[Comparison between vitamin E-selenium injection therapy and oral trace element bolus for selenium deficiency in...

The aim of the present observational study in veterinary practice was to determine the efficacy and the duration of the effect of a vitamin E-selenium injection treatment for the treatment of a laboratory-proven selenium deficiency in comparison to an orally administered trace element bolus in weanling lambs.75 weanling lambs were randomly divided into 3 equal groups, weighed and treated as follows after blood sample collection: Group 1 remained untreated as a control group, group 2 received an injection treatment with 3ml of a vitamin E-selenium preparation (all-rac-alpha-tocopherol acetate 150 mg+sodium selenite 1.1 mg/ml) and group 3 received an oral trace element bolus (48g bolus with calcium iodate, cobalt carbonate and sodium selenate). Samples for serological control using atomic absorption spectroscopy took place on days "0", "7", "14" and "42". The results were then evaluated descriptively and statistically comparatively.On day "0" before treatment, all lambs showed proven selenium deficiency without showing any clinical symptoms. The serum selenium content of the control group remained in the range of selenium deficiency (<80 µg/l) over the entire period. The injection group showed an increase in serum selenium levels on average on day "7", but remained below the reference value of 80 µg/l and then fell back to almost the pre-treatment baseline over days "14" to "42". The bolus group recorded an average serum selenium content on day "7" that was slightly above the reference value of 80 µg/l. This continued to increase over days "14" to "42" and stabilized in the lower reference range (80-500 µg/l). Statistical significance between the groups (p<0.001) was demonstrated.The injection treatment for proven selenium deficiency only resulted in a short-term, but not lasting, increase in the selenium serum concentration. The oral trace element bolus used in this study, on the other hand, released sufficient selenium to correct the selenium deficiency and to maintain the serum selenium content continuously in the reference range over a longer period of time. Injection treatment with one of the approved vitamin E-selenium preparations provided only a very short-term booster. For the long-term, sufficient selenium supply of weanling lambs in deficiency situations, an appropriate oral bolus seems preferrable.