Collect Urine

Most small ruminants will urinate at some point during a physical exam. If they are lying down when approached, the normal animal will get up, run away, posture and urinate. You can induce urination in the sheep by holding the nostrils closed for a period of time. The animal will begin to struggle, then posture and urinate. This is contraindicated in the extremely ill or toxic individual. Unfortunately there is no specific trick for inducing urination in the goat. One has to just wait and collect when the time is right. Keep in mind that rising from a period of recumbancy is often followed by urination. Ketones in the urine of sheep is almost pathognomonic for Pregnancy Toxemia in the ewe. Determining the ability to urinate in the male small ruminant is extremely important given the common occurrence of Urolithiasis. The presence of a urethral diverticulum in the male makes urinary catheterization impossible. Exteriorization of the penis in the immature animal or the male that was castrated prior to sexual maturity is often impossible due to the presence of prenuptial adhesion.