Nutritional myopathy in sheep from Rio Grande do Norte state, Brazil

Abstract

Nutritional myopathy or white muscle disease is associated to selenium and vitamin E deficiency. It occurs mainly in cattle, sheep and swine. Young animals with fast growth and excellent body conditions are more frequently affected. In this article, an outbreak of nutritional myopathy is reported in sheep raised in rural zone of Mossoró-RN. From February 2007 to July 2007, clinical and epidemiological evaluation of the animals was realized. The sheep were fed with high protein and carbohydrate in diet. Eight sheep, aged between two and four months, were affected. Three of them (animals 1, 2 and 3), showed weakness, muscle tremors, incoordination, reluctance to move, sternal recumbency and dyspnea, while the others (animals 4, 5, 6, 7 and 8) died without any previous clinical signs. Animals 1, 2 and 3 died spontaneously, and they were necropsied and submitted to anatomopathological examination. On histology, segmental muscular necrosis areas were observed in the cardiac and skeletal muscles examined. The treatment was made using selenium and vitamin E. There was no clinical remission that has confirmed nutritional myopathy diagnosis. A possible predisposing factor for the occurrence of this disease was the overfeeding using high protein and carbohydrate in diet of the young animals. Keywords: Selenium and vitamin E deficiency, sheep, muscular segmental necrosis.