1. A deer has come into the rehabilitation clinic and is noticeably skinny. The deer
seems to have a cough and is very weak.
Diagnosis:
Treatment:
Other symptoms or treatment:

A noticeably thin deer, with respiratory symptoms such as coughing and very weak, may be diagnosed with Bovine Tuberculosis, which is treated with specific antibiotic therapy. Other symptoms are fever, loss of appetite and appearance of body nodules. Complementary treatment is based on the isolation of the affected deer.

Explanation:

Bovine tuberculosis (BT) is a multi-mammalian infection caused by contact with Mycobacterium bovis, a non-sporulated and immobile acid-alcohol resistant bacillus.

BT is a chronic granulomatous infection that can first affect the lungs, producing cough and respiratory distress, associated with fever and progressive decrease in weight and physical activity.

Treatment consists of specific antibiotics for mycobacteria, such as Clarithromycin, Rifampicin and Etambutol. Isolation of sick deer may help prevent the spread of infection to other individuals.

Another disease that can cause similar symptoms in deer is Epizootic Haemorrhagic Disease, caused by an RNA virus called Orbivirus, which prior to its haemorrhagic phase causes the general symptoms of hyporexia, weight loss, depression and cough.