Alkali disease

Alkali disease, caused by the consumption of moderately seleniferous grains and forage grasses over a period of several weeks to months... 

In livestock, selenium has been found to be the cause of blind staggers and alkali disease. Blind staggers occurs as a result of acute ingestion of seleniferous plants and is characterized by impaired vision, depressed appetite, a tendency to wander in circles, paralysis, and death from respiratory failure. A more chronic syndrome described in horses and livestock is alkali disease, which also is associated with consumption of grains or plants containing selenium. The disease is characterized by lack of vitality, loss of appetite, emaciation, deformed hoofs, loss of hair, erosion of the joints of long bones, anemia, cirrhosis, and cardiac atrophy ... 

Moxon A. L. (1937) Alkali disease or selenium poisoning. In South Dakota State College Bulletin, vol. 311, 99p. 

Extremely small amounts of Se are required by warm-blooded animals, but Se is also highly toxic in larger amounts. Two livestock diseases known as blind staggers and alkali disease were identified as manifestations of acute and chronic Se poisoning (Robinson, 1933). New Zealand scientists McLean et al. (1959) discovered that muscular dystrophy in lambs and calves could be prevented by Se therapy. Selenium-deficiency areas were later identified in many other countries and it soon became apparent that these areas were of far greater extent than those affected by excessive Se levels. 

Draize JH, Beath OA. 1935. Observations on the pathology of blind staggers and alkali disease. J Am Vet Med Assoc 86 753-763. 

Toole D, Raisbeck MF. 1995. Pathology of experimentally induced chronic selenosis (alkali disease) in yearling cattle. J Vet Diagn Invest 7 364-373. 

Only recently has selenium received attention for its biological effects. We now know that selenium is essential to animals at low concentrations but toxic at high concentrations. In fact, death ensues if animals obtain either too little or too much selenium. The toxic effects of the element were first recognized animals feeding on vegetation with a high selenium content (>5 ppm) develop alkali disease characterized by lack of vitality, loss of appetite, lameness, inflammation, emaciation, and ultimately respiratory failure and death . These observations no doubt delayed (until 1957) a recognition that some selenium is essential to the health of animals. ... 

Blind staggers, acute Se poisoning, movement decreased, garlic breath or vomiting, dyspnea, death. Alkali disease, chronic selenosis, elongated hooves... 

Carcinogenic in large doses in rats. Essential to mammals and chicks in low doses. Teratogenic in chicks "Blind staggers" and "alkali disease" in cattle and "white muscle disease" in sheep. ... 

The history of toxicity syndromes related to excessive Se intake has been reviewed [38]. Three syndromes found in farm animals in seleniferous areas are (1) acute selenosis, from consumption of highly seleniferous plants that produced severe symptoms and death in a few hours (2) chronic selenosis, from moderately toxic amounts of these plants eaten over a considerable period of time, resulting in blind staggers and often death and (3) chronic selenosis, where forages containing lesser but still excessive levels of selenium ( 5-30 ppm Se) were eaten over a period of weeks or months. From this syndrome, alkali disease resulted in which signs of the disease included hair loss, malformed hooves, lameness, and emaciation. 

Selenium toxicity affecting grazing animals is also known in a number of countries and three types of disorder have been described acute toxicity, blind staggers and chronic alkali disease [105]. Deformities in horns and hooves caused by the replacement of sulfur by selenium in sulfur-containing... 

Selenium. Some species of Astragalus and Oxytropis are selenium accumulators (see "alkali disease," Chapter 17 VIII B 1). 

Micinscapic lesions include myelin degeneration and neuional vacuolatioiL Lesions of alkali disease are d cribed in Chapter 17 VIIIC 2. 

Alkali disease," primarily seen in cattle and horses in tfte Great Plains region of the United States, results from ingestion of plants that contain kh of the Ibllowing ... 

For a number of years selenium remained a chemical curiosity. In 1873 Smith discovered the unique electrical properties of selenium and brought it to public attention [7]. In the 1930 s selenium was identified as the cause of blind staggers and alkali disease in livestock and it became of interest because of its toxic effects [47]. The role of selenium as an essential element was proposed in 1957 when Schwartz and Foltz [42] determined that selenium was necessary to prevent liver necrosis in rats. Subsequent studies showed selenium was an essential trace element for several animals [32]. 

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