Rumen acidosis is mainly caused by the accumulation and fermentation of carbohydrates ingested by cattle and sheep in the rumen. This disease can cause abdominal pain and dehydration. If not treated in time, it may lead to death. As a livestock farmer, it is necessary to control the rumen acidosis of cattle and sheep, starting with prevention and treatment, comprehensively analyze the characteristics and causes of the disease, and provide a theoretical basis for the treatment of rumen acidosis.


One, the characteristics of the disease


The symptoms of rumen acidosis in cattle and sheep will show different symptoms over time, which can be divided into the following stages:


In the first stage, within 12-36 hours after eating, there will be loss of appetite. In severe cases, there will be blindness, weakness, and lack of energy. As the rumen continues to expand, the pain of cattle and sheep intensifies. If not treated in time, they will eventually stop peristaltic.


In the second stage, within 24-49 hours after eating, symptoms such as acute dehydration and diarrhea appear, stools appear white and slimy, and body temperature drops rapidly, eventually dropping to between 1°C and 2°C. At this stage, the respiratory rate of cattle and sheep rises to 75-95 beats/min, and the average heart rate will exceed 100 beats/min. If not treated, the sick cattle and sheep will eventually die.


2. Treatment methods
3. (1) Condition analysis


Based on the symptoms and main reasons of the diseased cattle and sheep, specific treatment methods are selected in a targeted manner. In the actual diagnosis process, the pH value of the rumen content of the cattle and sheep is mainly used. Compared with normal cattle and sheep, the diseased cattle and sheep The pH value is generally below 6.9. After 24 hours of illness, the pH value may rise to a certain extent due to the buffering and dilution effect of saliva and plasma, but the acid, alkali and electrolytes still show acidosis. There are certain similarities between rumen acidosis and other diseases such as rumen food, abomasum dislocation, and abomasum obstruction. Therefore, in the actual diagnosis process, these diseases should be distinguished reasonably to avoid misdiagnosis. To fundamentally treat rumen acidosis, it is necessary to stop the continued production of rumen acid, thereby effectively correcting the blood pH in the body of cattle and sheep, and promoting the effect of foregastric peristalsis.


(Two) treatment methods


In the process of treatment, the treatment staff should choose the treatment method in a targeted manner according to the actual situation. For cattle and sheep with mild disease, physical therapy is the main treatment. The feed is replaced with grass or hay to maintain life, and the exercise intensity of cattle and sheep is gradually strengthened to promote digestion of cattle and sheep. Severely ill cattle and sheep should be treated with gastric lavage, which can be treated with 1:5 lime water and 1% sodium chloride. There are two main steps: first, choose an inner diameter of 26 The rubber tube within ±1.5cm adopts a diversion method to drain the residual fluid and chyme in the rumen of cattle and sheep; secondly, inject the prepared liquid into the rumen of cattle and sheep until the gastric juice is alkaline. You can stop. Severely ill cattle and sheep should be treated with surgery. The contents of the rumen of the diseased cattle and sheep are removed by surgery to remove lactic acid and poisoning substances. Then put the chopped licorice mixed with healthy gastric juice into the rumen of the diseased cattle and sheep. It should be noted that the dosage of the licorice mixture can reach 30% of the rumen capacity, and clean water must be injected at the same time. In addition, intravenous registration can also be used to use different doses for different breeds and different symptoms of cattle and sheep. After the infusion, if the sick cattle and sheep become unwell, the infusion dose should be appropriately increased. The treatment can also be provided through traditional Chinese medicine, and the traditional Chinese medicine Qingchangyin decoction can be administered.


3. Preventive measures


To minimize the occurrence of rumen acidosis in cattle and sheep, it is necessary to strengthen the prevention of rumen acidosis in cattle and sheep. During the breeding process, the dairy cows and dairy sheep are raised and fed according to normal standards. Feeds cannot be added or subtracted at will. At the same time, a small amount of ammonium bicarbonate, magnesium oxide, etc. can be added to the feed, and the ratio should be controlled within 1%-1.5%. between. This can effectively reduce the acidity of the feed and truly achieve the purpose of prevention. Meat sheep and beef cattle must also be fed in accordance with the corresponding feeding standards, but in the process of changing the feed, a detailed and scientific transition plan must be worked out to gradually change from coarse feed to concentrated feed. If the transition process is missing, it will cause discomfort symptoms in cattle and sheep, which in turn will lead to rumen acidosis in cattle and sheep. In addition, the cattle barn and feeding trough must be cleaned regularly to ensure that the cattle and sheep can eat at the same time, so as to prevent the cattle and sheep from overeating due to hunger and causing diseases. For example: 1%-1.5% sodium bicarbonate and 1% magnesium oxide should be added to the feed of dairy cows to effectively reduce the acidity of the feed, adjust the acid-base balance, and avoid rumen acidosis. In the process of feeding and management, the feeding trough should be long enough to not be empty for a long time. In addition to the above, it is necessary to ensure that cattle and sheep can obtain sufficient high-quality crude fiber feed, and the intake should be about 10% of the total. The crude fiber feed in the sea can appropriately reduce the content of grain feed, so as to avoid causing liver problems in beef cattle. Symptoms of abscess.


IV. Cases


Take a farmer in a township in Qinghai Province as an example. A total of 33 yaks were raised, using a mixed mode of grazing and house-raising. In March 2018, due to negligence in management, the yak ate a large amount of wheat. Although it was stopped as soon as it was discovered, five yaks still showed varying degrees of illness. On the third day of the illness, a yak died. The farmer immediately reported to the local veterinary station. After a laboratory diagnosis, it was confirmed to be rumen acidosis. Because the five sick cows did not show typical symptoms two days before the onset of the disease, but on the third day, the onset of the disease suddenly occurred. After the local veterinarians dissected the sick and dead cows, they found that the cow’s blood was thick and showed Dark red, deep red, the contents in the rumen and reticulum are fermented severely, and a peculiar smell appears. Combined with the other characteristics of the dead cattle, the final diagnosis was bovine rumen acidosis. After the diagnosis, the veterinarian immediately separated and raised the sick cows, changed the feed to high-quality green hay, and restricted the amount of drinking water. In this way, the electrolytes in the rumen were balanced, calcium and sugar were supplemented, and shock was avoided. Not only that, after the diagnosis is made, gastric lavage is performed on the sick cow. 1kg of lime is placed in a large basin, and after adding cold water, mix thoroughly, let it stand for three minutes, take the upper layer of clear liquid, and introduce it from the cow’s mouth using a catheter To the stomach, at least 5kg of lime water should be poured into each sick cow. After gastric lavage, 500ml of normal rumen fluid should be injected into the rumen of the cow. Not only that, the veterinarian also used Chinese medicines such as angelica, licorice, ginseng, Shengdi, Ophiopogon japonicus, double flower, scutellaria, white peony, and tangerine peel. The purpose of intestinal tract, accelerating intestinal peristalsis, thereby restoring the gastrointestinal function of cattle. In addition, considering the serious condition of the sick cow, the mixed medicine was injected with glucose saline solution. After seven consecutive days of treatment, three sick cows recovered to health, and one of the sick cows was in serious condition and died of ineffective treatment.