Nutrition and Lameness: Ruminal pH and Subacute Acidosis in Grazing Animals

Nutrition management, and its relationship with subacute ruminal acidosis, has been identified as one of many factors associated with the onset of laminitis. The risk of laminitis developement has been associated with higher dry matter intakes and mainly with higher levels of grains in diets. A detailed review about causes and prevention of subacute acidosis in dairy herds under intensive conditions has been recently published by Krause and Oetzel (2006). The present paper has the objective to discuss some results obtained mainly under grazing situations ...