Copper Deficiency

Nervous system

• Copper deficiency in the pregnant ewe can result in "swayback'" in lambs.
  • Due to white matter degeneration in the central nervous system of prenatal and neonatal lambs.
• The degeneration is thought to be a mixture of both hypomyelination and demyelination.
• The central nervous system of the lambs is affected.
  • Neonatal lambs show an ataxia in the first few weeks of life.
    • Due to demyelination of dorsolateral and ventromedial tracts in the white matter of the spinal cord.
  • More severe lesions can be present in lambs affected prenatally.
    • Destruction of subcortical white matter in the brain.
      • The extent of this varies.
• It is unknown how copper deficiency exerts this effect.
  • Supplementation in pregnancy prevents the prenatal form.
  • Supplementation in the first few weeks will alleviate the neonatal form.

Skin

• Hair or wool depigmentation
  • Black sheep develop bands of lighter colouring
  • Cattle develop spectacle pattern of depigmentation around eyes)
  • Coat colour may change from black to reddish brown