User:Sadieringer

Rumen Acidosis
Rumen Acidosis is caused when Ruminant animals ingest large quantities of fermentable carbohydrates, usually grain (Pennsylvania Game Commission 2007). Ruminant animals consist of mammals in the suborder Ruminantia, characterized by having a stomach divided into four compartments and chewing cud (Oxford Dictionaries 2013). The increase in fermentable carbohydrates during seasons when they are not naturally available offsets the diet of the animal. This causes a disruption in the micro-flora in the rumen needed for digestion. The carbohydrate digesting bacteria that are normally in low densities start to overwhelm the other flora and produce large amounts of lactic acid. This causes the rumen to become very acidic which later affects other bodily functions causing; dehydration, acidic blood, deterioration of the rumen wall, and Internal/external bleeding (Pennsylvania Game Commission 2007). Rumen Acidosis can cause mass die offs in both wild and domestic populations.

Clinical Signs

Rumen Acidosis signs include the animal stop eating, staggering, be unable to rise, and diarrhea. The animal will have a bloated appearance due to an enlarged rumen and the severely affected can die within 24 to 72 hours. Animals that died of Rumen Acidosis normally have a body in good condition dying of internal complications. A necropsy will often reveal a rumen full of corn or other grain with erosion in the lining of the rumen (Pennsylvania Game Commission 2007).

Treatment

There is no treatment for Rumen Acidosis but it can be prevented. Supplemental feeding often is the cause of Rumen Acidosis. In the fall and winter lowering supplemental feeding or replacing it with non-fermentable carbohydrates such as hay will lower the probability of Rumen Acidosis to occur (Miller-Cushon et al. 2013).

Affected populations

Rumen Acidosis has been known to cause large die offs in wild and domestic populations (Pennsylvania Game Commission 2007). The die offs have happened in large populations so although visually noticeable it has little effect on the overall population. However, if this disease were to occur in an endangered population the effects could be devastating. Rumen Acidosis has a common occurrence in commercial animals such as goats and cattle. There has been numerous studies to try and lessen the occurrence in commercial animals. Rumen Acidosis has even shown to affect dairy production causing a growing interest in in furthering our understanding about this disease (Morgante et al. 2007)