Re: selenium

[CMKSAGEHIL@aol.com]

In a message dated 98-09-02 12:49:54 EDT, esppatty@juno.com writes:

<< Can you tell me how much vitamin C and in what form a geriatric horse
 needs? My vet says Vitamin C is a fad and that they don't need it, but I
 can say for myself that it makes a difference in me, so why not in the
 horse? Is it in powder form, and where do you get it? Also, the selenium
 premix that I buy in the feed store: I'm not sure how much of it to give;
 already am giving 625 I.U. of vitamin E per horse per day, on the vet's
 recommendation. Thanks. >>

Hi, Patty--

We were all taught that Vitamin C was a fad back when I was in school, and it
is true that a horse manufactures its own Vitamin C (as do most animals) but
more recent research indicates that old age can increase the requirement and
decrease the ability to make it, and also that many viruses can interrupt the
body's ability to make it, hence helping to disarm the immune system.  Vitamin
C is also an important antioxidant, so is useful to the older horse in many
ways.  One can either use plain old Vitamin C like you get for people, in
which case I would supplement the older horse with anywhere from 2000 to 5000
mg per day, depending on the need.  Another way to go is to add rose hips to
the diet--sometimes you can find them in bulk at health food stores
inexpensively enough to be worth it.

As to selenium, the daily requirement is 8-10 mg per day.  Most "high
selenium" supplements are designed to deliver 2-2.5 mg per day.  Whether or
not this is enough for your horse depends on where you are; we are so
deficient here that I supplement the entire requirement with no qualms, but in
less deficient areas it pays to test the horse and design a program
accordingly.  

New recommendations for Vitamin E are suggesting making sure that the diet
somehow contains 5000 to 6000 IU per day--way more than we used to think.

Heidi Smith, DVM--Sagehill Arabians (Oregon)