Know Your Soil Known as white muscle disease, selenium deficiency mainly attacks newborn calves. Due to the atypical winter and spring, we have experienced in Montana, this may . Increased rates of retained placentas and poor reproductive performance are often observed in cows with selenium . In sheep there may also be a depression in wool growth. Affected calves, also known as "dummy calves" have been reported, but other causes that lead to weak newborn calves, such as white muscle disease (selenium deficiency), hypothermia, infectious diseases (BVD, leptospirosis, etc. Selenium deficiency in sheep and cattle costs livestock producers an estimated $545 million annually in losses and affects livestock in more than 35 states where regions are deficient in the mineral. If it's ok, then it at least eliminates that possibility. Acta Vet. Selenium deficiency symptoms in cattle include the onset of nutritional muscular dystrophy, also known as white muscle disease. Both are involved in the maturation of the surfactant system. Giving a shot of Bo-Se might be something for other people with weak bottle calves, or even home calves, to consider, especially in severe selenium-deficient states, like in the Midwest and Northeast. Nutritional myodegeneration (NMD) is an acute, degenerative disease of cardiac and skeletal muscle caused by a dietary deficiency of selenium or vitamin E in young, rapidly growing calves, lambs, and kids. The delayed form of selenium/vitamin E deficiency is usually seen in calves between one and four months-old. Effects of Selenium Supplementation in Newborn Calves In ruminants, the transfer of selenium from cow to the newborn is done through the placenta and milk. Selenium deficiency is responsible for Zenker type muscle degeneration in calves, lambs, and foals in the prenatal and postnatal stages of development. Blood plasma selenium levels of cows treated with selenium were significantly increased as compared to the control cows, which resulted in increase in blood plasma selenium of their newborn calves . Major Professor. You would need to have soil samples done on your pasture and hay ground know for sure if your area is low in Selenium. A selenium responsive depression in growth rate is recorded in weaner sheep and in sucking calves and weaned calves. Group 2 was managed on irrigated pasture, and the calves were injected with Se/vitamin E at birth. MultiMin is an injectable cattle mineral that contains zinc, manganese, copper, and selenium. The clinical appearance varies according to the muscles affected. Selenium (Se) is an essential micronutrient that exerts its functions by incorporating selenocysteine into various selenoproteins, which have oxidoreductase activity [ 1 ]. As part of the process for weaning, a group of 400 calves [] In young sheep and cattle, selenium deficiency can result in poor growth and illthrift, and in severe cases where muscle function is impacted, 'white muscle disease' can occur. The proper level of supplementation of . Poor calves. A warm water bath, blow dryer, heat lamp . Affected cattle cannot stand or. Three groups of beef cow and calf pairs were studied to determine plasma vitamin E and blood selenium (Se) concentrations of calves at 1 month old. Download File. This great heifer calf was born yesterday and was super alert and everything looked great today she will not get up and when I pick her up her muscles are extremely tight. In some areas, greater than 70% of the calves have selenium deficiencies. Moderate deficiencies of these minerals can be harder to recognize but cause similar symptoms. They may also abort or not become pregnant at all. "BVD (bovine viral diarrhea) in the herd is sometimes associated with weak calves," he said. (< 40 micrograms/l) were randomly classified alternatively to be treated (gr. (selenium, vitamin E) Fair Balance DO NOT USE IN PREGNANT EWES. As a result, their newborn calves are often severely trace-mineral deficient at birth. Cattle affected by white muscle disease have been treated with sodium selenite and vitamin E in sterile emulsion. on: February 24, 2015, 01:52:20 PM . Often, because vitamin E and selenium are interrelated in body functions, your goat may be deficient in both at the same time. It is weak and reluctant to move. I've known calves that are born with selenium deficiency not making it the first few hours after birth. to the newborn. Selenium deficiency can lead to reduced growth rates, poor feed efficiency, poor immune function, impaired . "Vitamin A or selenium deficiency has been associated with weak newborn calves, as have diseases such as bovine viral diarrhea," he says. Serum will give you the snapshot but whole blood will give you the big picture, or at least the 3-month average. Selenium deficiency can exacerbate the effects of iodine deficiency. The calf may stand and move stiffly. Clinical selenium deficiency is less commonly seen in confinement systems where adequately balanced partial (PMR) or total mixed ration (TMR) is fed. Selenium Deficiency Selenium deficiencies have more geographic distribution. Selenium is an essential element for animals, but not plants. Selenium deficiency symptoms can include: hair loss, reproductive issues, muscle weakness, fatigue, brain fog and thyroid dysfunction. mental fog. Symptoms Weakness Abnormal gait Difficulty suckling or swallowing Difficulty breathing Reduced performance Diagnosis Treatment Prevention In areas where the soil has adequate selenium, good quality forages will provide enough for the health of the livestock. If she is weak, or doesn't have much of a suckle reflex, you can rub some honey on a nipple or some cayenne pepper on her gums to perk her up. Selenium deficiency is an occurring problem in this region. It is required for growth and to aid resistance to diseases, being involved in the production of antibodies and in the killing of micro-organisms engulfed by macrophages. they become older (Smith, 1961). Clinically, HD presents as sudden deaths with few or no preceding signs. If necessary, the treatment may be repeated two weeks later, but no more than four doses total should be given. Animals may show reduced wool and/or meat production, poor immunity (shown by increased levels of mastitis or faecal worm egg counts for example), reduced reproductive efficiency, weak or stillborn calves or retained foetal membranes in cattle. (NY) Selenium deficiency continues to be diagnosed in cattle in NY, as exemplified in the following 3 recent cases. Transfer performed via the placenta is more efficient than that made through the milk [ 50 ]. Each mL contains: 10.95 mg sodium selenite (equivalent to 5 mg selenium), 50 mg (68 USP units) vitamin E (as d-alpha tocopheryl acetate), 250 mg polysorbate 80, 2% benzyl alcohol . Selenium deficiency can also cause calves to be weak at birth and increase their susceptibility to calfhood diseases like scours. Selenium deficiency can produce a range of symptoms. Weak calves must be treated or helped immediately after birth to improve their chances of survival. The reason you only see people talk about selenium deficiency in adults and newborns is because it does not happen overnight. Signs of selenium deficiency may be non-specific and look like any other cause of general ill-thrift. White Muscle Disease (WMD) is caused by a deficiency of either of two important nutritional anti-oxidants: Vitamin E and Selenium. The reason may be the higher concentration of selenium in blood serum than in milk. Affected lambs and calves may present with painful stiff gaits, arched backs, difficulty standing up, and weakness. Signs are usually precipitated by sudden unaccustomed exercise typically following turnout to pasture in the spring. The signs depend on the muscles affected. . Postmortem exam and ancillary diagnostic testing has shown vitamin and trace mineral deficiencies in many of these calves including vitamin A, selenium, and copper deficiencies. Deaths and abortions have been reported in pregnant ewes injected with this product. Include selenium foods in your diet to help bring levels up. Kidney failure, stillbirth, and abortions also may . Scours. Selenium is a trace element (mineral) which is incorporated into proteins to make selenoproteins, which are important antioxidant enzymes. Each mL contains: 2.19 mg sodium selenite (equivalent to 1 mg selenium), 50 mg (68 . That doesn't go away during the summer months. in Cattle: Maternal Transfer of Selenium to Newborn Calves at Different Selenium Concentrations in Dams. The same amount and quality of colostrum with or without Se addition was fed to paired calves (n. = 60) 4 times at <2, 12, 24, and 36 h after birth, respectively.. Four-time feeding of colostrum containing 1.0 ppm Se significantly increased IgG amount in the blood plasma of calves . Selenium also plays an important role in maintaining immune function and selenium deficiency has certainly been associated with immunosuppression. They concluded that trace element deficiencies, and in particular iodine and selenium deficiencies, may have a dominant role in the development of respiratory distress syndrome in newborn calves. WARNINGS Anaphylactoid reactions, some of which have [] The newborns were also tube-fed a commercial colostrum product to ensure adequate intake of colostrum for effective passive immunity and essential vitamins. Selenium has a very narrow margin of safety. Animals with low selenium level p.n. Selenium deficiency is commonly identified in ruminants, but rarely in dairy cattle. Selenium Deficiency in Adult Dairy Cattle. breathing and respiratory distress anorexia and weight loss diarrhoea fast heart beat increased incidence of urination sudden death. Cattle are predisposed to selenium deficiency when grazed on: pastures grown on selenium-deficient soils (such as acid soils receiving more than 410 millimetres annual rainfall) Cows that go into pregnancy in poorer body condition with less than . Hepatosis dietetica (HD) is a much more rarely encountered presentation of vitamin E and/or selenium deficiency since legal levels of selenium supplementation in livestock feed were raised to 0.3 ppm. The amount of Se that cattle require in their diet varies by age, weight and use. The objective of this study was to show a new function of Se in IgG absorption from colostrum by newborn calves. Cattle may have difficulty breathing as a result of damage to the muscles supporting the heart, as well as problems standing and general stiffness. Weak calves born during cold, wet weather with little brown fat can quickly develop hypothermia (low body temperature) and are unable to stand or nurse until warmed. When individual animals are tested, the prior health status must be considered in interpreting mineral concentration of tissues. Thus, the "normal range" for these minerals in body storage tissues would be higher in early neonates than in an adult animal. Over-supplementation leads to selenium toxicity in calves Written by Dr. Gayman Helman, Amarillo Resident Director With over 800,000 tests run annually, TVMDL encounters many challenging cases. Selenium deficiency in goats can cause white muscle disease in goats, also known as nutritional muscular dystrophy. The syndrome may be accompanied by diarrhea in a varying proportion of the animals. Selenium deficiency causes white muscle disease (similar to muscular dystrophy) in newborn calves. The calves were examined clinically; they Magnesium is an essential mineral component, showed hyperesthesia to touch . Our case study series will highlight these interesting cases to increase awareness among veterinary and diagnostic communities. A doe's failure to conceive can be the result of either selenium deficiency or toxicity. Newborn calves should have adequate selenium reserves if the pregnant dam was fed sufficient selenium as the element crosses the placenta. The condition affects all muscles of the animal, including the heart. Authors. Diagnostic tests can pinpoint the problems. Investigations have shown that the selenium GSH Px, and vitamin E content of the maternal and fetal parts of the placenta in cattle are different. Vitamin E is closely associated with selenium in its actions, and many of the same signs are seen when there is a deficiency. Selenium deficiency in newborn calves can result in white muscle disease, as well as in retained placentas in newly calved cows. Karma 5. BO-SE (selenium, vitamin E) is recommended for the prevention and treatment of white muscle disease (Selenium-Tocopherol Deficiency) syndrome in calves, lambs, and ewes. Nutrient deficiencies in newborn calves are a reflection of maternal health status and nutrition. Scouring calves can end up with metabolic acidosis due to lactic acid . Selenium Deficiency in Cattle. However, a deficiency in vitamin E can cause the same symptoms. Some symptoms of selenium deficiency are identical to those of selenium toxicity. This is especially prevalent with copper, iron, selenium, and zinc. muscle weakness. These health and growing disabilities include immune dysfunction, abnormalities in bone and muscle development . hair loss. The calves to magnesium deficiency resulting from a reduced were reared mostly on mother's milk only without ability of the calves to absorb dietary magnesium as exogenous dietary supply. And whole blood vs serum. While this is an extremely small . The most common ailment noticed by cattlemen in selenium deficient cattle is white muscle disease. It takes months . Selenium (Se) is a "micromineral" required in very small quantities in the diet of beef cattle. Vitamins A, D and. Selenium deficiency is one of the most common nutritional deficiencies in beef cattle in California 1. Summary . In sows and weanling pigs, as an aid in the prevention and . A deficiency in selenium is more likely to occur in calves living in regions with low Se content in the soil. If young calves, or lambs, are deficient in selenium, then there is a risk of severe muscular damage and the disease called ''White Muscle Disease''. It can cause diarrhea, reduced weight gain/loss of weight and can cause vaccines to be less effective 2. The best sources include: Brazil nuts, eggs, sunflower seeds, liver, fish, turkey, chicken breast, chia seeds and mushrooms. Symptoms of selenium deficiency include muscle damage, increased illness, impaired growth and decreased reproductive efficiency. The first (Lewis County) was a submission of tissues from a 3-day-old dead Holstein heifer calf with apparent septicemia and Cryptosporidium colonization described on histopathology examination of fixed tissue. DESCRIPTION BO-SE (selenium, vitamin E) is an emulsion of selenium-tocopherol for the prevention and treatment of white muscle disease (Selenium-Tocopherol Deficiency) syndrome in calves, lambs, and ewes, and as an aid in the prevention and treatment of Selenium-Tocopherol Deficiency in sows and weanling pigs. They all have new homes. . Between 10% to 40% of animals die of this condition ( Andrews A. H., 1992 ). Hanzlicek points at disease or nutritional deficiencies as some of the causes of weak calf syndrome. The present study was carried out in order to examine the efficiency of selenium/vitamin E on the health status in the first eight weeks of life in Se-deficient neonate calves. Without doing liver biopsies and other tests, for a cow/calf producer it is prudent to keep a good mineral available to cows during the entire gestation period to ensure healthy, thrifty calves. All calves on the ground received vitaminE/selenium with vitamin A/D injections as did subsequent newborns immediately after birth. The dietary requirement of cattle is 0.05 to 0.1 mg Se/kg. Her breathing is getting heavy and her temp is 99.5. 1983. Advisor. One of the most important of these is an enzyme known as glutathione peroxidase. Oral supplementation is ineffective in the newborn, so please have injectable selenium/vitamin E on hand if you know your area . The heifers were injected with a selenium and vitamin E product as well as vitamins A and D. All calves received a prophylactic shot of Nuflor to control respiratory disease. DESCRIPTION MU-SE (selenium, vitamin E) is an emulsion of selenium-tocopherol for the prevention and treatment of Selenium-Tocopherol Deficiency (STD) syndrome in weanling calves and breeding beef cattle. According to the United States Department of Agriculture, selenium deficiency in sheep and cattle costs livestock producers an estimated $545 million . This disease causes calves to be stiff and have damage to their muscles especially in the hind legs. Colostrum should be given as soon after birth as possible, preferably within 1-2 hours, and repeated at no later than 6 hours after birth. The experiments were done with 54 calves from two farms. Group 1 was managed on irrigated pasture and calves received no Se/vitamin E injections at birth. . The most common ones are: infertility in men and women. It protects against selenium deficiency in cattle for up to 12 months and in sheep for up to 18 months. A zinc deficiency can also lead to increased foot problems. In other areas, I'll see as little as 5% or less, especially in the upper central Great Plains, where I see more selenium excess than I do deficiencies. Selenium deficiency is also a problem of animals in other countries. BO-SE BO-SE (selenium, vitamin E) is an emulsion of selenium-tocopherol for the prevention and treatment of white muscle disease (Selenium-Tocopherol Deficiency) syndrome in calves. He actually started leaping about after the bottle! As selenium is a trace mineral, daily requirements are extremely low and listed as 0.1 parts per million in the 2016 Nutrient Requirements for Beef Cattle (NRBC) publication. Metabolic functions of selenoproteins include regulation of redox homeostasis, energy homeostasis, and thyroid hormone activation [ 2 ]. ), and trauma, should be considered. Selenium Deficiency in Calves Subacute muscular dystrophy, also known as white muscle disease, is the most commonly seen form of selenium deficiency in calves. sweet Hathor, Damona, Hesat and Io. Reply T True Grit Farms Well-known member Joined Jan 4, 2016 Messages 9,453 Reaction score 11 However, if the diet of a beef cow is deficient in selenium, symptoms such as nutritional muscular dystrophy in calves (white muscle disease), infertility, abortions, stillbirths or retained placenta can occur. (Red blood cells are recycled every three months so the whole blood reflects the average amount of selenium in all of the red blood cells that have been circulating over the last 3 months - kinda like glycosylated hemoglobin vs blood glucose in terms of . The antioxidant properties of Se-inclusive enzyme systems helps prevent cellular damage from free radicals. Where is selenium deficiency most common in Western Australia? Miller, Marc Thompson, James. Factors that may cause weak calf syndrome are bad weather, selenium deficiency, poor nutrition during late gestation, dystocia, cow age, and other trauma to the calf. Calves with reduced vigour due to poor cow nutrition prior to calving and/or selenium deficiency. Clinical signs are: stiffness and lameness, diarrhea and unthriftiness, pulmonary distress and/or cardiac arrest. Anti-oxidants help protect cell membranes from the oxidizing effects of toxins, free radicals, normal metabolism and other factors that destroy cell membranes. fatigue. This can be administered SC or IM, at 1 mg selenium and 50 mg (68 IU) of vitamin E per 18 kg (40 lb) body wt. Generally the selenium/vitamin E paste will generally help within the next day, IF that is the problem. Pages_from_SF601_V65_v_45_n_02_3.pdf (146.5 KB) Date. 3. Selovin LA contains barium selenate, which slowly releases selenium into the body after injecting under the skin. It is only available by prescription from a veterinarian, and is usually given one to four times per year. Brno 2003, 72: 639-646. . "From a nutritional standpoint, vitamin A deficiency or selenium deficiency in the dam have been associated with weak newborn calves." Cows may not expel the placenta in a timely manner if they are deficient in selenium. The biggest issue is improper precalving diet, one that's low in protein and energy in the coldest part of winter, putting the mother in poor body condition. For example, severe selenium, zinc and copper deficiencies among calves often result in decreased feed intake, reduced efficiency and lower weight gains. weakened immune system. In cattle, calves can also suffer from white muscle disease, while older cattle can suffer from conditions including cystic ovaries, early and late embryo death, mastitis and retained placenta. They would have founder-like symptoms have nutritional muscular dystrophy (in other words, be painfully thin), paralysis characterized with the inability to stand then most likely up and die suddenly due to sudden heart failure. Selenium deficiency most commonly occurs in young calves and calving cows, but is also seen in adult cattle. Our knowledge of selenium deficiency as a cause of animal disease has increased since 1973, when the role of selenium (Se) in glutathione peroxidase was discovered. Tubing a baby goat is usually a last resort. Newborn calf with white muscle disease! Selenium deficiency appears to be more important than vitamin E in . Low Selenium comes from deficiency of Se in the soil. Young, growing animals are rapidly creating muscle mass . For example, in Poland, Se deficiency was found in 50% of cattle. Help!!!! A severe selenium deficiency will cause "white muscle disease" in which calves are born with a weak heart and/or weak muscles and die soon after birth. The study also reported the presence of Se deficiency variation among cattle type that 40% of cows, 80% of calves, 100% of heifers and 90% of bulls were affected [23]. Goats require 0.2 parts per million of selenium, and the toxic level is 3 ppm. Unfortunately, Connecticut & Rhode Island have soil that is tremendously selenium deficient. This syndrome was named on the basis of hepatic lesions and the belief . deficiency, selenium status in cows of Herd II were . Keep a good trace mineral mix in front of the cows at all times or have it mixed in the feed if offering supplemental feed so calves are born with sufficient amounts. Dams have usually consumed selenium-deficient diets during gestation. Treatment. It works to elevate and maintain selenium blood and tissue levels in deficient states and ensures sustained adequate selenium . Such poor trace mineral carryover from the mothers makes these baby calves highly susceptible to a long list of immediate- and long-term problems. Daily intakes of greater than 0.25 milligrams selenium per kilogram, a single oral dose of greater than 10mg Se/kg or a single injection of greater than 1.2mg Se/kg bodyweight are toxic for cattle. The mean selenium level in the hair of calves which were not treated for disease during the first four weeks of life was 0.42 ppm, while that from appropriately matched treated calves was 0.36 ppm; the difference between the means was significant at p = 0.054.