# Selenium deficiency



## AllWolf (Dec 27, 2005)

What do you all use for Selenium deficiency?


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## ozark_jewels (Oct 7, 2005)

Feed kelp in their minerals all the time and give Bose twice a year.


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## debitaber (Jun 6, 2003)

I give BO SE shots 3 to 4 times a year, and give selium vit. pills 2 times a week. Ilive in michigan, and we have no selium in any thing here ..so I give it to them. makes a big diffrence .


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## AllWolf (Dec 27, 2005)

I just found out from my VET that here where we live that Selenium is pretty bad here or low is what I mean. So now I have to buy the BO SE shot to keep on hand. That was why I was asking you all earlier what I needed but my VET gave me a call after I had posted and told me what I needed to keep incase run into trouble with a baby goats. I always keep loose goat minerals in bowl for my goats but if you get older hay and give to younger goats it can cause Selenium deficiency because the hay is old and not enough Vitamins in the hay. Also why I even ask about this is because this morn I had a little baby goat down in hind legs and so the VET is coming here tonight to give shots and help me out. I've been on phone with them about 3 times or more today. 

You always got lots to learn about goats it's never a ending thing.


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## fishhead (Jul 19, 2006)

Good luck!


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## Milk n' Honey (Aug 14, 2005)

You can give preventative shots to your kids, rather than waiting for problems to occur. Goats don't bounce back super well from anything or at least that has been my experience. It is always easier on you and the goats to keep them healthy. We are going to give Bo/Se to all kids and maybe even to the pregnant does at 4 months gestation. The kids are supposed to benefit from it even in utero. I read on one website (can't remember which one) that they were having kids born with weak hind legs...like they were bending and couldn't walk on them. We've personally had a few kids born here like that and figured it was just the way they were laying in the womb. They eventually get over it but are much slower and have trouble getting to Mom to nurse. That website said that they started giving Bo/Se to the pregnant does and then to the kids after they were born and they stopped seeing this problem. I'm going to try it. If they are good and healthy at birth, it will be a lot easier to keep them that way. I do believe you have to be careful about giving Bo/Se too early in pregnancy. I wouldn't give it any sooner than 4 months gestation personally.


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## pookshollow (Aug 22, 2005)

This is a bad area for selenium deficiency too. All the commercial feed here has selenium added to it - does yours? I keep injectable selenium/vit E on hand, but I've only given it to a couple of kids who were a bit wonky in the hind legs at birth. They all straightened up within a couple of days, and the other kids have had no problems.


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## hillsidedigger (Sep 19, 2006)

If you are talking about people, feed them wild trout and salmon.


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## pookshollow (Aug 22, 2005)

> If you are talking about people, feed them wild trout and salmon.


And Brazil nuts!


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## AllWolf (Dec 27, 2005)

Reason my goat kid has to have shots of Bo-Se is because the hay I had bought must had been low on Vitamin-E or getting to old to hold the correct Vitamin in so started running into problems with selenium deficiency. I have loose goat minerals out all the time but sometimes still will run into this problem no matter how great you take care of your baby goats. This area is very bad for been low on selenium but the most major problem finding really good hay for animals when the season had been really dry here and lots of farmers didn't have enough hay to sale this year and feed stores must be getting in older hay and that mean poor quality hay= to less Vitamin E in it and less nuterains. I've always taken great care of my animals but sooner or later it's going to happen no matter what. 

When a goat gets selenium deficiency it can cause death in a goat in no time. You may have little or no warnings of this deficiency. Some goats will show signs before others will. 

Here we caught the selenim problem early so the baby goat should come through it good. If you read about selenium is talks about old or poor hay can cause this problem. At least the VET came lastnight and gave a shot of Bo-Se to the baby and checked the temp and it was good not low but too the baby is in the house instead out in the barn where it cold. It has gotten really Cold here so when I found the baby goat down yesterday morn I brought the baby goat straight into the house and started my phone calls for help. 

I have been giving the baby goat calf manna, hay, the loose goat minerals and other feed and the baby got it's shot lastnight and tomorrow one more. Just now only thing to do more is keep plenty of feed for the baby goat which she isn't a baby baby now she almost 4 months old but I call her a baby.. Oh Yes and pray for her.


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## AllWolf (Dec 27, 2005)

UPDATE!!! So far my little gal is showing signs of getting better. My little gal is in the house where it is safe and warm and starting to stand up some on her own.. Gave her the 2nd shot this morn with TLC...


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## pourfolkes (Jul 1, 2005)

Where can you order bose... my vet does not carry it at all.....


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## malickfarms (Aug 27, 2005)

MI soils have NONE--it is only like 2%...not enough

BO CE shots twice a year work wonders, free choice minerals and selenium block.
Vet comes out and does BO CE for me with tetnus.

My hubby also grows alfalfa when it breaks down suppose to have traces of selenium in it.

April


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## ozark_jewels (Oct 7, 2005)

pourfolkes said:


> Where can you order bose... my vet does not carry it at all.....


Is he a small animal vet?? If you have any large animal vets or cattle vets in the area they should carry it. Or I imagine you can order it from Jeffers or such. I think you have to have a prescription.....
Every vet carries it around here.


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## DocM (Oct 18, 2006)

Are you sure it is selenium deficiency and not floppy kid syndrome?


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## ozark_jewels (Oct 7, 2005)

DocM said:


> Are you sure it is selenium deficiency and not floppy kid syndrome?


AllWolf's kid in question is almst four months old....shouldn't be floppy kid.


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## AllWolf (Dec 27, 2005)

To be able to get the Bo-Se you have to have a VET to order it for you and lots of VET's do not want to help get it for you because of the crazy druggies have messed it up for the good people that has livestock and needs it incase of needing it for a animals. My local VET's helper said they do not carry it but the other VET I deal with does. If you look in Jeffers book you can't get it unless a VET gets it for you. Lots of meds is going to be hard to get because of darn druggies messing it up. What I mean druggies try to use it to get high and etc.. So us good livestock care people have a hard time getting what we need when need it. 

I hope what I typed came out right.


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## ozark_jewels (Oct 7, 2005)

AllWolf said:


> I hope what I typed came out right.


Hey, I understood it....


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## pookshollow (Aug 22, 2005)

I can buy it at the local TSC - no restrictions up here on it. And that's unusual! I don't know how many things you can get in the States that we can't up here because the gov't thinks we shouldn't have it. :flame: 

Not sure what a drug addict would want with Selenium/Vit. E - don't think they're going to get much of a buzz from that. :shrug:


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## AllWolf (Dec 27, 2005)

DocM said:


> Are you sure it is selenium deficiency and not floppy kid syndrome?


It's not floppy kid it is selenium deficiency. There is no mistake in that at all. My gal is almost 4 months old and I didn't run into this trouble until the hay I had bought must had been older and didn't have all the things young goats need plus here the selenium is very low. Since been given the shots of Bo-Se and keeping her warm and dry my little gal is showing signs so far of getting better today she could stand on her own for about 20mins and Monday she couldn't get up at all unless you stood her up and her rear quaters wouldn't hold up at all. Got the Bo-Se in her on Monday night and lots of TLC and another shot today she is showing more good signs. My Vet seen her on Monday night and he said selenium deficiency. He works with all large animals all the time plus he works with small ones to. He a VET of all trades and knows his job.

You ask was we sure it wasn't floopy kid.. She didn't have these signs at all---->>> First symptom is a wobbly or unsteady gate. If you see a kid cross his back legs when he is walking or runs a few steps and stumble he is probably in the early stages of FKS. My gal didn't have them signs.

Forgot to add Selenium deficiency, like Vitamin E deficiency, can cause white muscle disease and that is what she has. 

Here is what she had---->>> Symptoms inability to stand and stiff gait and hunched appearance. My gal has a great appetite and is very alert. Never lost her appetite at all. She will try to eat you out of house and home.. LOL.. 

I'm so glad to see her doing better but she going to be one spoiled little gal for sure. She stays right in the kitchen on a nice warm old towel with hay, loose goat minerals, and her grain right in a bowl alone with a bowl of fresh water. She watches ever move I make.


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## Vicki McGaugh TX Nubians (May 6, 2002)

Selenium in feeds and minerals is in very small amounts, and kept that way unless filled with a vet script via a nutritionist, in accordance with the FDA. Only way of getting more than the normal small amount for sheep and goats is to move species and feed cattle or horse products. 1cc per 40 pounds of Bo-se (and make sure you are talking about Bo-se, not Mu-se or any of the other forumlas) is a very minimal amount to give, in true defficency or FKS you would be giving it daily than weekly for some time. Might also want togive E orally at the same time. Nutritional Muscular Destrophy is caused by ruminants not having access to green feed stuffs which are very high in vitamin E. Just getting 400 or more IU from Wallmart, snipping the end and squishing in her mouth will work, jefferspet.com in the equine section has selenium and E crumbles for horses also.

With this happening to this one kid, I would figure out why...selenium problems severe enough to cause FKS is usually herdwide...does who don't settle, does who retain placenta, single kids born when around you are lots of twins and triplets, kids born week, and lots of unexplained deaths after birth, kids who won't nurse, tongues out when nursing. With it happening to just one kid, unless it's your only goat, doesn't logically make sense that she would be the only one with a problem. Not enough nutrition, energy with it getting cold could also bring on this bout of nutritional problems, if hay is poor you will have no choice but to give your goats energy and calories from grain.

Your vet can also pull blood for a herdwide selenium level. that would be much cheaper than treating true defficency when you don't have it.

We do bolster does prebreeding, prekidding, and kids when born, but I also use E post kidding for does and kids at birth. Vicki


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## HonorSeed (Feb 17, 2006)

Selenium is a trace material found in Brazil nuts, organ meats, seafood and wheat germ. It may reduce the risk of certain cancers. With mice it ended brain tumors. I take 200 mcg a day. The Dakotas have high soil selenium. If I had a goat I would give it selenium capsules. My cats are getting salmon today and my dogs some deer organs left by a friend.


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## AllWolf (Dec 27, 2005)

Reason I ran into this problem now is because my little gal doesn't have no green field to eat out of plus she is younger than the rest of the herd so I will not let her in with the bigger goats because they will kill younger one. All the other goats have access to green fields but she didn't that is why this happen. I'm thankful we caught it soon enough and started treatment right then instead of putting it off. The meds she is getting is Bo-Se and only give it 2 times because if give more than 2 times it can kill her. That is what I have read also. She is also getting other things that has Selenium and vitamin E in it. I treat my goats with TLC but still sometimes we all run into trouble no matter what. Any goat breeder or livestock carer will have problems sooner or later.. No herd is 100% full proof from disease or other troubles.  Only thing you can do is do your best and hope and pray it doesn't happen but it happens to the best of us.


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