Vitamin E in Horses with Dr. Chelsea Luedke

Vitamin E in Horses: Deficiency Signs, Testing Targets, and Why Liquid Supplementation Matters Dr. Chelsea and vet tech Trish deliver an educational PSA on equine vitamin E, emphasizing that many horses—especially in dry regions like Colorado without lush pasture—are at risk because vitamin E is unstable and largely lost from sun-cured hay. They discuss testing differences (Cornell HPLC targets 300–600 µg/dL; higher targets like 600–800 for symptomatic horses) and suggest annual spring screening with rechecks in 1–2 months. Key conditions linked to deficiency include equine motor neuron disease (often irreversible; only 45% recovery after induced cases), vitamin E–responsive myopathy, and the ENAD/EDM spectrum in young horses with progressive, symmetric ataxia and frequent behavior changes; deficiency may also contribute to penile ataxia/paraphimosis and head shaking. They warn high doses may affect coagulation, advise avoiding injectables, and stress natural d-alpha tocopherol—using liquid (e.g., 5,000 IU/day for 60 days) because powders/pellets can take 8–10 weeks and may not raise levels or CSF vitamin E. 00:00 Podcast Welcome 00:29 Why Vitamin E Matters 03:19 Pasture Limits and Deficiency Risk 04:46 Testing Targets and Ranges 06:30 Hand Grazing Reality Check 08:41 Sponsor Break 09:15 Deficiency Signs and Safe Dosing 10:28 Equine Motor Neuron Disease 13:48 VEM and Screening Strategy 17:28 Case Study Paraphimosis Link 19:26 Liquid vs Powder Absorption 22:23 Practical Dosing Workarounds 23:07 Liquid vs Powder Dosing 23:42 Testing Surprises and CSF 24:47 Avoid Injectable Vitamin E 25:17 EDM and Vitamin E Link 27:08 EDM Signs and Differentials 28:42 Young Horses and eNAD 30:30 Lab Ranges and Natural Forms 32:30 New Omega Oil Pump 34:27 Barn Practicalities and Storage 36:20 Common Myths and Hay 38:10 Senior Horses and Headshaking 40:10 Wrap Up and Listener Call