OSTEOCHONDROSIS ASSOCIATED WITH COPPER DEFICIENCY IN YOUNG FARMED REDDEER AND WAPITI X RED DEER HYBRIDS

Osteochondrosis is reported in association with copper deficiency in y oung red deer and a wapiti x red deer hybrids on eight deer farms thro ughout New Zealand. On two farms, more than 30% of fawns were affected . Affected animals were lame, often had one or more swollen joints, an d in some cases had an abnormal ''bunny-hopping'' gait or ''cow-hocked '' stance. Lesions were most common in the carpal, tarsal, stifle and hip joints, and were usually bilateral. Defects in articular cartilage ranged from loose flaps to complete separation with exposure of subch ondral bone and the presence of cartilage fragments within the joint s pace. In advanced cases, the joints had features of degenerative arthr opathy. Bilateral epiphyseolysis of the femoral head was observed in s ome severely lame deer. All deer with osteochondrosis had low serum an d/or liver copper concentrations.