Minor constituents of sabulous material in equine urine.

ABSTRACT

The secondary constituents accompanying calcite and vaterite (crystalline forms of calcium carbonate) in the sabulous deposits from 140 vesical samples and one renal sample of equine urine were studied by infrared spectroscopy (IR), scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and energy dispersive X-ray analysis (EDX). Apatitic calcium phosphate, present in 12 per cent of the samples, generally appeared in the form of spherulites with smooth and rough surfaces. Calcium sulphate, clearly detected by IR in 12.7 per cent of the samples, did not have a characteristic structure under SEM, although EDX detected sulphur in the samples. Amorphous silica was observed in one case and had a nodular appearance. Organic fibres were not as common as might have been expected in equine urinary deposits.