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Effects of Feeding Fish Liver Oil, Vitamin E and Selenium to Ewes upon the Occurrence of Muscular Dystrophy in Their Lambs¹

University of Wisconsin,³ Madison

Abstract

In three experiments, feeding fish liver oil to ewes during pregnancy and lactation was an effective means of producing muscular dystrophy in lambs. The most effective method of administration of the oil was a combination of the oil with a ground corn and corn cob mixture. The fish liver oil lowered ewe and lamb blood plasma concentrations of vitamin E, and this reduction was associated with the incidence of dystrophy.

Vitamin E administration to ewes was effective in counteracting the dystrophy-producing effects of the oil. Vitamin E was effective also in curing dystrophic lambs.

When incorporated into the ration of ewes receiving fish liver oil, selenium, in two of three trials, decreased but did not eliminate the occurrence of muscular dystrophy in the lambs. Selenium supplementation did not, however, alter the blood plasma tocopherol concentrations of ewes or of their lambs, nor did it alter the vitamin E concentration in the milk or the degree of unsaturation of the milk fat.

¹ Published with the approval of the Director of the Wisconsin Agricultural Experiment Station, and supported in part by the Research Committee of the Graduate School with funds from the Wisconsin Alumni Research Foundation.

² Present address: New Jersey Agricultural Experiment Station, New Brunswick, New Jersey.

³ Departments of Animal Husbandry and Biochemistry.