By Catherine Haug, Jan 30, 2018
It is generally known that heavy metals are toxic; metals such as mercury, aluminum, cadmium, lead, arsenic and free-iron. There is a common ingredient present in most dry pet foods and some canned pet foods that can be very damaging to the health of your dog or cat, even though it is present in very minute amounts: sodium selenite (NaSeO3). It may be toxic to blood, kidneys, liver, skin, central nervous system of your pet.
Selenium is an essential mineral for most animals, but only when it is present in certain forms, such as that in selenium yeast (a form of nutritional yeast that has been grown on selenium). In other forms (e.g., sodium selenite), it can be quite toxic. Also, as counter-intuitive as this sounds, it is a truth: the smaller the concentration of toxic selenium, the greater the harm because small concentrations mimic hormones, especially estrogen.
NOTE: If you take (or give such a supplement to your pet): a multi-vitamin, multi-mineral, or specific mineral supplement that contains sodium selenite, stop using it and find a safer brand. (more…)