Vitamin K for Dogs

There are three forms of Vitamin K for dogs. K1, K2, and K3.The benefits of K1 and K2 are that they:

• Allow blood to clot normally
• Help protect bones from fracture
• Help prevent calcification of arteries
• Provide possible protection against liver cancer

I'm sure there is more but certainly I don't know everything. Let's talk about the first one for a minute. Blood being able to clot is something we don't think about often, but obviously it's very important. When a dog eats rat poison, the chemical stops the blood from clotting. The dog begins bleeding through the intestinal tract and without large doses of Vitamin K1, the dog will bleed to death.

It's a terrible thing to think about, I know. I once had a wonderful cat die from rat poisoning and the whole incident was so gut wrenching for me I didn't leave the house for a month.

Food With Vitamin K (K1)

Rich natural sources of Vitamin K1 are kelp and other seaweed, alfalfa, blue-green algae, spirulina and liver.

It can also be found in plants such as: spinach, Swiss chard, turnip greens, broccoli, kale, cabbage, asparagus, and mustard greens.

Chlorophyll is the substance in plants that gives them their green color and it also provides vitamin K. I give my dogs liquid chlorophyll on their home made food, especially if I have no green leafy vegetables in the house.

Vitamin K2

Vitamin K2 is synthesized by the good bacteria in the digestive tract and absorbed by the body. (Another reason to avoid canine antibiotics if possible.)

I doubt this vitamin ever needs to be supplemented by itself, especially if your dog gets greens in his diet or kelp in a good dog food supplement.

Vitamin K3

I have the distinct impression that Vitamin K3 is purely a synthetic monster. This man made version can be found in many commercial dog foods, supplements, treats and edible toys. This one scares me and should scare you too. Not only does it stops the natural cycle of Vitamin K in your dog's body, it considerably weakens the immune system and causes cytotoxicity in liver cells - This stuff is TOXIC.

It goes by different names, such as, menadione sodium bisulfate, menadione sodium bisulfite, menadione dimethylprimidinol sulfate, menadione dimethylprimidinol sulfite or menadione dimethylpyrimidinol bisulfite, often listed as "a source of vitamin K activity" or "vitamin K supplement".

Beware, some manufacturers leave out the "menadione" part of the above chemical names in their ingredient lists.

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