Sub-acute ruminal acidosis: Understanding the pathophysiology and management with exogenous buffers

Sub-acute ruminal acidosis (SARA) is an economically important clinical condition and contributes to loss of farm returns, second only mastitis. It more prominent in cows their early mid-lactation, having peak milk yield considerably high dry matter intake. SARA detection a dairy difficult as it does not present any pathognomonic symptoms, the manifestation signs delayed. SARA's characteristic feature occurrence daily fluctuations pH when drops range 5.2 6 for considerable period due accumulation volatile fatty acids rumen. Grain-based diets, which have higher proportions non-structural carbohydrates, high-quality fermentable forages like legumes, lack physically adequate dietary fibre (peNDF), are significant causes SARA. consequences include inflammation rumen mucosa several other organs long-term health economic losses reduced feed intake degradability, drop fat, damage gastrointestinal tract, laminitis, liver dysfunctions, lameness. can be prevented treated by right combination judicious use exogenous buffers sodium bicarbonate, magnesium oxide, direct-fed microbial yeast. This review aims provide gist recent literature available on pathophysiological aspects, indicators, techniques, prevalence, preventive measures SARA, including mechanism action utility commonly used microbials.