Follicular Dysplasia and Hair Loss in White-Tailed Deer (Odocoileus Virginianus)

    July 2023 in “ Veterinary pathology
    Kathleen M Deering, Lorelei L. Clarke, Shawn V Lennix, Elizabeth Layne, Lindsey Long, Nancy K. Businga
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    TLDR White-tailed deer can get a hair loss condition that might make them more vulnerable to environmental threats.
    The document describes a study on a follicular dysplastic syndrome in adult white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus), colloquially known as “toothpaste hair disease.” The study was based on skin samples from 2 adult deer that presented to the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources and the Wisconsin Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory with reports of hair loss in 2018. The deer were found to be grossly alopecic with sparing of the distal extremities and variably the head and neck. Histologic features included normal numbers of hair follicles and adnexa, dilated and misshapen follicles, and dysplastic hair bulbs. Hair follicles were empty, contained fragmented and irregular hair shafts, or contained concretions of keratin. Small lymphocyte infiltration in hair bulbs suggested alopecia areata as a cause. The condition does not appear to directly cause mortality but could increase environmental exposure. Further evaluation of additional affected individuals is recommended.
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