scholarly journals Subacute ruminal acidosis in dairy cows - physiological background, risk factors and diagnostic methods

2020 ◽  
Vol 51 (1) ◽  
pp. 5-17
Author(s):  
Levente Kovács ◽  
Otto Szenci ◽  
Walter Baumgartner ◽  
Mátyás Hejel ◽  
László Rózsa
Keyword(s):  
Risk Factors ◽  
Dairy Cows ◽  
Continuous Measurement ◽  
Clinical Signs ◽  
The United States ◽  
Diagnostic Methods ◽  
Subacute Ruminal Acidosis ◽  
Field Techniques ◽  
Ruminal Ph ◽  
Ruminal Acidosis

According to the latest studies, the prevalence of subacute ruminal acidosis (SARA) is around 20% in early and mid- lactation dairy cows, generating annual losses in the United States of approximately USD 500 million to 1 billion. The diagnosis of SARA is still difficult due to lack of pathognomonic clues and the delayed appearance of certain clinical signs. Therefore, SARA remains neglected or even unrecognized in many dairy herds. SARA is characterized by daily episodes of low ruminal pH, when the pH remains in the range of 5.2 to 6 for a prolonged period due to the accumulation of short-chain fatty acids and insufficient rumen buffering. The causes of SARA are related to high-grain diets, such as feeding excessive amounts of non-structural carbohydrates and highly fermentable forages, and insufficient dietary coarse fibre. SARA is associated with the inflammation of several organs and tissues in dairy cows, and its main long-term health and economic consequences are the fluctuation of feed intake, reduced fibre digestion, depression of milk yield and milk fat content, gastrointestinal damage, diarrhoea, laminitis, liver abscesses, and lameness. The aim of this review is to summarize the information available on the physiological aspects, risk factors, prevalence and possible indicators of SARA in dairy cattle. Basedon the existing literature, rumenocentesis and the use of an oral stomach tube are reliable field techniques to detect SARA. Nowadays, improved field techniques allowing the continuous measurement of reticuloruminal pH are also available for better diagnosis of SARA. Wireless indwelling pH probes may become important tools for the continuous measurement of ruminal pH in the coming years.

Effects of grain-pellet and alfalfa-pellet subacute ruminal acidosis (SARA) challenges on feeding behaviour of lactating dairy cows

2011 ◽  
Vol 91 (2) ◽  
pp. 323-330 ◽  
Author(s):  
S. Li ◽  
E. Khafipour ◽  
D. O. Krause ◽  
L. A. González ◽  
J. C. Plaizier
Keyword(s):  
Dairy Cows ◽  
Feeding Behaviour ◽  
Control Diet ◽  
Meal Frequency ◽  
Eating Rate ◽  
Subacute Ruminal Acidosis ◽  
Eating Time ◽  
Ruminal Ph ◽  
Ruminal Acidosis ◽  
Lactating Dairy Cows

Li, S., Khafipour, E., Krause, D. O., González, L. A. and Plaizier, J. C. 2011. Effects of grain-pellet and alfalfa-pellet subacute ruminal acidosis (SARA) challenges on feeding behaviour of lactating dairy cows. Can. J. Anim. Sci. 91: 323–330. The effects of two nutritional challenges aimed at inducing subacute ruminal acidosis (SARA) on the feeding behaviour of lactating dairy cows were investigated in two separate experiments. Both experiments included eight tie-stall-housed cows that were fed once daily. Feeding behaviour of individual cows was monitored by continuously weighing the feed in the mangers. In each experiment, ruminal pH was monitored in four rumen cannulated cows. In the first experiment, cows received a control diet containing 50% mixed concentrate and 50% alfalfa and barley silage (DM basis) during weeks 1 to 5 of two subsequent 6-wk periods. During week 6 of both periods, a grain-pellet SARA challenge (GPSC) was conducted by replacing 21% of DM of the basal diet with wheat-barley pellets. Data obtained in week 4 were taken as a control. In the second experiment, cows received a control diet containing 50% of DM as mixed concentrate and 50% of DM as chopped alfalfa hay during the first week of a 5-wk period. Between week 2 and week 5, an alfalfa-pellet SARA challenge (APSC) was conducted by replacing alfalfa hay in the control diet with alfalfa pellets at a rate of 8% per week. Week 1 and week 5 were considered as the control and SARA challenge, respectively. In the first experiment, the GPSC reduced the meal duration from 48.9 to 38.6 min meal−1 and the eating time from 6.7 to 5.5 h d−1. Meal criteria, meal frequency, meal size, and eating rate were not affected. In the second experiment, the APSC did not affect the meal criterion, meal duration, and eating time per day, but increased dry matter intake from 18.7 to 24.3 kg d−1, meal frequency from 8.2 to 9.4 meals d−1, meals size from 2.4 to 2.7 kg DM, and eating rate from 54.8 to 67.6 g DM min−1. The duration of the first meal after feed delivery was reduced from 154.5 to 103.6 min by the GPSC and from 146.7 to 112.2 min by the APSC. This reduction in the duration of the first meal was accompanied by a reduction in the drop of the ruminal pH during the GPSC, but not during the APSC. Only the APSC increased eating rate of the first meal. Other parameters of this first meal were not affected by both challenges.

scholarly journals Subacute Ruminal Acidosis and Evaluation of Blood Gas Analysis in Dairy Cow

2010 ◽  
Vol 2010 ◽  
pp. 1-4 ◽  
Author(s):  
Matteo Gianesella ◽  
Massimo Morgante ◽  
Chiara Cannizzo ◽  
Annalisa Stefani ◽  
Paolo Dalvit ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Dairy Cows ◽  
Blood Gas Analysis ◽  
Gas Analysis ◽  
Dairy Herds ◽  
Blood Gas ◽  
Subacute Ruminal Acidosis ◽  
Ruminal Ph ◽  
Ruminal Acidosis ◽  
Rumen Ph ◽  
Fermentable Carbohydrates

Subacute Ruminal Acidosis (SARA) corresponds to an imbalance between lactate-producing bacteria and lactate-using bacteria, which results in a change in ruminal pH associated with a prevalent consumption of rapidly fermentable carbohydrates. In our study, 216 primiparus and multiparus dairy cows were selected from 20 Italian intensive dairy herds and were divided into three groups based on the risk of SARA. All the dairy cows had high average milk production. After blood sampling, a complete blood gas analysis was performed. One-way ANOVA was performed to compare the three groups. Cont, PC, blood pH, Hb, urinary pH, and rumen pH were significantly lower in cows with rumen . These results indicate that blood gas analysis is a valuable tool to diagnose acidosis in dairy cows because it provides good assessment of acidosis while being less invasive than rumen pH analysis.

Why are dairy cows not able to cope with the subacute ruminal acidosis?

2013 ◽  
Vol 16 (4) ◽  
pp. 813-821
Author(s):  
A.M. Brzozowska ◽  
K. Słoniewski ◽  
J. Oprządek ◽  
P. Sobiech ◽  
Z.M. Kowalski
Keyword(s):  
Dairy Cows ◽  
Milk Production ◽  
Management Practices ◽  
Rumen Fluid ◽  
Negative Consequences ◽  
Negative Effects ◽  
Subacute Ruminal Acidosis ◽  
Ruminal Ph ◽  
Ruminal Acidosis ◽  
Fermentable Carbohydrates

Abstract One of the largest challenges for the dairy industry is to provide cows with a diet which is highly energetic but does not negatively affect their rumens’ functions. In highly productive dairy cows, feeding diets rich in readily fermentable carbohydrates provides energy precursors needed for maximum milk production, but simultaneously decreases ruminal pH, leading to a widespread prevalence of subacute ruminal acidosis. Maximizing milk production without triggering rumen acidosis still challenges dairy farmers, who try to prevent prolonged bouts of low ruminal pH mainly by proper nutrition and management practices. The animals try to avoid overeating fermentable feeds, as it causes negative consequences by disturbing digestive processes. The results of several experiments show that ruminants, including sheep and beef cattle, are able to modify some aspects of feeding behaviour in order to adjust nutrient intake to their needs and simultaneously prevent physiological disturbances. Particularly, such changes (e.g., increased preference for fibrous feeds, reduced intake of concentrates) were observed in animals, which were trying to prevent the excessive drop of rumen fluid pH. Thanks to a specific mechanism called “the postingestive feedback”, animals should be able to work out such a balance in intake, so they do not suffer either from hunger or from negative effects of over-ingesting the fermentable carbohydrates. This way, an acidosis should not be a frequent problem in ruminants. However, prolonged periods of excessively decreased rumen pH are still a concern in dairy cows. It raises a question, why the regulation of feed intake by postingestive feedback does not help to maintain stable rumen environment in dairy cows?

scholarly journals Diagnostic Methods for the Detection of Subacute Ruminal Acidosis in Dairy Cows

1999 ◽  
Vol 82 (6) ◽  
pp. 1170-1178 ◽  
Author(s):  
E.F. Garrett ◽  
M.N. Pereira ◽  
K.V. Nordlund ◽  
L.E. Armentano ◽  
W.J. Goodger ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Dairy Cows ◽  
Diagnostic Methods ◽  
Subacute Ruminal Acidosis ◽  
Ruminal Acidosis

scholarly journals Evaluation of the ruminal function of Belgian dairy cows suspected of subacute ruminal acidosis

2017 ◽  
Vol 86 (1) ◽  
pp. 16-23
Author(s):  
F. Lessire ◽  
E. Knapp ◽  
L. Theron ◽  
J. L. Hornick ◽  
I. Dufrasne ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Methylene Blue ◽  
Dairy Cows ◽  
Dairy Herds ◽  
Subacute Ruminal Acidosis ◽  
Ruminal Fluid ◽  
Ruminal Ph ◽  
Ruminal Acidosis ◽  
Ph Values ◽  
Microscopic Evaluation ◽  
Methylene Blue Reduction

Subacute ruminal acidosis (SARA) has been considered a major pathology in high producing dairy herds for years. These findings were corroborated by several studies in Europe. However, different feeding practices and herds’ production levels are found in Southern Belgium. This study aimed to ascertain whether dairy cows of several herds from the south of Belgium (Wallonia) with a suspicion of SARA really did present too low ruminal pH values. Twenty-four herds were visited and 172 cows were sampled using an oropharyngeal device to collect ruminal fluid, i.e. Geishauser probe. On the samples, three tests were performed: pH measurement, methylene blue reduction test and microscopic evaluation of protozoa vitality. Based on these analyses, no cows demonstrated pH values lower than 5.5 and, only ten cows could be considered at risk for SARA. By contrast, in eightteen cows, pH values higher than 7.0 were measured and ruminal inactivity was suspected. In this study, ruminal alkalosis appeared to be more frequently observed than SARA.

Effect of subacute ruminal acidosis on milk fat concentration, yield and fatty acid profile of dairy cows receiving soybean oil

2010 ◽  
Vol 77 (3) ◽  
pp. 376-384 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ousama AlZahal ◽  
Mamun M Or-Rashid ◽  
Sabrina L Greenwood ◽  
Brian W McBride
Keyword(s):  
Soybean Oil ◽  
Dairy Cows ◽  
Milk Fat ◽  
Dry Matter ◽  
Subacute Ruminal Acidosis ◽  
Milk Fat Depression ◽  
Ruminal Ph ◽  
Ruminal Acidosis ◽  
Dietary Treatments ◽  
High Forage

The objective of this study was to investigate the effect of ruminal infusion of soybean oil (SBO) with either a moderate- or high-forage diet on fat concentration, yield and composition in milk from dairy cows. Six rumen-fistulated Holstein dairy cows (639±51 kg body weight, 140±59 days in milk) were used in the study. Cows were randomly assigned to one of two dietary treatments, a high forage:concentrate (HFC, 74:26) or a moderate forage:concentrate (MFC, 56:44) total mixed ration. Cows were fed at 08.00 and 13.00 h and pulse-dosed ruminally at 13.00 h over a 10-min duration with 2% of diet dry matter of SBO. Ruminal pH was recorded continuously. Cows receiving the MFC treatment had lower daily mean ruminal pH and ruminal pH was below 6·0 for a longer duration compared with the HFC treatment (640 vs. 262 min/d,P<0·05). Cows receiving the MFC treatment had a greater reduction (diet by week interaction,P<0·05) in milk fat concentration and yield than cows receiving the HFC treatment (42 vs. 22% and 45 vs. 21%, respectively). Additionally, cows receiving the MFC diet had a greater reduction in milk fat concentration (g/100 g FA) of FA <C16 (14 vs. 8%), and a greater increase in concentration of FA >C16 (17 vs. 9%),trans-10 18:1 (159 vs. 21%) andtrans-9,cis-11 conjugated linoleic acid (121 vs. 55%) (P<0·05) compared with cows receiving the HFC diet. This study demonstrated that cows fed the MFC diet had lower ruminal pH and showed a greater rate of milk fat depression when infused with SBO.

scholarly journals Subacute Ruminal Acidosis in Zebu Cattle: Clinical and Behavioral Aspects

Animals ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
pp. 21
Author(s):  
Natalia Sato Minami ◽  
Rejane Santos Sousa ◽  
Francisco Leonardo Costa Oliveira ◽  
Mailson Rennan Borges Dias ◽  
Débora Aparecida Cassiano ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Feeding Behavior ◽  
Dry Matter ◽  
Short Chain Fatty Acids ◽  
Clinical Aspects ◽  
Zebu Cattle ◽  
Subacute Ruminal Acidosis ◽  
Ruminal Ph ◽  
Ruminal Acidosis ◽  
Citrus Pulp ◽  
Lactic Acids

We evaluated the clinical aspects and feeding behavior of cattle with subacute ruminal acidosis (SARA) caused by short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs). Ten healthy Nelore heifers were subjected to an adjusted SARA induction protocol using citrus pulp (CP). Clinical examinations were performed at baseline and at 3, 6, 9, 12, 15, 18, and 24 h intervals after induction, with ruminal fluid, blood, and feces sampling. The animals’ feeding behavior was evaluated on, before, and for 3 days after SARA by observing the animals every 5 min for 24 h. The dry matter intake (DMI) was recorded daily. The ruminal pH during SARA was always lower than baseline, with an acidotic duration of 547 ± 215 min, a minimum pH of 5.38 ± 0.16, and an average pH of 5.62 ± 0.1. SARA was mainly caused by SCFAs (maximum 118.4 ± 9.3 mmol/L), with the production of l-lactic acids (7.17 mmol/L) and d-lactic acids (0.56 mmol/L) 6 h after the experiment began. The DMI was reduced by 66% and 48% on days 1 and 2, respectively, and returned to normal levels on day 3. SARA caused a reduction in feed intake and rumination time, as well as an increase in the time spent in decubitus on days 1 and 2. These results were influenced by the ruminal pH, ruminal movement, and osmolarity. Furthermore, SARA caused different degrees of depression, which became more pronounced with higher ruminal lactic acid concentrations.

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