What happens if a horse gets 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.
What are the symptoms of excess selenium?
Symptoms include nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, hair loss, abnormal nails, a rash, fatigue, and nerve damage. The breath may smell like garlic. The diagnosis of selenium excess is based on symptoms, particularly rapid hair loss.
What level of selenium is toxic?
In the published reports reviewed herein, serum selenium concentrations span the following ranges: 400–30,000 μg/L associated with acute toxicity, 500–1400 μg/L associated with chronic toxicity, and <1400 μg/L free of toxicity; the category is determined by signs and symptoms in the patient.
Can too much selenium hurt you?
Taking doses above 400 mcg can increase the risk of developing selenium toxicity. Taking lower doses long-term can increase the risk of developing diabetes. High doses of selenium can cause significant side effects including nausea, vomiting, nail changes, loss of energy, and irritability.
How do you reverse 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.
How much selenium is toxic to horses?
The requirement for selenium and the toxic level are not widely separated. The minimal requirement according to the National Research Council is 0.1 mg/kg of diet (1 mg per day for the average horse) depending on the age and use of the animal, while toxic levels start at 2 mg/kg of diet for the horse.
What is the treatment for selenium toxicity?
Treatment involves discontinuation of the source of excessive intake and supportive care. There is no known antidote or suitable chelator. In a published11 case of selenium poisoning, the patient took 10 tablets a day for 2 weeks following a loading dose of a supplement containing an unknown amount of selenium.
How do horses get high selenium?
Horses ingest selenium when they drink water, graze on pasture, and eat hay. They don’t need large amounts, but it’s a necessary trace-mineral.
Does alfalfa contain selenium?
OSU finds that adding selenium to fields planted with alfalfa will allow the perennial forage crop to “take up” the important mineral in its tissues, providing better feed for calves and other livestock. It actually has selenium in that molecule instead of sulfur.