Acidosis in cows: symptoms and treatment, causes and consequences for cattle

Acidosis is a disease that develops in cattle due to excessive production of lactic acid in the rumen. In the body there is a shift in the acid-base balance, the animal loses its appetite, becomes lethargic. The farmer must be aware of the causes of ruminal acidosis in cows, the symptoms and treatment methods in order to prevent possible complications in time. A large amount of roughage should be present in the diet of cattle to prevent acidosis.

Features of the disease

Acidosis of the rumen is a very common pathology among the representatives of cattle, which occurs when the rules for feeding animals are not observed. The increase in cases of acidosis is due to the widespread use of silage-concentrated rations by farmers.

In the diet of cattle must be present roughage (hay, straw with long fiber). When using acidic, wet feed, poor-quality hay and silage, the pH level in the rumen decreases (to 5.2-5.5), as a result of which milk yield decreases, milk quality deteriorates, and livestock is prematurely culled.

High amounts of butyric acid build up in silage when it is dominated by wet or contaminated grass mass. Protein breakdown occurs, cows receive less energy, lactic acid predominates in the rumen, and the amount of ruminal content decreases.

Acidosis provokes negative consequences for the cow - failures in the mechanism of the proventriculus, a drop in immune defense, indigestion, suppression of intestinal microflora.

Harmful substances released during the death of bacteria are transferred through the blood to the internal organs, causing inflammation. Due to a sharp decrease in blood glucose levels, fatty liver syndrome and ketosis (the result of the extraction of glucose from fat stores) can develop.In chronic acidosis, inflammation of the tissues under the hoof horn occurs - laminitis.

Causes of acidosis in cattle

Rum acidosis develops in cattle for the following reasons:

excess feed sugar and starch;
use of finely ground feed - leads to a reduction in chewing time and lower pH levels;
increased feed moisture - causes a decrease in the duration and activity of chewing gum;
use of too acidic feed and concentrates - in particular, silage containing more than 2.5% acids;
abrupt change in feed menu - no smooth transition when opening a new haylage and silage trench (less than 1-1.5 weeks);
poor feed quality;
deficiency of vitamins and minerals - lack of calcium, phosphorus, cob alt, selenium, magnesium, iodine, vitamins of groups A, D, E leads to the death of beneficial microflora and deterioration of food digestion.

In order to avoid the development of acidosis, it is not recommended to quickly transfer cows from the diet of dry animals to the milking menu, which includes a large amount of concentrates, to introduce an excess of sour pulp, bards, molasses, wheat and barley grains into the menu.

Main symptoms and forms of pathology

Most often, signs of acidosis develop in cows due to improper preparation of farmers for calving animals - a sharp transition to a post-calving diet, an increased content of sugar and starch in feed, and a lack of structural fiber.

Acute degree

Acute form of acidosis develops with a rapid and sharp increase in the volume of concentrates in the menu of cows. If animals consume a lot of easily digestible carbohydrates, the level of lactic acid in the rumen increases significantly, and the pH drops below 6.Manifested by severe symptoms:

prolonged diarrhea;
risk of dehydration;
necrotization of scar microflora with the danger of internal poisoning.

Acute acidosis is easily diagnosed and treated more quickly.

Subacid (subacute)

Subacute acidosis is the most dangerous for cows, as it manifests itself with too mild signs that inattentive farmers may not notice for a long time:

sluggishness;
increased feeling of thirst;
tongue coating;
recurrent episodes of bloating;
general body temperature is within normal limits.

As a result of a long course of subacute acidosis, a cow can develop complications such as anorexia, rumen atony, respiratory and heart rhythm disturbances.

Permanent (chronic)

Chronic form of rumen acidosis is manifested by the following symptoms:

indifferent cow behavior, lack of response to stimuli;
Food malnutrition or total rejection of food;
weakened scar motility;
mucosal anemia;
diarrhea attacks;
reducing the volume of milk produced, lowering the fat content;
low pH in the rumen.

If not treated for a long time, chronic acidosis leads to kidney damage, liver abscess formation, laminitis, ruminitis, heart muscle damage and dystrophy.

Diagnostic Methods

To make a diagnosis of rumen acidosis, it is necessary to measure the pH level in one of the following ways:

take some of the feed out of the cow's mouth while chewing the cud - the method is not considered reliable, since the rumen contains some saliva;
using a probe;
make a puncture in the rumen to take its liquid contents for analysis.

The veterinarian must not only detect the symptoms of acidosis, but also confirm the diagnosis. In the chronic form of the disease, the shift in the acid-base balance manifests itself in the region of 5.2-5.6 at least three hours a day.

How to cure the problem

In the acute form of acidosis, treatment should be started immediately, because within 1-2 days a serious illness can end in death, there is a high risk of developing laminitis, myocardial dystrophy and liver abscess.

Veterinary care

It is customary to treat acute acidosis by washing the rumen with a gastric tube. In order to quickly restore the disturbed functions of the proventriculus, about three liters of rumen fluid taken from he althy animals is injected into the rumen.

To normalize the pH values, sodium bicarbonate (at a concentration of 4%), Ringer-Locke solutions, Trisol up to 800-1000 milliliters are administered intravenously. Baking soda is diluted and given to a sick animal to drink 7-8 times a day (150 grams of soda per 1 liter of water).

The method of treatment from V. A. Lochkarev - using a trocar sleeve, introduce a solution of potassium permanganate in a volume of 3 liters into the accessible layers of the scar, then 2.5 liters of 8% sodium bicarbonate solution. The introduction of solutions is carried out at intervals of 4 hours until the cow's condition improves. After that, the trocar sleeve is removed, and the puncture area is treated with Tricillin.

Folk remedies

With the help of folk remedies, you can help the cow before the doctor arrives to make the animal feel better. It is useful to give her a solution of baking soda to drink (100 grams per 3 liters of water at room temperature). Immediately after the soda solution, the animal needs to drink 1 liter of vegetable oil. After the manipulations, to start the digestive function, it is necessary to massage the scar.

Prevention of acidosis

To prevent acidosis, it is important to follow the rules for feeding cattle:

introduce no more than 40-45% concentrates into the diet of cows;
provide cattle with at least 16% fiber per day;
feed daily at least 2.5 kilograms of hay or straw per head;
do not exceed the amount of easily digestible carbohydrates in the menu - up to 26% starch, up to 7% sugar;
do not feed mixtures with moisture above 60%;
transfer animals from one type of food to another gradually (within 2-4 weeks);
give cattle grain forage from cereals and legumes;
introduce fodder yeast into the diet.

In the summer, dry animals are recommended to be pastured to normalize digestive function, metabolic processes, and improve immunity. It is important to monitor the quality of feed - they must be fresh, dried, not include elements of rot or mold.

The key to good digestion in cattle is proper feeding. To prevent atony of the rumen and changes in the pH level, it is useful for cows to give enzyme preparations by mixing them with compound feed (the dosage and duration of use is determined by the veterinarian). Periodically, to reduce the amount of acid in the rumen, you can give the cattle a solution of baking soda.