Effect of dietary cation-anion difference on measures of acid-base physiology and performance in beef cattle

Dietary constituents can affect cow acid-base physiology and uterine pH. Dietary cation-anion difference (DCAD) has been shown to affect cow acid-base physiology, but the effect on uterine pH has not been demonstrated. The objective of this work was to determine if DCAD [(Na + K + 0.15Ca + 0.15Mg) - (Cl + 0.60S + 0.50P)] could affect cow DMI, acid-base physiology, and uterine pH, and second, to determine if dietary supplements could alleviate any negative effects of DCAD on these variables. In Exp. 1, 21 cows were utilized to determine the effect of a negative DCAD (-0.9 mEq/100 g of DM; low-DCAD) or positive DCAD (+25.0 mEq/100 g of DM; high-DCAD) diet on cow BW, DMI, and pH of blood, urine, and uterine flush fluid. In Exp. 2, 21 cows were randomly allotted to 1 of 3 treatments: control (-3.1 mEq/100 g of DM), molasses (+2.9 mEq/100 g of DM), or molasses+buffer (+25.8 mEq/100 g of DM) to determine if supplemental liquid molasses or liquid molasses with a buffer could alleviate the effects of a negative DCAD, forage-based diet. Cows were individually fed their respective diets for 42 d in both experiments. Cow BW, blood, urine, and uterine flush were collected on d 0, 21, and 42 during both experiments. Cow ADG was not different (P = 0.71) in Exp. 1 or Exp. 2 (P = 0.47). Hay DMI did not differ (P < 0.70) between high-DCAD and low-DCAD cows before d 28, but was greater (P < 0.001) for high-DCAD cows after d 28 in Exp. 1. In Exp. 2, mean hay DMI did not differ (P = 0.39) among treatments. In Exp. 1, a treatment x day interaction (P < 0.05) was apparent for blood, pH, base excess, bicarbonate, pCO(2), and urine pH. Blood gas and pH measures peaked on d 21 for high-DCAD and declined from d 0 to 42 in low-DCAD cows. High-DCAD cows had greater (P = 0.08) uterine flush pH compared with low-DCAD cows. In contrast, during Exp. 2 there were no differences (P > 0.14) among treatments for blood, pH, base excess, pCO(2), or uterine flush pH. Urine pH exhibited a treatment x day interaction (P < 0.0001). On d 21 molasses supplemented cow urine pH was greater (P < 0.0001) than control cows, whereas on d 42 molasses+buffer had greater (P = 0.01) urine pH compared with control and molasses cows. Dietary cation-anion difference and the use of molasses-based supplements had minimal effect on forage-fed beef cow DMI. However, DCAD has the capacity to alter forage-fed beef cow acid-base physiology and potentially affect uterine physiology.