Black-tailed Deer Hair-Loss Syndrome Fact Sheet A black-tailed deer hair loss syndrome has been observed by citizens in many areas of western Washington this spring and has generated many calls to the Department of Fish and Wildlife. The signs observed in these deer are, whitish to yellow discoloration of hair over the rib cage, flanks, rump, and neck in the initial stages, progressing to actual hair loss in these same areas as the condition worsens. Deer may be observed to lick and groom obsessively. Fawns and yearlings are most severely affected however adults may show symptoms to a lessor degree. The loss of excessive amounts of hair during the cold spring rains subjects the deer to severe stress, resulting nutritional exhaustion, and hypothermia. Numerous mortalities have been documented.

Additional Publications Related to Wildlife Veterinary Science Research Results

If you would like a reprint of any of the reports listed below please send an
email request to wildthing@dfw.wa.gov. Please note some reports may be out of print.

Garner, M.M., D.M. Lambourn, S.J. Jeffries, P.B. Hall, J.C. Rhyan, D.R. Ewalt, L.M. Polzin and N.F. Cheville. 1997. Evidence of Brucella infection in Parafilaroides lungworms in a Pacific harbor seal (Phoca vitulina richardsi). J. Vet. Diagn. Invest. 9:298-303.

Bender, Louis C., P. Briggs Hall, Michael M. Garner and J. Lindsay Oaks. 1998. Bacillary hemoglobinuria in a free-ranging elk calf. in review: Journal of Zoo and Wildlife Medicine.

Files formatted in Adobe Portable Document Format (PDF) require the Adobe Acrobat Reader to view and print. You can download the free reader directly from Adobe. Windows versions are approximately 4MB in size.