CHANGES IN THE BLOOD PICTURE OF THE DOG FOLLOWING SUBCUTANEOUS INJECTIONS OF SODIUM SELENITE’

Acute selenium poisoning in range livestock has often been called “Blind Stag-gers ” and is not uncommon among range animals in seleniferous areas, especially when they are being moved from one range to another. Usually grasses are among the first range plants to dry up, leaving the Astragali and other highly seleniferous plants in increased proportion of the succulent plants on the range. Even though many of these plants have a strong characteristic odor, and are not eaten under normal range conditions, animals will often eat them when they are hungry. This is especially true when the herd is moving (spot grazing) and there is not enough time to discriminate between the toxic and non-toxic plants. The symptoms accompanying “Blind Staggers ” have been adequately described (1, 2, 3) but they may be briefly summarized as (in the last stages): varying de-grees of paralysis, abdominal pain, grating of teeth, salivation and grunting. Death usually results from failure of respiration. A method of treating such animals would be of considerable value. However, knowledge Qf the physiological effects of selenium salts is a prerequisite to th