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Discussion on Use of vitamin K in horses
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New Member:
heivonen
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Posted on Monday, Jun 14, 2010 - 7:00 pm:
I have a 13 year old insulin resistant mare that has hepatic enzyme elevation. I gave her vitamin K yesterday as prescribed by my vet and today she has an elevated temp of 102.4, is off her feed, lethargic. Coincidence or do I get my vet in for an emergency visit? No swelling in the legs, abdomen, no obvious signs of colic. Can you please help?? She was running & acting totally normal yesterday when it was hot & humid, today is cool & dry.
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Moderator:
DrO
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Posted on Wednesday, Jun 16, 2010 - 3:17 pm:
Welcome Fern,
How did you give the vitamin K and how much did you give? Reactions including fever swelling and soreness are common when injected. Also why would you give K for elevated liver enzymes?
DrO
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New Member:
heivonen
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Posted on Wednesday, Jun 16, 2010 - 4:17 pm:
The vitamin K is for clotting factors as she bled from the injection sites after receiving her annual vaccinations, which were given on May 27th. The vitamin K was in pill form, I gave her 27 of them as prescribed by my vet & that is all I know about that. Her temp is back to normal but she is still lethargic. I was just wondering if vitamin K would give any side effects like the ones I listed in my initial e-mail. Thank you.
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Member:
vickiann
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Posted on Wednesday, Jun 16, 2010 - 8:32 pm:
My brother's liver was stressed due to hepatitis and he was given Vitamin K in the ER to facilitate clotting.
Ultimately his kidneys shut down and he died.
Perhaps he would have died anyway, but vitamin K, while being an important vitamin, can be deadly also.
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Moderator:
DrO
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Posted on Thursday, Jun 17, 2010 - 6:23 am:
Fern, oral vitamin K1 is basically not toxic at almost any dose. There are some supplemental forms of vitamin K, like menadione, that can cause liver problems and for that reason not used much anymore. Do you know the particular form of vitamin K you gave?
Have you investigated your horses clotting times with well run tests and what is believed to be the cause of the elevation of liver enzymes?
DrO
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