Metabolic acidosis in calves with neonatal diarrhea was believed to be mainly caused by the loss of bicarbonate via the intestines or the formation of L-lactate during anaerobic glycolysis after tissue hypoperfusion in dehydrated calves. Because D-lactate was not considered to be of interest in human or veterinary medicine, routine diagnostic methods targeted the detection of L-lactate only. The development of stereospecific assays for the measurement of D-lactate facilitated research. This article summarizes the available information on D-lactic metabolic acidosis in neonatal ruminants.
Keywords: Calf diarrhea; Neonates; Ruminal drinking; Ruminants; d-lactic acidosis.
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