Advances in dairy Research
Open Access

Abstract

Enterotoxemia: The Deadly Disease Affecting Goats and Sheep Production

George F. W. Haenlein* and Young W. Park

Roughages and plant cell walls are not digestible in human gastrointestinal system. However, ruminants, such as cow, goats and sheep are designed by nature to thrive on roughage and fibrous feeds and are great converters of such feeds which are neither very digestible nor nutritious among humans, into meat, milk and wool fiber. In fact, ruminants, as the host animals play a symbiotic relationship with a multitude of beneficial bacteria in their rumen, where these rumen microorganisms digest the fiber, while the ruminant animal plays the role of bacterial host benefitting from the microbial digestion products of roughage feeds. Maintenance of an optimal pH is one condition that is essential for these beneficial bacteria to survive and multiply. However, when the pH optimum gets disrupted or changed, other pathogenic bacteria species (Eg. Clostridia spp.) will take over, releasing deadly toxins in the rumen environment, called entertoxemia which could prove to be detrimental. Based on the practical experience it is herewith affirmed that when disturbances in rumen ecosystem is recognized, it can be potentially reversed to normal environment by providing appetizing feed containing fiber such as sunflower seeds and entertoxemia can be cured by prompt feeding management without necessarily resorting to otherwise effective vaccinations against the offending Clostridia bacteria.

Published Date: 2024-06-12; Received Date: 2020-06-26