Trace Element Deficiency in Ruminants

Abstract

The connection between trace element deficiencies and specific animal diseases, such as white muscle disease and swayback, has long been recognized, but the nature of the underlying mechanisms and the consequences of subclinical deficiency are only just beginning to be understood. This article considers the dietary significance of copper, selenium, cobalt, and iodine in ruminants, and concludes with a review of practical methods for preventing or correcting deficiencies.