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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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