High dietary cation and anion difference formulation increased heat dissipation in non-lactating goats fed at high ambient temperature.

Background And Aim: In our previous study, we observed that a high dietary cation and anion difference (DCAD) of 40 mEq/kg dry matter (DM) in the diets of lactating dairy goats increased heat dissipation. In the present study, we believe that the level of DCAD fed to non-lactating and non-pregnant goats was twice as high as that fed to lactating goats in our previous study. This increase could have resulted in a greater water balance due to increased intake of water and unchanged urinary excretion. Therefore, this study aimed to determine the behavioral and heat dissipation effects of a dietary shift from low to high DCAD levels in dairy goats under tropical conditions.

Materials And Methods: Seven non-lactating and non-pregnant crossbred goats were used in this study. All animals were initially fed a low DCAD (15 mEq/100 g DM) diet from days 0-6 and then switched to a high DCAD (89 mEq/100 g DM) diet from day 7 (high DCAD-7) to day 18 (high DCAD-18).

Results: The results revealed that a high DCAD increased DM intake from days 13-18 (p < 0.05). The larger daily meal size associated with the high DCAD-18 group was due to increased daytime meal sizes, not nighttime when compared to the low DCAD group. Dietary cation and anion difference supplementation did not affect daily water intake; however, drinking patterns differed between the low DCAD group and the high DCAD-7 group from 07:00 to 09:00 and during nighttime. Similarly, daily urine volume was unaffected by DCAD supplementation, but urinary patterns differed between the low DCAD and high DCAD-18 groups. The daily water balance remained unchanged across all treatments, yet, a higher morning water balance was observed in the high DCAD group. The high DCAD diet led to an increase in respiration rate and rectal temperature compared to the low DCAD diet.

Conclusion: The observed eating, drinking, and urinary patterns collectively suggested that high DCAD supplementation mitigates the effects of heat stress in non-lactating goats fed at high ambient temperatures.