08-30-2019, 01:21 AM
Acidosis in Ruminants: Causes and Prevention
Grain overload is also known as acidosis or grain poisoning. It occurs when ruminants (cattle, sheep or goats) eat large amounts of grain. The large amount of carbohydrate that get released into the rumen will ferment rapidly rather than digesting normally. Lots of lactic acid is produced, leading to acidosis, slowing of the gut, dehydration and often death.
Symptoms of Acidiosis:
1. Diarrhoea
2. Depressed appearance
3. Lying down
4. Dehydration and thirst
5. The left side of the abdomen will appear bloated
6. Staggery or tender gait and 'sawhorse' stance
7. Deaths.
Treatments for Acidiosis
Treatment will depend on how serious it is. Treatments include intravenous fluids, drenching with bicarbonate solution or milk of magnesia, intraruminal antibiotic injections, thiamine or steroid injections, and surgery for very valuable animals. You'll need a vet if you don't have the experience.
Healing
If successfully treated, it can take up to 6 weeks for the rumen lining to heal. So affected animals will show poor growth rates during this time.
Some animals may develop infections like abscesses in the liver and other organs. These animals may need to be culled because they may become unproductive for life.
How to Prevent Acidiosis
1. Don't Crush grains into a meal as this will encourage rapid fermentation in the rumen. Grain forr cattle may should be cracked because they will likely swallow it whole while grain for goats should be left as is since they will chew it.
2. Introduce grains slowly. Start with small amount and gradually increase it to the recommended level. This should take about 2 weeks. To introduce grains faster, give them an antibiotic that selectively reduce the numbers of acid-producing bacteria in the gut. If grain is being introduced too fast, you will see signs like scouring, depression, lethargy and lameness
3. Ensure that your flock don't accidentally come across grains as they graze or browse.
Diseases with Similar Symptoms:
1. polioencephalomalacia
2. salmonellosis
3. pulpy kidney (enterotoxaemia)
4. regnancy toxaemia
5. hypocalcaemia
6. lupinosis.
Grain overload is also known as acidosis or grain poisoning. It occurs when ruminants (cattle, sheep or goats) eat large amounts of grain. The large amount of carbohydrate that get released into the rumen will ferment rapidly rather than digesting normally. Lots of lactic acid is produced, leading to acidosis, slowing of the gut, dehydration and often death.
Symptoms of Acidiosis:
1. Diarrhoea
2. Depressed appearance
3. Lying down
4. Dehydration and thirst
5. The left side of the abdomen will appear bloated
6. Staggery or tender gait and 'sawhorse' stance
7. Deaths.
Treatments for Acidiosis
Treatment will depend on how serious it is. Treatments include intravenous fluids, drenching with bicarbonate solution or milk of magnesia, intraruminal antibiotic injections, thiamine or steroid injections, and surgery for very valuable animals. You'll need a vet if you don't have the experience.
Healing
If successfully treated, it can take up to 6 weeks for the rumen lining to heal. So affected animals will show poor growth rates during this time.
Some animals may develop infections like abscesses in the liver and other organs. These animals may need to be culled because they may become unproductive for life.
How to Prevent Acidiosis
1. Don't Crush grains into a meal as this will encourage rapid fermentation in the rumen. Grain forr cattle may should be cracked because they will likely swallow it whole while grain for goats should be left as is since they will chew it.
2. Introduce grains slowly. Start with small amount and gradually increase it to the recommended level. This should take about 2 weeks. To introduce grains faster, give them an antibiotic that selectively reduce the numbers of acid-producing bacteria in the gut. If grain is being introduced too fast, you will see signs like scouring, depression, lethargy and lameness
3. Ensure that your flock don't accidentally come across grains as they graze or browse.
Diseases with Similar Symptoms:
1. polioencephalomalacia
2. salmonellosis
3. pulpy kidney (enterotoxaemia)
4. regnancy toxaemia
5. hypocalcaemia
6. lupinosis.