# Supplementation of Vitamin K1 in Dogs With Chronic Enteropathy

## TL;DR

This study found that vitamin K1 supplementation increases vitamin K1 levels in dogs with chronic enteropathy, but no clinical benefits were observed.

## Contribution

The study provides evidence that vitamin K1 supplementation raises serum concentrations in dogs with chronic enteropathy.

## Key findings

- Dogs with chronic enteropathy receiving vitamin K1 showed significantly increased vitK1 concentrations after 3 weeks.
- No clinical benefit was observed from the increased vitK1 concentrations in dogs with chronic enteropathy.
- Initial vitK1 concentrations were similar between healthy dogs and dogs with chronic enteropathy before supplementation.

## Abstract

Information regarding measurement and supplementation of vitamin K1 (vitK1) in dogs with chronic enteropathy (CE) is limited.

Compare vitK1 concentrations of healthy dogs to dogs with CE and determine if supplementation with vitK1 increases vitK1 concentrations compared to placebo.

Twenty client‐owned dogs with CE and 20 healthy university‐owned research colony dogs.

Prospective, randomized, placebo‐controlled study. Dogs with CE were randomly assigned to receive placebo or vitk1 2.5 mg/kg PO q12h for 3 weeks. Vitamin K concentrations were measured pre‐ and post supplementation using liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry and compared to vitK1 concentrations in the healthy cohort.

All healthy dogs had initial vitK1 median concentrations of 0.10 ng/mL (interquartile range [IQR], 0.05), which was similar to dogs that received either placebo (n = 5; 0.10 ng/mL; IQR, 0.05) or vitK1 (n = 7; 0.10 ng/mL; IQR, 0.05) before supplementation. Dogs with CE receiving vitK1 had increased vitK1 concentrations (12.5 ng/mL; IQR, 4.1) after 3 weeks of supplementation compared with baseline (0.10 ng/mL; p < 0.001), placebo group after 3 weeks (0.10 ng/mL; p < 0.0001) and healthy dogs (0.10 ng/mL; p < 0.004).

Oral supplementation with vitK1 increased vitK1 concentration in the serum of dogs with CE, but a clinical benefit from increased vitK1 concentrations was not identified. The absence of difference in vitK1 concentrations between healthy and CE dogs before supplementation requires additional investigation.