Trace elements in sheep — are they really a cure all?

Trace elements can often be bounded about by the industry as a ‘cure all’. On regular occasions in clinical practice situations are encountered where farmers have treated their sheep for trace element deficiency without clinical indication or testing. Sheep will often seek out a trace element if they are deficient in it (Figure 1). This article examines the individual trace element deficiencies that are often encountered in practice and aims to improve farmer/veterinary surgeon engagement when discussing them. These are all outlined in Table 1. The term ‘essential mineral element’ is restricted to a mineral that has been demonstrated to have an essential metabolic role in the animal's body

It is important to remember that forage will be the main component of most sheep diets. The mineral and trace element status of this forage will vary considerably depending on factors such as the type of forage, the weather conditions, the stage of growth of the forage and the mineral status of the soil. Forage trace element analysis can be a useful component for mineral audits, but should not be used alone to gauge the animal's mineral status; laboratory testing is required for this either through blood samples or liver biopsy in the case of copper testing.