Hypovitaminosis A in feedlot cattle

Hypovitaminosis A was diagnosed in a group of feedlot cattle that had been fed a diet low in carotene for 18 months. The primary signs of disease in the cattle were poor weight gain, ataxia, convulsions, night blindness, and total blindness. Serum vitamin A concentrations were used to confirm the diagnosis. The cattle were treated orally and intramuscularly with vitamin A, and the less severely affected herd members recovered rapidly.