Comparison of Oro-rumenal Probe and Rumenocentesis for Prediction of Rumen pH in Dairy Cattle

Abstract

Chronic subacute rumen acidosis is a significant concern in the dairy industry. The syndrome results from a variety of causes including insufficient transition time from dry cow to high production diets, too high a level of fermentable feedstuff in the diet (or conversely too low a level of effective fibre) or inadequate feedbunk management which allows boluses of highly fermentable feed to reach the rumen. Nordlund et al have published a detailed review of the etiology and clinical signs.¹ Although the disease generally does not cause overt clinical signs, it can have serious implications on herd health and production. Herd level problems attributed to the syndrome include chronic laminitis, poor appetite or cyclical feed intake, poor body condition in spite of adequate energy intake, hemoptysis, unexplained abscesses, intermittent diarrhea, and high herd cull rates for poorly defined health problems.² The absence of obvious clinical signs makes diagnosis of subacute rumen acidosis difficult. By the time the animal shows symptoms of the syndrome, several weeks may have passed, making diagnostic tests inconclusive or misleading. As a result, in dairy herds at high risk, because of feeding management practices, a subsample of the herd, consisting of cows in transition and cows at peak production should have their rumen pH monitored.