What Is A Toxic Level Of Selenium In A Horse?

Published by Jennifer Webster on

Liver selenium concentrations above 2.5 mg/kg wet weight are considered to be toxic in horses.

How much is too much selenium in horses?

A horse’s basic daily requirement for selenium is 1-3 mg per day. Some chronic selenium symptoms might appear above 10-15 mg/head per day.

What are normal selenium levels in horses?

Whole blood selenium levels greater than or equal to 0.100 parts per million (ppm) were considered adequate; blood levels less than 0.100 ppm were considered marginal or deficient. The average blood selenium concentration of the horses sampled was 0.137 ppm, with a standard deviation of 0.041 ppm.

What is the toxicity of selenium?

Selenium toxicity can occur with acute or chronic ingestion of excess selenium. Symptoms of selenium toxicity include nausea; vomiting; nail discoloration, brittleness, and loss; hair loss; fatigue; irritability; and foul breath odor (often described as “garlic breath”).

How do you treat selenium toxicity in horses?

Your veterinarian may suggest a diet that will counteract the effects of the selenium toxicity within your horse. This diet should include high protein, linseed oil meal, silver, arsenic, sulfur, copper, cadmium and mercury. All of these have been proven to reduce selenium toxicity in horses.

What is the maximum amount of selenium?

400 micrograms daily
Recommended Amounts
UL: The Tolerable Upper Intake Level (UL) for selenium for all adults 19+ years of age and pregnant and lactating women is 400 micrograms daily; a UL is the maximum daily intake unlikely to cause harmful effects on health.

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 does selenium affect horses?

Selenium is an essential trace mineral that is found naturally in the soil and is required in small amounts in the horse’s diet in order to maintain healthy muscular function and decrease oxidative stress. It is also vital for proper thyroid and immune system function.

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.

What are the symptoms of selenium?

What are the symptoms?

  • infertility in men and women.
  • muscle weakness.
  • fatigue.
  • mental fog.
  • hair loss.
  • weakened immune system.

Is selenium toxicity reversible?

Most of the toxic effects are reversible. Untreated acute/chronic toxicity may be fatal 4.

How long does it take to reverse selenium toxicity?

The good news is that there isn’t much you need to do to “treat” the problem as it will take care of itself. Any extra selenium is typically eliminated from the body within 1-2 days after being consumed, provided your organs are functioning at 100%.

Is selenium toxicity fatal?

Selenium is a ubiquitous element in the environment essential to the human diet and widely utilized in industrial processes. Fatal human selenium intoxication is rare.

How much selenium is in alfalfa pellets?

mg
Alfalfa Pellet – 17% CP 46% NDF

NUTRITIONAL ANALYSIS: (Per grams feeding rate)
Summary Protein Carbohydrates Minerals & Vitamins Fat/Fatty Acids Additives
Selenium 0.3 mg
Cobalt 0.2 mg
Iodine 0.13 mg

Is 200 mg selenium too much?

Although some studies have used doses of 200 mcg, there is some evidence that this amount could increase your risk for diabetes. DO NOT exceed the upper tolerable limit of 400 mcg. Remember that you may also get some selenium in the foods you eat. Over time, high doses of selenium can be toxic.

Is 100 mcg selenium too much?

Selenium is suggested in doses of no more than 200 mcg per day. The treatment range for selenium is narrow. You shouldn’t take too much. The recommended dose is 100 mcg to 200 mcg per day.

How do you check selenium levels?

Diagnosing selenium deficiency can be done with a blood test, which indicated recent selenium intake. Hair or nail samples can also be taken which gives a better indication of long-term selenium status.

Do horses need extra 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.

Can you feed a horse straight alfalfa?

Alfalfa hay is an excellent source of energy, protein, calcium and some other nutrients for horses. Its concentrations of protein and calcium meet the nutrient needs of horses in high levels of production, such as growth and lactation, but exceed the nutrient requirements of horses in other life stages.

Can you feed a horse just alfalfa pellets?

You should include alfalfa pellets in your horse’s diet for many reasons. However, you should not use them to replace hay. Why is that? These pellets do not have particles big enough to stimulate the horse’s digestive tract.

Can you feed too much selenium?

Extremely high intakes of selenium can cause severe problems, including difficulty breathing, tremors, kidney failure, heart attacks, and heart failure. The daily upper limits for selenium include intakes from all sources—food, beverages, and supplements—and are listed below.

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