Observation of xanthinuria and xanthine calculosis in beef calves.

Observation was made on beef calves with xanthinuria and xanthine calculosis to describe clinical biochemical changes of these diseases. In these calves urea was markedly high and uric acid low in serum level. The urine was acid in reaction and negative for all the routine qualitative tests. Xanthine was remarkably high and uric acid low in urine concentration. The Xanthine contents of calculi were 51.5 to 96.9% in dried matter. The infrared spectrophotometric spectra of the calculi were consistent with those of the authentic xanthine standard. The activities of xanthine oxidase in the liver, spleen, kidney and small intestine were below 1% of those in the respective organs from healthy cattle.