Acidosis Causes, Symptoms and Reducing Risk

Typical Acidosis Causes

• Diet too high in fermentable carbohydrates
• Too high concentrate:forage ratio
• Switching too fast from high forage to high concentrate
• Switching too fast from silage to high levels of green chop forage
• Low fiber content in diet
• Diet composed of very wet and highly fermented feeds
• Too finely chopped forage
• Over mixed TMR resulting in excess particle size reduction
  Mycotoxins

Typical Acidosis Symptoms

• Low milk fat test; < 3.0 to 3.3% or 1% below the herd average
• Milk fat test returns to normal when buffer is added to ration
• Sore hooves, laminitis or hoof surfaces with horizontal ridges or lines
• Irregular feed intake patterns
• Diarrhea or loose, watery manure
• Liver abscesses
• Low rumen pH (< 5.8) in 30 to 50% of animals tested
• Limited cud chewing
• Cows crave or selectively consume long forage, straw or grass hay
• Cows consume sodium bicarbonate free choice

Reducing Acidosis Risk

• Ensure sufficient long fiber in the diet to promote adequate cudding and saliva
  production to buffer rumen pH
• Ensure good cow comfort to encourage cows to lie down, ruminate and produce saliva
• Avoid feeding excess amounts of rapidly fermentable carbohydrates, especially if
  “slug” feeding
• Offer a well managed TMR that minimizes selective sorting of feed components
• Feed a probiotic to stimulate microbe production in the rumen (for example, a
  live yeast)