Clinical evaluation of unadapted sheep submited to sudden intake of melon with high levels of sugar

• Autor(a) principal: Oliveira, Francisco Leonardo Costa
• Data de Publicação: 2015
• Outros Autores: Barrêto Júnior, Raimundo Alves, Minervino, Antonio Humberto Hamad, Reis, Leonardo Frasson, Tavares, Marcondes Dias, Vale, Rodolfo Gurgel, Gameleira, Jucélio Silva, Souza, Francisco Jocelho Alexandre, Mori, Clara Satsuki, Ortolani, Enrico Lippi
• Tipo de documento: Artigo
• Idioma: eng
• Título da fonte: Semina. Ciências Agrárias (Online)
• Texto Completo: https://ojs.uel.br/revistas/uel/index.php/semagrarias/article/view/19455
• topic: Acidosis; Supplementation; Fruits; pH; Rumen.; Acidose; Suplementação; Frutas; pH; Rúmen.

This study evaluated the clinical effects of two different amounts of melon, with a high sugar content, suddenly offered to unadapted sheep. Twelve rumem cannulated crossbred 8-months-old sheep , weighing 25 kg each, were used. These sheep had never been fed with food concentrated with sugar or fruits. The animals were kept in collective pens with a basal diet of roughage and then randomly divided into two equal groups. The sheep in the two groups received 25% and 75% of dry matter (DM) of the diet the crushed melon, administered by the rumen cannula. Physical examination and measurement of rumen fluid pH was performed at the following times: 0, 3, 6, 12, 18 and 24 h. The animals of G25% did not present clinical signs despite subacute acidosis expected after administration of the melon. However, in the G75%, sheep developed clinical manifestation indicative of lactic acidosis with rumen fluid pH lower than 5.0 from T6h, but did not present with dehydration. In sheep from G75 %, tachycardia was observed at 3 h and continued until the end of the study; tachypnea was also observed at 3 h, which was caused by increased abdominal circumference. Based on the results obtained, the supplementation of high amounts of melon (75% DM) in the diet is not recommended for sheep, although the use of 25% DM is safe. However, greater amounts of this fruit could be used in the diet of sheep with gradual adaptation to the substrate.