Selenium poisoning in horses in North Queensland

Abstract

A disease of horses in Cape York Peninsula known locally as "change hoof disease" is described. The gross pathology in field cases, involving laminitis, loss of hair from the mane and tail and hoof sloughing, parallels that reported in chronic selenium poisoning elsewhere. The selenium content of the incriminated plant, Morinda reticulata, varied from 1.5 to 1.141 p.p.m. on a dry-matter basis but was generally well in excess of the minimum required to cause chronic selenosis.