 |
Re: [RC] Education - Juli Bechard - Eleanor KellonWow. I am really enjoying the reading on this list lately! I have learned more reading the discussion between our three resident vets than I have in a long time. I'm going to have to kick my vet here, and convince her I really do want to test for selenium. ....
========================
I think that's really the take-home message here. If you want to know YOUR horse's status, you have to check.
The NRC recommendations are bare minimums. I certainly agree with the targets of 200 to 250 for whole blood Se, but the level of supplementation needed to achieve that apparently varies quite a bit. There's a good chance that depends on your starting point in addition to the type of selenium used.
When there is severe mineral depletion at the tissue level, blood levels won't rise significantly until tissue stores are repleted. The liver for example contains very high levels of selenium compared to the blood. All blood from the intestinal tract passes through the liver before reaching the general circulation. A liver "hungry" for selenium may extract a hefty portion of the dose before it can reach the other tissues. Injection bypasses the liver.
The Linus Pauling Institute is a good resource for anyone interested in mineral functions in the body. It focuses on human but the discussions of mineral actions apply to horses as well. The selenium page is here:
Eleanor
-- Eleanor M. Kellon, V.M.D. Equine Nutritional Solutions 58 Maple Farm Road Ephrata, PA 17522
|