Cud population to live and function. Consumption by ruminants of an insufficiently fibrous diet leads to little cud formation and therefore lowered amounts of saliva production. This in turn is associated with rumen acidosis, where the rumen pH can fall to 5 or lower. Rumen acidosis is associated with a lowered appetite which leads to still lower rates of saliva secretion. Eventually, a collapse of the microbial ecosystem in the rumen will occur because of the low pH. Acute rumen acidosis can lead to death of the animal, and will occur if the animal is allowed to eat a diet with
Taurodontism dentition although the term is traditionally applied to molar teeth. In some cases taurodontism seems to follow an autosomal dominant type of inheritance. Taurodontism is found in association with amelogenesis imperfecta, ectodermal dysplasia and tricho-dento-osseous syndrome. The term means "bull like" teeth derived from similarity of these teeth to those of ungulate or cud-chewing animals. According to Shaw these can be classified as hypotaurodont, hypertaurodont and mesotaurodont. According to Mangion taurodontism may be: It has also been reported in Klinefelter's syndrome, XXYY and Down's syndrome . The teeth involved are invariably molars, sometimes single and at the other times multiple