Re: Nitty gritty on selenium!

[CMKSAGEHIL@aol.com]

In a message dated 1/18/99 4:15:16 AM Pacific Standard Time, dfletche@gte.net
writes:

<< I kindof expected someone else to answer this. From NRC, adequate
 concentration: 0.1 mg/kg of overall diet, maximum tolerable dose 10 mg/kg of
 overall diet. Concentration in supplements may be measured a number of
 different ways: parts per million, mg/lb, microgram/lb. Blood tests can run
 to discover the true selenium status of the horse.
  >>

I have always used Oregon State's recommendations--daily requirement for
1000-lb horse of 8-10 mg per day, with chronic toxic levels of 60-90 mgs per
day.  Actually, that probably comes out to be somewhat similar to the NRC
values, but for those of us in deficient areas where we can figure our diets
at practically zero, it is easier to calculate the number of milligrams that
we are feeding via supplement than it is to relate it back to total intake.
Also, the blimp on a diet still needs his selenium, and even though the
requirement may be more for a working horse, it likely doesn't double, even
though his overall feed intake may well double, in my experience.

Heidi