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.
- Destruction of subcortical white matter in the brain.
- Neonatal lambs show an ataxia in the first few weeks of life.
- 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