Feeding Deer (Venison)

Feeding Deer (Venison)

http://wildlife1.wildlifeinformatio...etIndTech/ImagesCWDObexRemoval_a/2CWDObex.jpg

Clinical signs which may be seen in deer and elk with CWD:

• Loss of weight and body condition, progressing (if the disease runs its full course) to emaciation.
  • This may be mistaken for normal seasonal weight loss.
  • This may be noted as a failure to regain weight following normal seasonal weight loss.
  • This weight loss is not reversible by provision of an improved diet.
• Behavioural changes, including:
  • alterations in reactions to other members of the herd;
  • alterations in reactions to humans;
  • periods of stupor/somnolence;
  • walking in repetitive patterns;
  • hyperexcitability (rare).
• The head and ears may be lowered.
• Polydipsia (excessive drinking) and polyuria (excessive urination): these are common in the terminal stages.
• Excessive salivation and drooling, leading to wetting of the chin area and hair.
• Difficulties in swallowing.
• Reduced eating, although feeding continues at a reduced level.
• Subtle ataxia and wide-based stance in some animals
• Fine head tremors in some animals.

In most cases these signs progress slowly over weeks to months, even longer than a year. However, particularly in white-tailed deer, rapid progression of signs (only a few days from first signs to death) may be seen or even acute death without notable clinical signs while the animal was alive.

• Signs of CWD are progressive and initially subtle, therefore may not be noticed during casual inspection or by individuals unfamiliar with the signs of this disease or with the individual animal.
• Loss of body condition is the most obvious sign but this is highly non-specific and is more commonly due to other causes such as malnutrition.
• Behavioural changes are frequently subtle and detection requires knowledge of the individual animals affected.
• Experienced observers may be able to recognise behavioural signs in most Odocoileus spp. deer late in the course of clinical disease, but signs in elk are more subtle.

The disease is generally seen affecting individuals, rather than groups of animals, at any one time although morbidity in a captive facility over a period of time (years) may be high.
N.B. No clinical signs are pathognomonic for this disease.

• For further information on clinical signs see:
  • CWD Literature Reports: Detailed Clinical Signs (Disease Reports)
  • CWD Literature Reports: Editorial Overview of Disease Characteristics for specified SPECIES/TAXA (Disease Reports)

Additional indications:

• Affected free-ranging individuals may be found near water sources or in riparian areas.
• Individual cases in farmed deer may present as animals of prime age which lose condition, are unresponsive to symptomatic treatment, and die of pneumonia. (J40.66.w1)

(J40.66.w1, J64.11.w3, B294.10.w10, P10.67.w1, N8.18.w6)
It is important to realise that the presentation of an individual case may vary; examples include (J40.66.w1):

• Aspiration pneumonia;
• "Sudden death" following handling;
• An elk getting its head caught under a fence.

ANY DEER OR ELK [in North America] WITH SIGNS COMPATIBLE WITH CWD SHOULD BE TESTED FOR THIS DISEASE. FOR FREE-RANGING ANIMALS THIS MEANS THAT THE ANIMAL SHOULD NORMALLY BE REPORTED TO THE APPROPRIATE AUTHORITY OR BE CULLED AND THE CARCASS OR HEAD PRESENTED TO AN APPROPRIATE AUTHORITY.


Links:
http://wildlife1.wildlifeinformation.org/S/00Man/CWDOverviews/o_cwd08diagnosis.htm#Clinicalsigns

http://wildlife1.wildlifeinformation.org/S/00dis/Miscellaneous/Disease_CWD/CWD_Disease.htm

 

hmmmm interesting. i picked up a puppy down in texas about 7 months ago and noticed deer carcass' (mostly vertebrae, skull tendon and bones) in the kennel with the pups. first five months of having the puppy up here she had random small seizures about once a week. had her blood tested, tested for parasites, strict deworming strict diet tested for liver shunts etc etc, came up with nothing. now as shes getting older she hasnt had one for over a month...... wonder if it has something to do with this...?

 

just found this article..... http://agilitynut.wordpress.com/2007/10/28/chronic-wasting-disease-in-deer-cwd/

There is no research that indicates CWD is transferrable to wolves.
Cats, yes. Dogs, no.
Where CWD has been an issue in the US, natural culling by wolves of ailing deer is believed to keep down the spread of the disease to other deer. When wolf populations decrease, the level of CWD appears to increase. Artifically culled herds lead almost invariably to decreased wolf populations, since wolves depend on stable deer populations. When the wolf population drops, the incidence of CWD rises. And then the F&W have to kill more deer, not less.
If you get a deer locally, you can feed it to your dogs without worrying about CWD—IF the local F&W guys allow you to keep it.
If you can feed it but you are worried about CWD transferring to your dog, don’t feed the brain, neck, spine or tail.
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good to know!!

 

Wouldn't this all be okay if the product was cooked? I know that most feed raw, but cooked would be a good alternative if you have to feed'em this.

 

my neighbor gives me his deer after the kill...i normally cut the spine out and give everything else..its not worth the chance for an extra 5-8 pounds of meat and(mostly bone)

 

deer is too lean, dogs get their energy from fat, and any other time than winter they are covered in ticks and different bugs

 

I'll feed it till i see one drop dead for my own eyes i think:rolleyes:, I'm sure its out there, but not a big risk in our area.. and "they look sickly", they said. and a lot of the guys round here eat the deer them selves,including myself, and its in a roast you'd cook and eat yourself most cases...

I'd be more concerned with tick related diseases,hen bitten by ticks, but still the risk isn't high enough for me to consider throwing out a freezer of venison.

 

i wouldnt either, it would be dog food

 

CWD is similar to mad cow disease which they said people couldn't get; then people started getting sick :confused: Personal preference IMO. Animals can be in the early stages and not show symptoms yet. No studies confirmed it could spread to dogs but did they do any studies? If you're not in an area that has it, I wouldn't worry about it; if you are, I'd think about how much I value my dog for some bones.