TABLE 4-1.
NORMAL RUMEN FLUID CHARACTERISTICS OF SHEEP AND GOATS
| CHARACTERISTIC | NORMAL VALUES |
|---|---|
| Color | Green |
| Odor | Aromatic |
| pH* | 6.5 to 7.5 |
| Protozoa† | Mixed sizes and species rapidly moving |
| Methylene blue reduction time‡ | 3 to 6 minutes |
| Gram's stain | Gram-negative rods predominate |
| Rumen chloride | Less than 25 to 30 mEq/L |
Use pH paper with at least 0.5-unit gradations.
Place a drop of fluid on a warm slide and cover with a coverslip. Examine under 100 × magnification.
Mix one part 0.03% methylene blue to 20 parts rumen fluid. Measure time for blue color to clear to match a control tube of fluid.
From Nordlund KV, Garrett EF: Rumenocentesis: a technique for collecting rumen fluid for diagnosis of subacute rumen acidosis in dairy herds, Bovine Pract 28:109 1994; Keefe GP, Ogilvie TH: Comparison of oro-ruminal probe and rumenocentesis for prediction of rumen pH in dairy cattle, Proc 30th Ann Am Assoc Bovine Pract Conv, p 168, 1997; Smith MC, Sherman DM: Goat medicine, Philadelphia, 1994, Lea & Febiger.
© 2002 Lea amp; Febiger
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