White muscle disease, caused by deficiency of selenium and vitamin E, causes severe muscle degeneration in calves and lambs, resulting in acute pain, weakness, and death if untreated.
White muscle disease causes severe and rapidly progressive welfare compromise in affected calves. The muscular weakness and pain — comparable to severe muscle damage — makes standing and movement acutely difficult. Calves unable to rise are at risk of secondary pressure sores, hypothermia, and inability to nurse, compounding the primary disease with additional welfare burdens. Cardiac involvement can cause sudden collapse and death with minimal prior warning. Because the condition is entirely preventable through appropriate mineral supplementation, white muscle disease represents a welfare failure that is avoidable with good nutritional management. Regular soil and forage analysis for selenium content, combined with targeted supplementation of pregnant cows or newborn calves in deficient areas, eliminates virtually all disease occurrence. The welfare argument for preventive supplementation is compelling — the suffering caused by white muscle disease is severe and the prevention straightforward.