The measurement of urine pH to predict the amount of buffer used in the treatment of acute rumen lactic acidosis in cattle

• Autores: Celso Akio Maruta, Marta Lizandra do Rego Leal, Daniel Mendes Netto, Clara Satsuki Mori, Alexandre Coutinho Antonelli, Enrico Lippi Ortolani
• Localización: Ciencia rural, ISSN 0103-8478, Vol. 38, Nº. 3, 2008, págs. 717-722
• Idioma: inglés
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• Resumen

  • The purpose of the present study was to establish a practical, fast, precise and low-cost procedure to estimate the degree of metabolic acidosis in cattle with acute rumen lactic acidosis for further treatment. The rumen acidosis was induced experimentally in 40 crossbreed rumen-cannulated 1.5-year-old steers. The induction caused the development of the most characteristic clinical signs of acute rumen lactic acidosis, severe rumen acidosis and a moderate metabolic acidosis, which was evidenced by low blood pH, and blood bicarbonate concentration and base excess (BE). A highly positive correlation (r=0.80) between urinary pH and BE concentration, and between urinary pH and blood pH (r=0.75) was observed. The BE concentration estimated by urinary pH was similar to that determined by venous blood gas analysis (P>0.99). Furthermore, the results presented by the predictive formula were very significant. In conclusion, urinary pH is a good tool to predict the quantity of buffers needed to treat metabolic acidosis in cattle with acute rumen lactic acidosis.