Technical note: A wireless telemetric method of monitoring clinical acidosis in dairy cows

Ruminant animals convert forage containing cellulose by bacterial fermentation into nutrients. The health of the bacterial culture in the rumen is essential for the health and productivity of the animal. Over a number of years fistulated animals have been used to study the rumen and its bacterial population. It has been shown that techniques to maintain the pH of the rumen between 7 and 5.5 pH are essential for the health of the dairy cow. The rumen pH has been recorded by using sensors suspended in the rumen at intervals or exceptionally with data recorders. However, fistulation of an animal requires surgery and is only suitable for a few research animals. This paper describes the development of a telemetric bolus that measured and recorded pH continuously. When interrogated by wireless the bolus transmitted the recorded data to an operator standing beside the cow with a receiving station. Boluses were placed in fistulated animals so that a comparison could be made with a laboratory instrument. Data are presented that show a close correlation between the calibrated laboratory instrument and the bolus at time intervals when the instrument was inserted. From this it can be assumed that the bolus accurately records the temporal variation in rumen pH. Data are presented to show the diurnal change in rumen pH over a 6-week period. Methods of increasing the lifetime and accuracy of the bolus are discussed.