Does My Horse Need Selenium?

Selenium (Se) is an antioxidant mineral that is necessary in the horse’s diet. Horses derive selenium by consuming hay or grasses that grow in soils that contain this trace mineral. However, if you live in a region with low selenium levels in the soil, your horse’s forage may be deficient in this essential mineral.

What are the symptoms of Selenium deficiency in horses?

Signs of Selenium deficiency may include muscle disease and wasting (frequently perceived as weight loss), impaired movement or difficulty getting up, difficulty swallowing, coughing when eating, respiratory distress and impaired heart function.

Can you give a horse too much selenium?

Severe overdose of selenium can lead to death. In these severe cases, the signs of overdose may include a staggering gait, blindness, labored breathing, respiratory failure, collapse, and muscle tremors. Selenium status in horses can be measured using serum, plasma, or whole blood selenium levels.

How do you test for Selenium deficiency in horses?

In order to diagnose selenium deficiency, a veterinarian can collect a blood sample for analysis. Testing for selenium is a specialised test that is not part of routine blood work.

What does selenium help with for horses?

What It Is & Who It’s For: Selenium is a trace mineral that plays critical roles in the horse’s antioxidant defense system, immune response, and thyroid function. Selenium deficiency has been reported in 46 states as low levels in the soil can lead to low levels in grass and hay.

Is there selenium in hay?

These hays typically have a selenium level of 0.06-0.2 ppm. Using a hay lower in selenium can dilute the diet and reduce the total amount of selenium consumed daily, if it is not possible to switch entirely from the local grass hay you have.

Does alfalfa hay contain selenium?

Field sampling of the alfalfa revealed a selenium gradient in the resulting hays (Table 2). Upper portions of the field produced the lowest concentrations of selenium (0.19-2.5 ppm), whereas the flat areas by the creeks yielded high se- lenium levels (19-58 ppm).

How do horses get high selenium?

Selenium toxicosis in horses occurs when a horse’s diet has been over-supplemented with vitamins and minerals. Selenium, a mineral that protects cells from damage, can be toxic to horses if given too much in their diet. Those horses suffering from chronic selenium toxicity are diagnosed with alkali disease.

What are the symptoms of too much selenium?

Getting too much selenium over time can cause the following:

• Garlic breath.
• Nausea.
• Diarrhea.
• Skin rashes.
• Irritability.
• Metallic taste in the mouth.
• Brittle hair or nails.
• Loss of hair or nails.

What are the symptoms of Selenium deficiency in animals?

Some of the signs of Selenium deficiency depend on the tissues that are affected. Young animals may appear stiff, lame or weak; spend most of their time lying down and resting their chin on the ground; have diarrhea; and be unthrifty, chronic poor do-ers.

How much selenium can you give a horse?

5) The total amount of selenium in the diet should be between 1 and 10 mg per day, depending on the size of the horse and the amount of work the horse is doing. Be careful to stay below 20 mg per day, as toxicity may develop at this point.

What supplements should every horse have?

Horses need antioxidant vitamins like vitamins A, E, and K. They may also need Vitamin C and D as well as biotin to maintain hoof health. A horse also needs balanced minerals like iron, calcium, phosphorus, selenium, and other trace minerals.

What hay should horses not eat?

Types of Hay for Horses—What to Avoid

• Perennial ryegrass and rye.
• Dallisgrass.
• Argentine bahiagrass.
• Johnsongrass, Sorghum grasses/Sudangrass.
• Switchgrass, which causes photosensitivity, peeling skin, mouth ulcers and liver disease.
• Foxtail Millet (aka German Millet) and Meadow foxtail.

Is there selenium in alfalfa pellets?

High nutrient availability.
Alfalfa pellets are a natural and recognized source of: Fiber, Vitamin E, Calcium, Sulphur-containing amino acids, Selenium, Potassium.

What hay is toxic to horses?

Endophytes present in tall fescue and ryegrass produce mycotoxins that are toxic to equines. Endophyte-infected fescue hay can cause reproductive problems resulting in dystocia (foaling difficulties) and poor milk production.

What is the best natural source of selenium?

Protein foods from animals are generally good sources of selenium. Seafood, organ meats, and Brazil nuts are the foods highest in selenium although Americans obtain most of their selenium from everyday staples, like breads, cereals, poultry, red meat, and eggs.

Can you feed a horse only alfalfa?

The abundant protein converts to ammonia and, along with the excess calcium, pass through the kidneys as urine. A horse continuing on a diet of only alfalfa hay would become obese and produce a lot of ammonia-smelling urine. The best method is to feed alfalfa as a supplement with grass hay.

What grains are high in selenium?

One cup of cooked long-grain brown rice will provide you with 19 mcg of selenium, or 27 percent of the recommended daily amount. Enjoy this grain with your favorite 3 oz portion of chicken or turkey to get up to 50 mcg of selenium — almost the entire recommended daily amount for adults.

What are the negative effects of selenium?

Side Effects

• Diarrhea.
• fingernail weakening.
• garlic odor of breath and sweat.
• hair loss.
• itching of skin.
• nausea and vomiting.
• unusual tiredness and weakness.

How long does it take for selenium to work?

How long does it take for your body to digest/absorb selenium? Some sources indicate that your body can absorb up to 89% of the selenium you consume. Most of this absorption occurs within the first 24 hours after ingestion.

What happens if you lack selenium?

Selenium deficiency has been implicated in cardiovascular disease, infertility, myodegenerative diseases, and cognitive decline. The role of selenium in cancer treatment is currently being studied.