By Pedrona, R. and Trenti, F. and Zannetti, G., Proceedings 18th World Buiatrics Congress: 26th Congress of the Italian Association of Buiatrics, 1994
Description
Two episodes of ruminal alkalosis are reported in a breeding herd of 160 Friesian dairy cows and in a breeding herd of 120 Friesian bulls used for artificial insemination. The nutritional alkalosis in the dairy cows was caused by a diet supplied for 5 months containing 1 kg/cow/day of beats dried with formol (1 g/kg). In the bulls the alkalosis was caused by the alternated supply (change every 15-20 days) for about 1 year of 2 kinds of concentrate feeds, apparently similar in analytical content but made by 2 different suppliers. The ruminal alkalosis, confirmed by the analysis of ruminal juice, resulted in about 80% of the animals having a clinical picture of subacute laminitis and general symptoms of anorexia, apathy, loss of weight and locomotion difficulty. There were also alterations in the quality and quantity of the milk and sperm produced. It was concluded that alkalosis, but not acidosis, can induce the development of laminitis in cattle
Two episodes of ruminal alkalosis are reported in a breeding herd of 160 Friesian dairy cows and in a breeding herd of 120 Friesian bulls used for artificial insemination. The nutritional alkalosis in the dairy cows was caused by a diet supplied for 5 months containing 1 kg/cow/day of beats dried with formol (1 g/kg). In the bulls the alkalosis was caused by the alternated supply (change every 15-20 days) for about 1 year of 2 kinds of concentrate feeds, apparently similar in analytical content but made by 2 different suppliers. The ruminal alkalosis, confirmed by the analysis of ruminal juice, resulted in about 80% of the animals having a clinical picture of subacute laminitis and general symptoms of anorexia, apathy, loss of weight and locomotion difficulty. There were also alterations in the quality and quantity of the milk and sperm produced. It was concluded that alkalosis, but not acidosis, can induce the development of laminitis in cattle
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