Selenium

Did you know? That the “basic keto diet” consisting of only ground meat. Veggie, added fat only meet 37% of the recommended levels of Selenium in a dog’s diet? And as mentioned below, selenium is associated with Vitamin E, which in the basic diet vitamin E levels are only 23% of the minimum recommended levels for dogs. So needless to say, these two nutrients are very, very low if you are feeding the basic homeprepared keto diet or ANY homeprepared diet for that matter if you’re not ensuring these nutrients are properly met in the diet. 

but what does Selenium do?

“Selenium is an essential constituent of glutathione peroxidase, which helps protect cellular and subcellular membranes from oxidative damage.Glutathione peroxidase and vitamin E work synergistically to reduce the destructive effects of peroxidative reactions on living cells. Selenium spares vitamin E in at least three ways: 1) preserves the integrity of the pancreas, which allows normal fat digestion,and thus normal vitamin E absorption,2) reduces the amount of vitamin E required to maintain integrity of lipid membranes via glutathione peroxidase and 3) aids retention of vitamin E in the blood plasma in some unknown way.
Selenium also has a vital role in maintaining normal thyroid hormone and iodine metabolism,particularly through the control of deiodinase enzymes that regulate conversion of T4to T3
Fish, eggs and liver, are ingredients rich in selenium”
SACN5th ed.

Spleen, liver, heart, kidney, brazil nuts, oysters and supplemental are all forms we can also obtain selenium from

Signs of Selenium Deficiency

Muscular dystrophy, reproductive failure, decreased appetite, subcutaneous edema (a condition of abnormally large fluid volume in the circulatory system or in tissues between the body’s cells), renal mineralization
SACN5th ed.

Other signs of deficiency include

Take the guesswork out of preparing a nutritionally complete Keto meal for your dog. For more details click here