Subclinical rumen acidosis as a cause of reduced appetite in newly calved dairy cows in Denmark: results of a poll among Danish dairy practitioners.

Abstract

A questionnaire survey was conducted among Danish dairy practitioners to investigate reduced appetite and its relation to subclinical rumen acidosis in post partum dairy cows. The 115 practitioners who responded provided service to 325,300 cows representing 46% of the national herd. Results are presented and discussed in relation to the practitioners beliefs regarding occurrence and value of the diagnostic methods used and treatments applied. The most common diagnoses believed to occur were ketosis (26%), rumen acidosis (22%) abomasal disorders (16%), subclinical hypocalcaemia (15%) and milk fever (15%). Subclinical rumen acidosis was considered to be a commonly occurring underlying condition with significant importance as a cause of reduced appetite. Inadequate feeding strategies were considered to be a main cause of subclinical rumen acidosis. However, the veterinary practitioners were apparently reluctant to imply checking of feeding mangement in their diagnostic work. Possibel reasons for this are discussed. According to the national dairy health recording system subclinical rumen acidosis was rarely reported as a diagnosis among attended cases. Apparently, signs and manifestations of the condition were unclear to the practitioners. It is proposed that the discrepancy is partly due to a lack of precise diagnostic tools available to veterinary practitioners at present and partly due to a missing examination of farm specific feeding management.