Scar cannulation method for studying microbiota

The problem of feeding highly productive cows remains unresolved at the moment. Feeding high-protein feeds to increase milk productivity often leads to changes in the acidity of the rumen (acidosis), the pH of the medium decreases below 6 units, as a result of which most of the cellulolytic microflora cannot perform its function of splitting fiber (“Learning to look into the rumen” May 2016, Dairy Farm magazine, report by Elena Dubrovina). Lactic acid microflora begins to dominate, which secretes lactic acid, causing damage to the mucosa of the scar and reducing its function. Toxins can enter the body through the mucosa of the scar, leading to disruption of the local blood circulation of the hooves. There are signs of inflammation of the hooves – swelling of the corollas, deformation and uneven regrowth of the hoof horn, as well as microcracks, through which opportunistic microflora penetrates. Due to a decrease in the function of the immune system, this microflora begins to actively multiply, releasing a series of toxins that lead to a deeper destruction of the hoofed horn. The possibility of assessing the scar content using cannulation is an urgent problem in highly productive cows for timely detection of disorders in the composition of the scar microflora and prevention of concomitant pathologies.