Selenium and Tocopherol Levels in Calves With White Muscle Disease of Cardiac and Skeletal Muscle Type in Japan

Abstract

White muscle disease (WMD) in calves is a nutritional degeneration of skeletal and cardiac muscle caused by tocopherol deficiency1, selenium deficiency2 or both3. Author et al. researched WMD in livestock (calves, lambs, foals) in Japan and clarified that the disease is caused by deficiencies of selenium and tocopherol4,5,6). In this study, cases of WMD in calves in Japan were divided into skeletal muscle type with degeneration of skeletal muscle and cardiac muscle type with degeneration of cardiac muscle. We compared the clinico-pathological observations and the levels of tocopherol and selenium.