Mystery Disease

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I have a local friend in the breeding business who is in his second year. I am posting for him because he is at a loss and ready to throw in the towel. I would hate for him to quit so I am asking you guys for possible suggestions. Any response would be appreciated.  Last December, he lost two adult does who fawned earlier in the year. Both of them were approximately two years old. One showed no clinical signs of distress and eventually died. The autopsy showed liver disease from a lab report from Auburn University. The second showed physical signs of distress; thin, rough coat. Before her death, both fecal and blood samples were sent to the same lab. Both samples came back clean of parasites, no elevated white blood cells, ect. Auburn University said that it came from a completely healthy deer. The deer died approximately two weeks later. Last week, he had one of his best does abort a single fawn. This week, he noticed that one of his yearling does is beginning to show some of the same physical symptoms (thinning, rough hair). He has two pens built onto a converted chicken house. The house floor and walls were limed before the first deer was delivered to his place. I was just wondering if there was a bacteria that is taking his deer out. Again, any thoughts would be appreciated. Thanks and God bless. 




Well we would first think the past chickens may be the problem but if no coccida showed up on the test you could rule that out. Now you say liver disease i would test the next one for liver flukes.although they happen most around water. Either way after fawning i would have him treat the whole herd with Valbazen just to be safe. Myself i would treat them back to back to Valbazen!  Being in there after the birds im sure is the bottom of the problem. Be sure to keep us updated!!

I would look into giardia. This is often not looked into during fecal samples.

He may want to check his feed, possible mold? liver disease could be caused by what the deer ingest. any chemicals used during the chicken farming that could be in soil? My bet is something there ingesting!    Good Luck!


 


 


Scott Neeb


www.chanllowfarms.com

was the liver disease diagnosed based on bloodwork or on pathology report, and if from the report what did the report say???

I think I would be changing labs if it took six months to a year


Try Antech or Purdue labs\


most labs will give you a list of what diseases cause the changes that they saw

What is he feeding? Accidosis can cause liver damage.

A deer cannot be naturally select about what or how much it ingest sometimes inside the fence like the free range animal & when fed a mineral fortified feed or mineral supplement liver inflammation and damage can happen. I too,would look closely at the feed but would concentrate on the mineral intake of the animals.There are many deer farmers in this industry who could be damaging the livers of their herds and probably inhibiting the growth of their antlers by over feeding minerals. Deer also in confinement can be poisoned by tannic acid found in acorns. There would be inflammation of the liver and likely damage to the kidneys. Animals in the wild are again more naturally select and don't eat to many. The times of death do not coincide with the fall mast crop though and we don't know how many oaks if any might be in his pens?

Diarrhea is usually present w/ the tannic acid poisoning and most of the other posted disease problems as well. Mineral poisoning would kill them slowly and is consistent with what you described. One mineral deer are very sensitive to is selenium. Selenium levels in northern Indiana soils are very low some places and supplementation is needed while in the southern part of the state where I am it is plenty adequate. If you have very high selenium in your soil and you have selenium in your feed there could be a toxicity issue from getting to much.

what are they getting for roughage? does the pen have grass?

Where does he live in the south? When you first posted my first incling was EHD. Some deep south Texas farms were talking yesterday that they were having problems with the EHD right now. I wouldn't rule it out.Sometimes can linger for a couple like that and liver gets big.

I wouldn't think so if you are north

I would be leaning toward nutritional , what types of supplements for antler growth are being added?