Lithium chloride as a reference substance for urine collection in goats

Authors: Schonewille JT, Beyen AC
Publication: New Zealand Veterinary Journal, Volume 47, Issue 4, pp 150-151, Aug 1999
Publisher: Taylor and Francis

Animal type: Goat, Livestock, Production animal, Ruminant
Subject Terms: Clinical pathology, Diagnostic procedures, Diet/rations/food, Nutrition/metabolism, Urinary system/urology
Article class: Correspondence

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Abstract: Lithium chloride is used as a compliance indicator in nutritional research with humans. At least 95% of ingested lithium is recovered in urine (Heijnen et al., 1996). Lithium may be added to foodstuffs in amounts much higher than those naturally occurring. The human subjects consuming those foodstuffs may be asked to collect their urine, and lithium determination can then serve to check dietary compliance. We speculated that lithium would be a suitable external urine marker in ruminants. Total urine collection from ruminants often is not feasible, and the possibility of calculating total urine production on the basis of lithium determination in a spot sample is attractive. We tested the possible use of lithium as an external urine marker in goats.

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