Fecal ammonia, urea, volatile fatty acid and lactate levels in dairy cows and their pathophysiological significance during diarrhea

Abstract

ABSTRACTNormal fecal samples were taken from lactating cows fed either a total mixed ration (TMR; n = 30) or pasture‐based diet (20) and from dry cows fed mainly on hay (15). Diarrheic fecal samples (n = 51) were collected from 21 sick dairy cows. Fecal analyses of ammonia, urea, lactate and volatile fatty acid (VFA) levels were used to evaluate colonic fermentation. Most normal feces had reasonably neutral pH, however, alkaline feces were observed in diarrheic cows. Although fecal lactate is higher in cows on grazing pasture, lactate levels were generally lower in the cows in the present study. Fecal VFA levels were higher in lactating cows than in dry cows. Elevated fecal urea was observed in diarrheic cows, however, many fecal samples in normal and diarrheic cows contained no urea. Fecal VFA levels in diarrheic cows were lower than in normal lactating cows, but were approximately equivalent to those in dry cows. Grazing or dry cows showed higher acetate and lower n‐butyrate proportions compared with TMR‐fed or diarrheic cows. Higher proportions of branched chain VFAs were observed in diarrheic cows, and the lowest level was observed in grazing cows. The present results indicate that intracolonic nitrogen equilibrium and proteolytic fermentation are altered by diarrheic status.