An intravenous replenishment of salivary components decrease water intake and increases feed intake in freely drinking large-type goats fed on dry forage

Abstract

This research utilized two treatments to investigate if feed intake is reduced by changes in humoral factors induced by dry forage feeding in large-type goats given free access to water. In the control treatment (NI), a solution was not infused. The artificial parotid saliva i.v. infusion (ASI) treatment consisted of an i.v. infusion of artificial parotid saliva in order to replenish NaHCO3 and fluids lost from the blood to the rumen due to increased saliva secretion volume during initial stages of dry forage feeding. The ASI treatment significantly mitigated the decreases in circulating plasma volume caused by saliva secretion. Thirst was lower in the ASI-treated group, as indicated by the lower water intake (NI, 3894 mL 2 h-1; ASI, 3100 mL 2 h-1). Decreases with time in dry forage intake were significantly reduced by the ASI treatment (2134g 2 h-1) compared with the NI control (1756 g 2 h-1). These results indicate that under free drinking conditions, dry forage intake of large-type goats may likely be suppressed by the decrease in plasma volume and increase in water intake following saliva secretion during the initial stages of feeding. Key words: Dry forage intake, water intake, large-type goat