Even in adequate selenium areas, the chemical form of soil selenium might not be readily available to plants and, thus, contribute to deficiencies in animals grazing those plants or hay produced from the field. | Photo: iStock

Foals depend on their dams for dietary selenium. And foals with a selenium deficiency are at risk of developing white muscle disease, which leads to skeletal and cardiac muscle abnormalities. It typically affects foals up to weanling age and has a fatality rate ranging from 30 to 45%.

In an attempt to provide geographical insight into managing and preventing white muscle disease, Catherine Delesalle, DVM, PhD, Dipl. ECEIM, and colleagues from Ghent University, in Belgium, collected data from eight foals with white muscle disease that were admitted to Wolvega Equine Hospital, in The Netherlands.

All foals presented with increased muscle enzymes indicative of the disease and clinical signs including muscle weakness, inadequate suckle reflex, and lethargy. All foals received general supportive care and medication upon arrival, and six received a selenium and vitamin E injection. Two foals did not survive, and post-mortem findings confirmed muscle histopathology (cell structure when viewed under a microscope) consistent with white muscle disease