What Are The Symptoms Of Selenium Deficiency In Horses?

The signs associated with Selenium deficiency include poor coat and hoof quality, sore, achy muscles, poor performance and poor fertility.

What are the symptoms of low selenium?

Two conditions are associated with severe selenium deficiency: 1) Keshan disease, a type of cardiomyopathy, or disease of heart muscle, and 2) Kashin-Beck disease, a form of osteoarthritis. Symptoms: Nausea, vomiting. Headaches.

How does selenium affect horses?

In breeding horses, low selenium can be a cause of low fertility, the most severe problems are seen in newborns and can be fatal. More intense symptoms include the development of myopathy (white muscle disease), impaired movement, difficulty in suckling and swallowing, respiratory distress and impaired heart function.

How do horses get selenium naturally?

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 does selenium toxicity look like in horses?

The chronic signs of selenium toxicity are characterized by hair loss of the mane and tail, cracking of the hooves, and often signs of lameness, excess salivation, and respiratory failure. Severe overdose of selenium can lead to death.

How long does it take to correct a selenium deficiency?

If your muscle pain is caused by selenium deficiency then supplementing with selenium should help reduce your symptoms in as little as 4 weeks.

What does lack of selenium cause?

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.

What horse feed has selenium?

Grains can be important sources of selenium because many are grown in selenium adequate zones of the country. Garlic can also be high in selenium. Brans in general, whether wheat or rice, are good sources of selenium. The most common source of selenium in horse feeds, sodium selenite, is absorbed efficiently.

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).

Where is Selenium deficiency most common?

Some areas of the United States have more selenium-rich soil than others, but Europe tends to have lower selenium levels than America. Low soil selenium, and therefore a higher chance of deficiency, is more common in Eastern Europe, China, and New Zealand (Shreenath, 2019).

What are the initial symptoms of selenium toxicity?

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”). Selenium is found in the environment in soil.

What vitamin should be taken together with selenium to improve its absorption?

It protects the body from oxidative stress which is a natural by-product of the body’s metabolism. Selenium regulates thyroid hormones and works together with vitamin E to reduce free radicals generated in the cell.

What foods should be avoided with selenium?

Medications that slow blood clotting (Anticoagulant / Antiplatelet drugs) interacts with SELENIUM. Selenium might slow blood clotting. Taking selenium along with medications that also slow blood clotting might increase the risk of bruising and bleeding.

What foods contain selenium naturally?

Brazil nuts, seafoods, and organ meats are the richest food sources of selenium [1]. Other sources include muscle meats, cereals and other grains, and dairy products. The amount of selenium in drinking water is not nutritionally significant in most geographic regions [2,6].

What blocks the absorption of selenium?

Smoke cigarettes. Drink alcohol. Take birth control pills. Have a condition that prevents your body from absorbing enough selenium, such as Crohn disease or ulcerative colitis.

What does vitamin E do in horses?

Vitamin E helps keep a horse’s muscles, nerves and all his internal workings functioning smoothly. And if he’s not getting it naturally in a green pasture, then you’ll need to find a way to add it to his diet. Here’s a look at what vitamin E does and what you can do to make sure your horse gets enough—but not too much.

What is the classic selenium deficiency disease?

Based on the above evidence, it was concluded that selenium deficiency is the major cause of Keshan disease, although other etiological factors could not be ruled out.

How fast does selenium work horses?

Once a horse is severely deficient, achieving normal levels of selenium through diet alone can take several weeks. As the muscular system is highly solicited in the athletic horse, selenium deficiency has a direct impact on performance.

Should I give my horse selenium?

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.

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.