Discoloration of hair, or white guard hair, has been prevailing in a district of Hyogo Prefecture noted or its production of indigenous Japanese cattle. It has occurred during a season from early fall to winter n this district. Strange to say, it has disappeared soon after the affected cattle were transferred to any other district. An etiological survey was conducted with the following results.
1. White guard hair appeared on the side of the neck, around the eyes, or all over the body. Affected animals became thin, but were free from such symptoms of molybdenum poisoning as lameness and diarrhea.
2. The Mo level was high (11.2 γ/dl on the average) in blood. The Cu level was low (53.2 γ/dl on the average) in serum. The former was low in summer and high in winter, but the latter showed a reverse tendency.
3. The Cu/Mo ratio was 2.4 for wild grasses given in summer and 0.88 for rice straw fed in winter.
4. Calves with white guard hair were treated with a daily dose of 0.5-1.0g of copper sulfate at 2days' intervals. The white hair was found to be replaced by a dark brown one in 40days. In conclusion, this type of discoloration of hair was presumed to be induced by complicated copper deficiency.
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