How do you calculate the DCAD of a diet?

The DCAD equation most often applied in the field equals: milliequivalents (meq) [(%K divided by 0.039) + (%Na divided by 0.023)] – [(%Cl divided by 0.0355) + (%S divided by 0.016)]/100 grams of dietary dry matter (DM).

What does Dcad mean?

Dietary Cation-Anion Difference
DCAD stands for Dietary Cation-Anion Difference. DCAD is a particularly important measure that is used when formulating diets for dry, transition and lactating dairy cows. DCAD is the interrelationship of positively charged minerals (cations) and negatively charged minerals (anions) on animal performance.

What is Dcad value?

DCAD is reported in mEq/kg of diet. The DCAB equation involves subtracting the mEq of anions from the mEq of cations and the result can be positive or negative. An important aspect of evaluating a diet for DCAD is that the mineral content of the diet has been accurately determined.

How do DCAD diets work?

Feeding a negative DCAD diet tends to slightly decrease blood pH, which has been shown to improve the responsiveness of the target tissues to PTH, increasing calcium release from bone and vitamin D activation in the kidney. This is another reason why negative-DCAD diets work to support calcium status around calving.

What is a DCAB diet?

The dietary cation-anion balance (DCAB) feeding system is frequently used to prevent milk fever by creating acidic conditions in the blood, which promotes calcium mobilisation from the cow’s bones and prevents blood calcium levels from dipping.

What is anionic diet?

Anionic/acidogenic diets (diets having a negative charge due to higher concentration of chloride, sulfur, and phosphorus) promote a more acidic metabolic state (lower blood pH)) that is associated with a reduced incidence of milk fever.

What is a negative DCAD diet?

A negative DCAD diet contains a greater load of negatively charged chloride (Cl) and sulphate (S) ions compared to positively charged potassium (K) and sodium (Na) ions.