.jpg)
All Pages
- Home
- Pet Food/Treat Adverse Event Reports
- Report a Pet Food/Treat Adverse Event
- Pet Food Pledge to Quality and Origin
- Friends of TruthaboutPetFood.com
- Vindication
- Subscribe to the Newsletter
- New to TruthaboutPetFood.com?
- Contact Us
- About TruthaboutPetFood.com
- Pet Food Recall First Alert
- Petsumer Report
- Find Healthy Pet Foods
- How to Report a Bad Pet Food
Pet Food Article Categories
A Close Look at a tiny Pet Food Ingredient, Selenium
- 3-30-2009
- Categorized in: Pet Food Ingredients
.jpg)
Selenium is an essential element necessary in trace amounts in the diet of humans and animals. Fish, meat, poultry, whole grains, and dairy products are typical sources of this nutrient in the human diet. AAFCO and the FDA approve a selenium supplement to animal diets, most commonly in the form of sodium selenite for pet foods. Although it sounds simple enough, there is far more to the selenium story.
The Journal of American College of Nutrition reports not much was known about which selenium compounds to approve for use in animal feeds when the decisions were made back in the 1970’s. “At the time the regulatory action was taken, only the inorganic selenium salts (sodium selenite and sodium selenate) were available at a cost permitting their use in animal feed.” http://www.jacn.org/cgi/content/full/20/1/1 Science has since learned that these inorganic selenium sources (sodium selenite most commonly used in pet foods) can be toxic in high doses; effecting an animal’s blood, liver, and muscles. The organic selenium yeast on the other hand, has proven to be far less toxic, even in large doses. “A study with rats showed that high doses (1.5 and 3.0 mg/kg body weight) of organic selenium in Selenium Yeast did not have any toxic effects after 14 days. This level of selenium is much higher than the theoretical toxic level for inorganic selenium.” http://www.nutriteck.com/bulk/selenium.html
So far, just to recap…selenium is a necessary element of a pet’s diet, furthermore selenium yeast has proven to be the safe delivery method of selenium to our pets in their food. Knowing this, why is the possible toxic sodium selenite the most popular delivery method of selenium in pet foods (in more than 90% of pet foods)?
The selenium plot thickens. Backing up a bit, Eco-USA explains that selenium is a “naturally occurring substance that is widely but unevenly distributed in the earth's crust and is commonly found in sedimentary rock. Selenium is not often found in its pure form but is usually combined with other substances. Much of the selenium in rocks is combined with sulfide minerals or with silver, copper, lead, and nickel minerals. When rocks change to soils, the selenium combines with oxygen to form several substances, the most common of which are sodium selenite and sodium selenate.” Furthermore, in some parts of the US, the soil contains such high levels of non-organic sodium selenite, animals grazing on plants in these areas can be harmed. http://www.eco-usa.net/toxics/selenium.shtml
Why are plants and animals consuming varying amounts of sodium selenite a potential problem to pet food?
• Common grains used in pet foods can have varying levels of sodium selenite depending on the soil in different areas of the U.S. A batch of pet food using grain grown in Western States can have a much higher level of sodium selenite than grains grown in Eastern States. Pet owners have no knowledge of how much sodium selenite is included with each grain ingredient in their pet’s food.
• Depending on the sodium selenite levels of grains fed to meat producing animals (or by-product producing animals), and furthermore, depending on added sodium selenite levels of commercial feeds provided to these meat or by-product producing animals, every meat ingredient and by-product ingredient can vary to levels of sodium selenite.
• Add in to the potential toxic build up, the actual sodium selenite supplement added directly into your pet’s food.
If all the wrong pieces of the puzzle fall into the wrong place, your pet’s food, the result can be toxic.
“Humans who have accidentally eaten large amounts of selenium had upset stomachs, muscular weakness, difficulty in breathing, and pulmonary edema. Information about the health effects from eating or drinking too much selenium over long periods of time has come from areas in China with very high selenium levels in the soil and in the rice and vegetables people eat. These people had loss of hair, loss of and poorly formed nails, problems with walking, reduced reflexes, and some paralysis when exposed to levels of 1.64 ppm or higher selenium in their food over months to years.” http://www.eco-usa.net/toxics/selenium.shtml
ScienceLab.com states sodium selenite “may be toxic to blood, kidneys, liver, skin, central nervous system. Repeated or prolonged exposure to the substance can produce target organs damage. Repeated exposure to a highly toxic material may produce general deterioration of health by an accumulation in one or many human organs.” http://www.sciencelab.com/msds.php?msdsId=9927277
The simple solution, as recent science has proven, seems to be adding non-toxic selenium yeast to animal feeds including pet foods. “Of about one dozen supplementation studies, none has shown evidence of toxicity even up to an intake level of 800 microg Se/d over a period of years. It is concluded that Se-yeast from reputable manufacturers is adequately characterised, of reproducible quality, and that there is no evidence of toxicity even at levels far above the EC tolerable upper intake level of 300 microg/d.” http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/15522125
The FDA listened to research and approved selenium yeast to be used in chicken feed in 2000, cattle feed in 2007, and as well recently approved the safer selenium yeast for use in dog foods. No word from the FDA as to when approval for use of selenium yeast in cat foods; I requested this information from the FDA on 3/24/08 and have received no response. The FDA should immediately approve selenium yeast for use in cat foods; there is no apparent excuse for the delay. Cat owners are urged to write the Center for Veterinary Management area of the FDA and (politely) encourage approval for use of selenium yeast in cat food.
Sadly, despite a wealth of research that proves sodium selenite can be toxic to animals including our pets, a large majority of pet food manufacturers continue to use sodium selenite instead of the scientifically proven safer alternative selenium yeast. Many pets could be suffering from an overdose of non-organic selenium without our knowledge.
Read the fine print of your pet’s food ingredient list; although it’s a tiny ingredient, sodium selenite might not be an ingredient you want to be listed in your pet’s food.
Wishing you and your pet the best,
Susan Thixton
Truth about Pet Food
Petsumer Report
www.TruthaboutPetFood.com
Are you subscribed to Truth About Pet Food Newsletter?
Receive future pet food articles and alerts delivered to your email box. Click Here to subscribe. Your privacy is guaranteed - your email address will not be sold or shared.
Does your pet’s food contain Chinese Ingredients?
Petsumer Report knows if Chinese Imports are used in almost 900 different cat foods, dog foods, and pet treats. Subscribe to Petsumer Report. Subscribers have access to ratings on almost 900 pet foods and treats - reporting imported or U.S. only, human quality or lesser grade, Shelf Life, and red flag pet food ingredients. 40+ new reviews added monthly. 30 Day Satisfaction Guarantee. http://www.PetsumerReport.com
Email to Friend
Fill in the form below to send this article to a friend:
You are on the right track with the selenium problem in food. I need to correct you on one thing, though. First, is the selenium found in grain is selenomethionine, which is more toxic because of its different action/reaction with the body. (more bioavailability). Selenium yeast is made using sodium selenite.
The problem with too much selenium is more widespread and "under the radar" than the food companies want to believe. Grains are now grown on millions of acres across North and South Dakota, Nebraska, and a few other high selenium states.
We are now figuring out what has been wrong with our swine herd for many years. Chronic selenium toxicity that may take years to manifest itself.
Selenium is much more dangerous than the Vets and Food Manufacturers have been taught. The feed manufacturing nutritionists have been teaching the Vets about nutrition all these years. While the Company Nutritionists have not kept up with the testing of their product for Selenium. Ask any food company if they ever test for selenium levels and they will tell you "No". I have already tried with many companies. Starting with the largest companies first.
This problem potentially affects all food manufacturing companies, big and small.
The Selenium tests are expensive and this is why nobody is doing it. Animal owners included. But, a few of us out here had our pigs, cows, and goats tested. They were all sick and the results were positive for Chronic Selenosis.
I will share my test results with you. Just send me and e-mail.
Sincerely,
e-mail me and I will give you information. qbarfarm@viclink.com
I think my cat may have selenium toxicity. He had been eating a lot of tuna and sardines and then started talking much more than usual for a week. Then his left rear leg became week, then his rear right and finally his front right leg. He is very fatigued, has horner's syndrome in his left eye, his tongue was dark red but now is pale red. His eyes were initially very sensitive to the light but are no longer since I stopped feeding the sardines and tuna. Just to be clear the addition of sardines and tuna was reccommended by a holistic vet and had regular dry and canned cat food out as well, but I think he eventually ate mostly the fish. What can I do so he can recover function in his legs and regains energy? I have taken him to several vets, but no-one seems to know what to do. Thank you. Wendy
Hi,
Could be Mercury also, but the symptoms can be the same with all toxic heavy metals.
I would roast or boil chicken for the cat and give it a little fish once a week. I personally would not feed it anything from a can or bag. I'll bet the chicken is cheaper than the commercial food.
Time will cure the cat if there is not too much damage done already.
You should ask the vet to do a test for Mercury, Lead, Selenium.
Also ask the Vet if a shot of B-Complex is safe for cats. I have a vet that turned me on to the fact that the Riboflavin B vitamin helps with selenium Toxicity. I have seen excellent results with my pigs when given the B-Complex.
A chicken only diet with fish 1x a week is very unbalanced. It could do more harm than good over time.
A balanced diet is the most important thing I believe. Trying to flush the kittie out is probably a better solution. I do not know where to go for this info except a good vet, if there are any left. An online search can be very helpful.
I loved your other info. Very informative and a bit scary. Like most of what I am researching about pertaining to kittie food. I am attempting to make my own soon to limit the toxins and commercially prepared garbage out there.
Wendy, I hope all goes well for your precious one. I asked my vet about tuna and salmon and he said that they contain many minerals that may lead to kidney issues. Just wanted to throw that out to you to think about.
Please keep us informed and again I hope the best for your kittie.
Hi Al,
Thank you for your kind thoughts. My cat died before I received a response from Susan. He was such a sweet, little guy and I miss him so much. You are absolutely right about the kidney issues. Even though he wasn't on the tuna/sardine diet for very long he had acute kidney issues which he never had before. I feel sick that I blindly listened to the holistic vet and when I tried to explain to the other 8 vets I took him to after he got sick that I thought his illness was due to the food no-one would investigate it and all thought he probably had cancer (due to his age). I had an autopsy performed and he didn't have cancer or any other visible problems that would have caused his symptoms. He eventually died of liver failure. I plan to provide research to the local university so they will consider nutritional needs in the future more closely. I think he had a thiamine deficiency, possible vitamin E deficiency and potential toxicities all due to his diet. It seemed that most local vets knew little about it. My hope is that this information will help other animals. I wish you the best with your animals and their new diet.
So sad and sorry you lost your buddy Wendy. I know what you are going through, sort of, having lost the best kittie that ever lived, the great Shortstop on 9-22-09. Though it was due to a fall in my home and not a disease or such, his loss has left a permanent hole in my heart.
If you are ever on Facebook, I would love to have you join my page called Tales for Tails. I try hard to inform people that make poor choices for their kittie's (and doggies too)
Here is the link: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Tales-for-Tails/1211...
I need people like you who care deeply and try to do what is right. If we work together without stubborn pride, we can be better kittie parents.
Again, so sorry and I hope you find a place in your heart and home for another kittie soon. Not to replace but to distract and save one that needs a good home like yours!!! =o_o=
Then what is your recommendation for a healthy cat food that does not contain sodium selenite?