INVESTIGATION OF THE CORRELATION OF URINE PH AND BLOOD-PH IN NEONATALDIARRHEIC CALVES

Physical examinations of 60 clinically normal and 45 neonatal calves w ith diarrhoea were made to determine the acid-base-balance in blood an d urine and the specific gravity of urine. The diarrhoeic calves were classified clinically as mild, moderate or severe cases. A metabolic a cidosis was pre sent in 67% of the diarrhoeic calves. Blood pH and uri ne pH were correlated, but the severity of the acidosis could not. be predicted precisely. There was a tendency of the pH of urine to reduce with the aggravating blood acidosis. Base excess was more highly corr elated with urine pH but this also did Mot allow the estimation of the degree of acidosis. Urine pH proved to be of little diagnostic value. The clinical findings were significantly correlated with the severity of acidosis. The general behaviour of the calves or the level of dehy dration on their own were less predictive. In practice, the veterinari an will have a good indication of the degree of acidosis given a clini cal examination and determination of urine pH.