[Changes in the ruminal contents in suppurative surgical infection in cattle]

Rumen content (pH, number of infusoria, quantity of volatile fatty acids and ammonia) was studied in 151 cattle (50 healthy animals, 15 with experimental suppurative infection and 86 with spontaneous suppurative infection). In cases of cattle suppurative infection a statistically significant reduction was observed in the four rumen content indices: pH from 7.61 +/- 0.02 fell to 6.90 +/- 0.06; number of infusoria--from 295 820 +/- 2890 per cm3 fell to 75 867 +/- 1260 per cm3; volatile fatty acids from 919.7 +/- 10.08 mg% diminished to 489.48 +/- 18.91, and ammonia from 27.69 +/- 0.51 mg% was reduced to 12.23 +/- 0.73 mg%. In case of recovery a tendency toward normalizing rumen content was observed.