Return to News Page

05/08/2009

Polo Horse Deaths Linked to Overdose of Man-made Supplement form of Selenium

21 Polo horses died recently and unnecessarily from a human administered overdose of the mineral supplement, selenium. Selenium is a necessary mineral nutrient and is utilized in the body as an antioxidant, is important for reproduction functions, and is linked to many other health related effects such as protecting against certain types of cancer, aiding in reduction of heart disease and stroke, helps elasticity in tissues, etc.

Humans can derive adequate amounts of selenium from eating a healthy diet which includes natural sources of this element. Foods such as seafood, onions, tomatoes, broccoli, garlic, brown rice, and liver are rich in natural selenium. Horses can get adequate selenium from a good diet of natural, mixed forages and natural salt mineral blocks.  

The overdose administered to these horses was most likely the man-made synthetic form of selenium, Sodium Selenite (Na₂SeO₃). This same form of selenium is added to most commercially, processed dog and cat foods. In tests administering this man-made form of selenium to dogs at 20ppm they became dull-eyed, sluggish and wandered aimlessly. Horses tested at 1.2 milligrams per kilogram of body weight started trembling, had muscle dystrophy, ataxia and died. (See Vitamin and Mineral Research)

Nature’s Logic is “the only commercially produced full line of pet food in the world” that never adds any chemically synthesized vitamins or minerals, including any man-made form of selenium to any of its category of diets, supplements or treats. All nutrients in Nature’s Logic are those naturally present in the whole food ingredients; exactly how nature designed animals to consume needed nutrients.  This latest incident of preventable death to animals from man-made supplements is just another in a long line of these occurrences. A pet food company caused the deaths of a number of dogs and cats in 2006 when they mistakenly added too much synthetic Vitamin D to their diets (See Information on Recall). It is always called a “mistake” when the facts are that these added synthetic supplements are not needed if the companies simply formulated with enough real foods that would supply these nutrients naturally.

See the full article disclosing the results of the lethal dose of selenium causing the death of these horses. It is a tragic thing; especially when it was so preventable. Nature’s Logic is proud to offer the safe alternative. We create diets totally adequate with food when all other commercial dry and canned diets add these unnecessary and potentially dangerous supplements made in chemical plants.

Click here to read the news article.