Folic acid therapy for alopecia in a Charolais calf

Ontario Veterinary College, University of Guelph, Canada.

A three-week old male Charolais calf which had a history of progressive hair loss and clinical signs, including crusts and brown patches similar to those in folic acid deficiency syndrome in man, was subjected to folic acid therapy. Daily oral administration of folic acid (1 mg/kg/day) resulted in the gradual disappearance of the crusts and patches within two weeks and a steady growth of hair and recovery to a normal state within two months. Folic acid, which is required for cellular turnover in a variety of tissues and organs including the hair follicle, may serve as an effective therapeutic agent in some types of alopecia triggered by a deficiency of either folic acid or the co-enzymes involved in the synthetic pathway of DNA.