Beef Cattle Mythbuster

Myth: The mystique of “water belly”.

Here’s one that is especially relevant for our youth producers and their animals for the fair.

I think most cattle producers who have been around the business for a good while will agree that when you think you have about seen it all, eventually you will get a big surprise. Such is the case with “water belly.”

First, let’s point out here that this is not a condition that you are likely to see in your cow herd and those animals on a strictly forage-based diet. However, this column will focus on producers that might be feeding some grains (corn, barley, oats, wheat, etc.) to finish some steers or maybe developing some young bulls for breeding.

“Water belly” is a metabolic imbalance causing the formation of urinary calculi in the urinary tract. It is a condition where mineral deposits (stones) block the flow of urine in male cattle. Calculi form in females, but because of female physiology, typically don’t have the constriction issues of males or castrated males. If the blockage lasts long enough in males, rupture of the bladder or urethra can occur with urine released into the surrounding tissues and the area becomes distended (thus the term “water belly”). The calculi are usually of the phosphatic (containing phosphorus) type or the siliceous (containing silica) type. The phosphatic stones usually occur when animals are consuming diets high in grains which are rich in phosphorus. The siliceous stones usually result from range grasses with high silica content, but in 50+ years of working with cattle, I have never seen a case of siliceous stones.

• Signs: Sometimes before cattle show symptoms of urinary blockage, one might notice crystals forming on the hair around the prepuce of males. If this sign occurs, reformulation of the diet may solve the problem before it becomes a health problem for the animal or an economic burden for the producer.

• Treatment usually requires surgical removal of the stones by a veterinarian (obviously expensive). The stones or mineral deposits should also be sent to a laboratory for analysis to determine the type of stone that you are dealing with. To prevent urinary calculi, livestock must have continuous access to clean water. Adequate salt in the diet will increase urine flow and therefore dilute the minerals in the urine and flush them out.

• Prevention: Livestock on grain diets must have an adequate balance of calcium (Ca) to phosphorus (P) and a Ca:P ratio of 2:1 should be maintained in the diets. Feeding supplemental Ca (such as limestone) in the diet is sometimes necessary to balance for the extra P coming from the grains. Substituting feeds lower in silica is recommended if siliceous calculi are diagnosed. Several of major feed companies sell mineral packages designed and formulated to be fed to growing and finishing cattle along with their grain diets. This is a great way to ensure that the cattle are receiving the optimum Ca:P ratio and that they stay healthy and profitable. Always follow label directions.

There you have it! Preventing “water belly” is as easy as providing a properly balanced diet. Please let me know if I can assist you with your cattle feeding programs.

— Don Llewellyn is a livestock extension specialist director in Davenport. E-mail him at [email protected].