Natural Vitamin K for Dogs

Vitamin K aids in healing after injuries and in blood clotting abilities in both pets and people. It's not surprising many dog food manufacturers include natural food sources loaded with vitamin K in their formulas. Increase your dog's consumption of vitamin K by choosing commercially prepared pet foods or supplementing your dog's homemade diet with vegetables, greens and eggs. Although vitamin K is stored in the canine body, incidents of over-supplementation are rare, according to Dr. Race Foster and Dr. Marty Smith of PetEducation.com.

  1. Types

    • There are two types of naturally occurring K vitamins, K1 and K2. Vitamin K1 is present in green plant foods. Vitamin K2 is present in fish meal and is processed by healthy bacteria present in the dog's intestines. A third type of vitamin K is used as a supplement in pet foods. This synthetic form of the vitamin is known as K3, or menadione.

    Sources

    • More natural sources of vitamin K include kelp, alfalfa and egg yolks, according to Foster and Smith. Commercially prepared dog foods labeled natural, organic or holistic have the greatest chances of containing these human-grade ingredients that naturally contain vitamin K. Vegetarian formulas and limited-ingredient dog foods should be considered when trying to increase your pet's vitamin K intake.

    Benefits

    • Vitamin K is a fat-soluble vitamin. Lipocytes store the vitamin until it is used in the dog's body. Feeding your dog natural sources of vitamin K helps speed up recovery after surgery or an injury, helps its body absorb calcium for strong bone development and helps prevent heart and bone disease, including osteoporosis.

    Deficiencies

    • Symptoms of natural vitamin K deficiencies in dogs include internal hemorrhaging, lack of blood-clotting ability and bleeding from the orifices. Dogs that consume a well-balanced diet are at a low risk of vitamin K deficiency.

    Warning

    • Vitamin K deficiencies are common among pets that have eaten rat poison. The rodent killer depletes the body of vitamin K, making it impossible for blood to clot, which leads to fatal hemorrhaging. If a dog accidentally ingests rat poison, a veterinarian can give large doses of vitamin K supplements to reverse the poison's effects.