title: Effect of water restriction on renal function in ostriches (Struthio camelus).
abstract: The production of a white urine by ostriches can be indicative of illness or water deprivation. A metabolic renal study was carried out by dehydrating young, healthy ostriches for 2 days, the period during which urine was still excreted. It was found that the normally copious colourless urine changed to a thick, white excretion after 2 days dehydration and no fluid was excreted after 3 days. From the blood and urine analyses it is concluded that the ostrich conserves body water by an excellent renal concentrating mechanism which excretes urates. This excretion is a useful sign to the fanner that for some reason the animals are not drinking, be it due to a lack of drinking water or to illness.
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Health Sciences, Beersheva, Israel.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Levy
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Perelman
authors.forename: M V
authors.initials: MV
authors.lastname: Grevenbroek
authors.forename: C V
authors.initials: CV
authors.lastname: Creveld
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Agbaria
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Yagil