In this episode of Hoofnotes, we dig deep into the gut, literally. Rumen acidosis, also known as grain overload, is a serious condition that affects goats too, especially when their diet shifts too quickly or leans too heavy on grain. We'll explore the science behind what happens when the rumen turns acidic, the signs to watch for, and how a carbonate buffer mix (CBM) helped goats bounce back in a recent study. We will also explore options for treatment used by ruminant veterinarians and everything you need to get your goat back on track.
If you’ve ever wondered how something as simple as diet could ripple into such big health consequences, you don’t want to miss this one.
Because when it comes to goat care, what goes into the rumen doesn't just stay there, it affects everything.
Visit Companion Blog for this Episode: https://goathousefarm.com/rumen-acidosis
Articles for this episode:
Boileau, M., & Williams, N. (2020, October 5). Grain Overload in Goats. Oklahoma State University.
Braun, U., Rihs, T., & Schefer, U. (1992, April 18). Ruminal lactic acidosis in sheep and goats. Vet Rec, 130(16), 343-349. doi: 10.1136/vr.130.16.343.
Doss, A. (Douglas) ("stellargamebirds"). (2025, May 19). Understanding Rumen Acidosis in Goats: Causes, Pathophysiology, and Prevention. The Farm and Homestead.
Fan, G., Su, N., He, Y., Yuan, C., Zhao, C., Hu, X., Fu, Y., & Zhang, N. (2025, April 19). Carbonate Buffer Mixture Alleviates Subacute Rumen Acidosis Induced by Long-Term High-Concentrate Feeding in Dairy Goats by Regulating Rumen Microbiota. Microorganisms, 13(4), 945. doi: 10.3390/microorganisms13040945.
Hardcastle, A., & Lear, A. (n.d.). Fundamentals of Feeding Goats. Large Animal Hospital, Large Animal Clinical Sciences, University of Tennessee.
Nagar, J. K., Choudhary, S., Pathan, N. K., Sharma, A., Rathore, H., & Rolania, S. (2024). Prevalence, diagnosis and therapeutic management of ruminal acidosis in goats. International Journal of Advanced Biochemistry Research, 8(1), 345-348. doi: https://doi.org/10.33545/26174693.2024.v8.i1e.376.
Schmeltz, W. (2013, September 8). Ask A Vet: Acidosis in Goats. Dr. Weldy's Associates.
Snyder, E., & Credille, B. (2017). Diagnosis and Treatment of Clinical Rumen Acidosis. Vet Clin Food Anim. doi: http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.cvfa.2017.06.003.
A NotebookLM deep dive human written to help you make goat science make sense.
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