So you want your goats to be safe from diseases? Then you need to make sure that they don’t suffer from selenium deficiency.
For a very long time, goats have been an important part of human life. Whether it comes to their milk that we use, or their meat and all the benefits that we take from them, God has certainly created these animals as a blessing upon us.
So if you also own goats then there are certain things you need to keep in mind about the issue of selenium deficiency. Please stick with us to know.
What Is Selenium?
Selenium is a very important mineral for goats and many other animals. It is crucial for a proper growth of muscles and development.
It is found in fodder and alfalfa hays in a good amount.
Deficiency of selenium leads to White Muscle Disease. Although goats don’t need a lot of selenium, its deficiency can have some serious consequences.
Soil is considered deficient in selenium when it contains less than 0.5 mg of selenium per kg. This threshold is crucial for determining the need for supplementation in goats, as low soil selenium directly impacts the selenium content in forage and hay consumed by the animals.
The Main Symptoms (& Problems)
If your goat happens to have selenium deficiency, these are some symptoms that will give it away:
- Poor reproductive system
- Possible birth of dead baby
- Rigid legs
- Weak leg muscles
- Inability to stand (in baby goats)
- Poor growth (in baby goats)
How To Prevent It
Now coming to our main question, how do you prevent this from happening to begin with.
If your goat already has these symptoms then we advise you to involve a local vet immediately. But if that’s not the case. Then there are some ways you can possibly avoid it. For example:
- Giving supplemental selenium to newborns is a good way to avoid its deficiency from early age since newborns and kid goats are most vulnerable to it.
- If your area’s soil is rich in selenium, then the risk is way less. You can ask your local vet about the average selenium quantity in the soil of your area. If the soil is selenium poor, then the fodder grown in it is also insufficient to fulfill the needs of your animal. One way to tackle this is to give them an injection of “Bo-Se” in supervision of a vet once or twice in a year around their mating period. This helps in maintaining the low selenium.
- Getting a blood test done on your animal is really helpful. You can get information about not just selenium in your animal’s body, but other things as well.
For adult goats, the recommended dosage of BoSe (a selenium and vitamin E supplement) is 2.5 cc per 100 lbs of body weight. This dosage is typically administered subcutaneously to address or prevent selenium deficiency, especially during breeding season or before kidding.
These are a few tips on how you can prevent selenium deficiency in a goat.
Conclusion
Finally, While we discussed the issue of selenium deficiency, adequate selenium can also cause problems having symptoms quite similar to that of its deficiency. So it’s important to consult your vet and follow the steps given above so you can avoid any risk of selenium adequacy as well.
In selenium-deficient areas, it is advised to administer selenium/Vitamin E gel every 3-4 months to maintain adequate levels in goats. This regular supplementation helps prevent deficiencies that can lead to serious health issues such as white muscle disease.
We hope that you found this article useful. If you have any suggestion or feedback, feel free to contact us.
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References
Identifying and Treating Selenium Deficiency in Goats
Selenium Deficiency in Goats: How to Recognize, Prevent and Treat
Selenium Deficiency and White Muscle Disease in Goats
Selenium Deficiency and Toxicity
Disclaimer
This content on Bagrica is for informational purposes only. Consult a professional for pet care or farming advice. Bagrica is not liable for any actions taken based on this information.
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