What are symptoms of selenium deficiency in horses?

What is a good source of selenium for horses?

By Meegan.

(Ridgefield, CT). Answer: Selected horse supplements containing added minerals, vitamins, herbs and. Enzymes can be made at home. Some of these are described on this page.

Some commercial supplements use Se-mec or selenium as the source of Se. Many vitamin and mineral preparations claim to contain. Selenium as the primary form of selenium. This can only be true if it contains the highest bioavailable and therapeutic level form. These other forms of selenium like amino acid forms are not readily or quickly. Absorbed into the body. Selenium is most absorbed and utilized by the smaller intestinal bacteria and by the large intestines. Selenium must be provided by diet and some foods have significant levels. These include clams, oysters, meat and other high protein foods. Canned tuna has high levels of Selenium. Liver also has high levels. Grains can have low levels unless the grain seeds or bran is well cooked so no Selenium is destroyed in the cooking process. It is safe and recommended to consume about 10 mcg of selenium daily from a diet containing adequate selenium.

Most products that claim to contain added selenium to a "complete" horse vitamin mineral formulation does not tell you which form of selenium is being used. This often confuses and confuses buyers and sellers of supplements.

I would avoid any company marketing a vitamin mineral product that claims to contain higher levels of selenium than recommended for optimum health and performance for an individual horse. These horses are very sick because they don't have enough nutrients. You should only use supplements that clearly indicate on the label what kind of Se each product contains. They say in the package itself. You never know when you look inside, what you may get.

Selenium supplementation will be helpful in helping the body develop antibodies and will support the functions of the cells and immune system, making it an effective preventative measure. Selenium can help decrease the incidence of cancer, diabetes, heart disease, ulcers, atherosclerosis, hypertension, arthritis, osteoarthritis, thyroid disorders, chronic bronchitis and emphysema.

I personally chose to begin using Selenium for therapeutic uses and found it worked very well.

What does selenium toxicity look like in horses?

I'm asking because a few of our retired race horses were recently diagnosed with a chronic selenium deficiency.

It has become more evident over the last 6 years of watching our horses that I would not know what the symptoms of an actual selenium deficiency would look like. In case it is missed in an exam, we now have an indication.

Our horses get a test done and it comes back normal. There is always time after a bout of colic and abdominal surgery when our horse gets an xray taken to make sure nothing perforated his stomach again. It was at that time we found a very small amount of gas still inside the horse. My husband took him home right away because of this small problem that had persisted for months. They did an xray the next day and the horse had a slight bulge in his stomach and was still having abdominal issues. We saw the vet and he was ok (he gave me the impression that it was too soon to euthanize him if there were any problems), but decided that he needed to be put on a good diet. Our horse has now been on that diet for two months, never getting any better. We were able to take him off all feed about a week ago. He started to poop regularly again. It has gotten worse over the last month, so now he is taking two small meals every morning and night, and he is having diarrhea almost nightly. I'm concerned that our horse has not been able to gain back enough weight on his new diet.

A few days ago, the vet told us that we could have the horse scanned to determine the cause of his poor eating habits. Sure enough the scan showed two things - a large abscess near his spine and another near his diaphragm, the big muscle that you can see in pictures of horses, the lower part of his diaphragm has been destroyed by the abscesses. We have not done any bloodwork on the horse as yet, hoping that these scans will tell us if he has any serious selenium or copper problems or even iron deficiencies. I have called a local vet and he says that I don't need to rush for bloodwork because we don't really need to find out what is wrong with our horse anymore.

What are symptoms of selenium deficiency in horses?

I have noticed that my 12 year old mare appears to be experiencing some muscle wastage, she is not gaining weight and she has recently become increasingly reluctant to eat.

In addition I have noticed the hairs on her muzzle and her eyes are starting to look quite yellow. I believe she has been off feed for some time now and I am wondering if it could be selenium deficiency as she doesn't seem to be eating much at all.

Comments. Well your mare isn't doing well in terms of being overweight. If you want to try to correct this problem, I would suggest you start by getting some "Mare's Liver" tablets that are designed for horses. There is a place called equigal (which I have been told sells these). The tablets are inexpensive and will help your horse. You can also add a scoop of liver supplement to her feed (the brand I have used). However, be careful with what supplements you add to her feed. Too much can do more harm than good. It may be worth just trying the liver tablets first.

I will also recommend that you talk to a qualified nutritionist about how to address this issue. I do agree with what you said about doing some research. What you describe is not uncommon in horses that are being fed lots of grains. However, it is very hard to come up with a "magic bullet" to correct the problem. It takes time and observation and education.

When I was taking care of my mother's horse, she had a lot of hair loss. One of the recommendations I was given was to apply a moisturizing conditioner daily. There was a specific brand that had selenium in it that would really improve the coat. I was not told exactly how much selenium there was in the product but my mother said that she used 2 ounces in the conditioner. I cannot remember what brand that was. So I guess that was my answer.

A selenium deficiency is usually seen in horses that are fed an over-the-top diet of wheat and other grains, as well as being very fat (high energy horses). The horses can get selenium from plants, such as corn and alfalfa. These feeds are higher in selenium. Horses can also get selenium from their normal diet of grass, haylage, and silage.

What are the main symptoms of a selenium deficiency?

How is a selenium deficiency diagnosed?

Should I be concerned about the possible side effects of a selenium supplement? Selenium is essential for healthy immune system function. Some experts believe that an adequate selenium intake may even reduce the risk of certain types of cancer, but this is not yet widely accepted. While selenium deficiency is considered rare in the United States, it is a common problem in other parts of the world, especially in regions with a history of industrial pollution. It is possible to be deficient in selenium without knowing it because a blood test will not detect low selenium levels if they fall below the cutoff point.

What causes a selenium deficiency? Selenium is a trace mineral that occurs naturally in the soil and in foods such as fish and meat. It is a necessary part of many metabolic processes and helps maintain healthy skin, hair, and nails. When your body does not have enough selenium, you may experience symptoms such as pale skin, brittle nails, hair loss, and muscle weakness.

Selenium deficiency has been linked with certain health problems, including: Anemia. Asthma. Bladder cancer. Breast cancer. Cancer of the cervix. Cervical dysplasia. Cervical cancer. Heart disease. Hepatitis. Infection of the urinary tract. Liver disease. Lung disease. Myocardial infarction. Neck pain. Osteoporosis. Pancreatic cancer. Peripheral vascular disease. Prostate cancer. Rosacea. Severe headache. Skin disease. Sinusitis. Thyroid disease. Unexplained infertility. Who is at risk for selenium deficiency? People who are at high risk for selenium deficiency include those with: Diet low in selenium. Lack of exposure to sunlight. Malabsorption of selenium in the digestive system. Low blood volume (anemia). Nutritional deficiencies. Use of steroids. Workplace exposure to mercury. Who should avoid taking selenium supplements?