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RideCamp@endurance.net
Selenium poisoning/deficiency
Hey everybody..
I need your help. My "horse of a lifetime" little Polish Arab mare seems to
be in trouble.
She had a late term abortion in November...about 7 weeks to delivery. She
also lost last year's foal to a bacterial infection when he was just 3 days
old. We live in an area where the hay grown here has been known to contain
high amounts of selenium. She seemed to thrive until she lost the baby. She's
been on a 60% hay/40% alfalfa mix since September. We live at 9200 feet in
the Colorado mountains and she's generally tough as nails!
Since the loss of the foal, she's been depressed and has lost weight.
Anyone who knows Buloo, knows that she's always been a very stout, muscular
and powerful little mare. At 14H, her "fighting weight" is about 750 lbs.
She's now down to about 700, ribs mildly showing through her
mountain-altitude winter coat and she's lethargic. Tonight, thinking she was
just lonely and feeling neglected (I haven't been a good mother lately as far
as attention goes--it's just been too goddamed cold!), I scratched and rubbed
her. I noticed a very smoky smell on her breath and over her whole body. It's
a musky, smoky smell. Like she stood next to a campfire too long. We DO have
locoweed here, but she's always avoided it. My other two horses, a mare and
stallion on the same hay, worming schedule, etc. are fine.
She also hasn't been particularly hungry for the past few days.
In addition, I've noticed over the past several weeks that she really likes
working over the mineral salt block.
If anyone has had a similar experience, I need to hear from you as soon as
possible. After smelling her breath and coat tonight, I will be taking her to
my vet on Monday...I KNOW something is wrong. She isn't herself.
Please let me know if you have any ideas. She's a coming 16 year old, has
competed wonderfully in CTR and endurance and just has been a very ROBUST
companion. She seems to have lost her luster and spark.
Thanks in advance for your help.
Laura
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