RC: Re: Injections of selenium

[Sarah Ralston <ralston@AESOP.RUTGERS.EDU>]

At 12:00 PM 1/15/00 -0800, you wrote:
>Sarah,
>I browsed through your ridecamp responses to the selenium question and I get
>that you're cautious about supplementing selenium, but I'm not sure from
>what you said how you would view this scenario.
>
>8 year old Arab gelding has been somewhat sore in the lower back (loin) area
>since last June.  Has a beautiful bold trot, but when he starts to canter,
>he "bunnyhops" for the first two to three strides.  Has only been ridden 3
>times in his life (by Harry Whitney so that's not likely to be the problem,
>Harry is an outstanding rider).  I have been supplementing selenium since he
>moved to N. Ca in August.  He got a little better when we started him on 2
>gms of bute a day.  Now the vet would like to try him with a shot of
>selenium.    I'm nervous about it, would prefer to test him (and the others)
>to see if they are deficient, but the vet (whom I like--first "horse" vet
>I've found here) thinks that the selenium tolerance is wide enough that a
>shot shouldn't hurt.  Everything I read talked about so much selenium per
>day.  This is a one shot experiment (no pun).  Is it a risk?
>Dyane
>N. Ca

Dear Dyane,

If you have been supplementing selenium all along I doubt seriously if that
is his
problem, especially if bute seems to help. Since he haas been ridden only 5
(??) times
I assume he is doing this "hopping" when at liberty. I would get a thorough
work up
of his back and hind legs! Selenium deficient is implicated in tying up-not
the type
of problem you are describing here.
Good luck.
Sarah