Vitamin K Deficiency in Dogs and Cats
📝 Summary
Vitamin K deficiency in dogs and cats impairs clotting-factor synthesis, causing prolonged bleeding time, subcutaneous and body-cavity hemorrhage, and anemia. It arises from malabsorption, long-term antibiotics, or certain poisons, and is treated with vitamin K and management of the underlying cause.
1 Symptoms
Vitamin K is required to make clotting factors. Deficiency prolongs bleeding time and produces a bleeding tendency.
Pets show anemia, anorexia, and weakness of varying degree, with bleeding under the skin and into the abdomen or chest. Pale mucous membranes and dry, pale skin reflect blood loss, and severe cases disturb overall metabolism.
2 Causes and Transmission
The disease is nutritional or drug-induced, not contagious. It follows diets low in green feeds or liver, fat malabsorption from gut disease, or long-term sulfonamides or antibiotics that cut gut bacterial vitamin K synthesis.
Some rodenticides block vitamin K and cause acute deficiency.
3 Diagnosis
Diagnosis is based on bleeding tendency plus a history of malabsorption, antibiotics, or toxin exposure.
Prolonged clotting times and low vitamin K support the diagnosis; underlying gut or liver disease and toxin exposure are identified.
4 Treatment
Treatment is veterinary-directed vitamin K, preferably K1, oral or by injection, with management of the underlying gut or liver disease.
Severe blood loss may need supportive care. Use antibiotics judiciously and restore a vitamin-K-rich diet.
5 Prevention
Feed a diet with adequate vitamin K such as leafy greens and liver and avoid prolonged unnecessary antibiotics. Prevent access to rodenticides.
Treat gastrointestinal and liver disease promptly to protect absorption.
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