric acid crystals after urinary acidification, which are closely related to urinary pH.