Congenital cataract and spherophakia leading to starvation in a free-ranging muskox neonate from the Northwest Territories, Canada

• Published in: Journal of Veterinary Diagnostic Investigation
• Main Authors: Case, Julia E., Pederzolli, Rae-Leigh A., Clark, Edward G., Fenton, Heather, Kutz, Susan J., Grahn, Bruce H., Rothenburger, Jamie L.
• Other Authors: environment and natural resources, northwest territories, faculty of veterinary medicine, university of calgary
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: English
• Published: SAGE Publications 2021
• Subjects: General Veterinary; Canada; Northwest Territories; muskox; ovibos moschatus
• Online Access: http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/10406387211057470; http://journals.sagepub.com/doi/pdf/10.1177/10406387211057470; http://journals.sagepub.com/doi/full-xml/10.1177/10406387211057470

A muskox neonate ( Ovibos moschatus) that died of starvation was diagnosed with congenital lenticular anomalies that included spherophakia and hypermature cataract associated with probable lens-induced lymphocytic uveitis and neutrophilic keratitis. Impaired sight as a result of cataract and associated inflammation likely contributed to abandonment and starvation, although maternal death cannot be excluded definitively. Ocular lesions, such as congenital cataracts and spherophakia in neonates, may be important factors affecting survival in free-ranging animals.