Hoof Nutrition Intelligence Hoof Nutrition Intelligence is a twice-a-month web segment that is designed to add to the education of footcare professionals when it comes to effectively feeding the hoof. The goal of this web-exclusive feature is to zero in on specific areas of hoof nutrition and avoid broad-based articles that simply look at the overall equine feeding situation.

Below you will find Part 2 of the latest question and answer installment that you can share with your footcare clients.

Q: How Important is Selenium in Terms of Hoof Quality?

By J. Frank Gravlee, DVM, MS, CNS, and Scott Gravlee, DVM, CNS, Life Data Labs

A: There are no known definitive studies that have linked a deficiency of selenium with poor hoof quality. However; when selenium is over-supplemented, it can lead to excessive and poor quality hoof growth. A selenium deficiency can lead to muscle disease while selenium consumed in excessive amounts is toxic to a horse.

 Frank Gravlee and Scott Gravlee are veterinarians and equine nutrition consultants at Life Data Labs, Inc. in Cherokee, Ala.

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Click here to read part 1 of the June 1, 2020 installment of Hoof Nutrition Intelligence: Will Supplements Contain Enough Zinc to Provide for Good Hoof Health?

Click here to read more installments of Hoof Nutrition Intelligence.