Congestive cardiomyopathy in neonatal artiodactyls

From January 1982 through December 1985, 11 newborn artiodactyls died with clinical and/or pathologic evidence of cardiomyopathy. Clinical signs were inability to rise, depression, failure to nurse, hypothermia, and shivering. Macroscopically, the animals had mild to marked dilatation and thinning of the interventricular septum and left ventricular free wall. Histologic findings included thinning and waviness of myofibers and acute myodegeneration and myocytolysis.