The RVC’s Farm Animal Clinical Centre (FACC) is being referred an increasing number of reindeer. Many problems are related to the way in which they are kept and how different the UK environment is from where they have evolved to thrive.

Poor body condition, weight loss, sudden death and adult de-horning are the most common reasons for referral to the FACC. Cases seen by RVC specialists and vets around the UK suggest there is an increasing need for owners to be educated by vets about maintaining the health of reindeer living here.

The exact number of reindeer in the UK is unknown because there is no requirement for them to be recorded on an official database. However, from the EU’s Trade Control and Expert System (TRACES), it is known that between 2005 and 2013 there were 90 consignments of reindeer imported into the UK, totalling 1,168 deer. Most of those came from Sweden and Finland, with smaller numbers coming from Denmark, Germany, Netherlands and Norway.

Reindeer have evolved to live in subarctic conditions, and therefore deer brought into countries with markedly different environmental conditions need careful management to avoid health problems. As herding animals, reindeer should be kept in groups rather than alone.

Lush pastures are inappropriate and reindeer need good quality hay and other feed, such as lichen. Concentrates formulated for reindeer, rather than those produced for small ruminants or cattle, are recommended. Sudden changes to diet can lead to gastrointestinal disturbances, weight loss and neurological disease.

Both male and female reindeer have evolved to grow and shed new antlers every year. As this is under control of testosterone, as well as other hormones, if males are castrated they will continue to grow antlers but will not shed them, so they become large and fail to shed their velvet. These can then bleed, become infected and grow papillomatous-like lesions.

De-horning is not straightforward procedure and it is not one that vets can easily carry out in the field. Removing antlers requires a general anaesthetic or heavy sedative, and control of haemostasis is a challenge due to large blood vessels in the velvet, as well as analgesic requirements. There is also a lack of formal detailed studies about the clinical use of hormones to effectively alter the antler cycle of reindeer.

FACC head Dr Alex McSloy said that on some holdings across England and Wales, castrated reindeer have been reported with unusual large fibropapillomatous lesions of the antler velvet. Initial investigations sought to establish a viral cause for the lesions but none was found. As female reindeer do not develop such lesions and entire males rarely do, the cause is likely to be related to the complex interplay between antler development and endogenous sex hormones.

Focusing on intervention, Dr McSloy said: “Hormone intervention can be used to help cast their antlers, but there are difficulties obtaining these and licensing issues. In cases with severe papillomatous-like lesions secondary bacterial infection and the risk of fly strike often mean that surgical intervention is required. It is unclear at this time if lesions recur every year in every case.”

Speaking more generally about reindeer welfare and the role vets have to educate owners, she added: “With rapidly increasing popularity of these animals as pets, especially amongst novice owners, it is important for vets to play a role in educating prospective owners of what they need to consider prior to purchase, as well as afterwards. Basic management issues, such as correct diet, husbandry, parasite control and basic infectious disease control all need to be carefully considered.

“Many of the cases we see are avoidable by these basic measures being taken. Currently, it is my opinion that these animals are not as easy to keep healthy as other species and perhaps alternative domesticated species should be considered for some clients.

We are currently undertaking research here to investigate further the best management conditions for these animals, in the environment we have available in the south of the UK, so as to enable further evidence-based best practice management recommendations.”

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