Sourced from published veterinary references. Awaiting credentialed clinical reviewer — our editorial process.
Vitamin K1 is dosed at 1–10 mg/kg SC q24h prn in rabbits, per Carpenter's Exotic Animal Formulary, 6th Ed — Carpenter's Exotic Animal Formulary 6th ed, Table 10.10 (Miscellaneous Agents Used in Rabbits). Verify against current literature before clinical use.
intestinal diseasemust be followed by 5 mg/kg PO q24htreatmentvitamin K deficiencyVitamin K responsive disordersWarfarin poisoningWarfarin/anticoagulant rodenticide poisoning
Mechanism of Action
Essential cofactor for hepatic carboxylation of clotting factors II, VII, IX, X. Reverses vitamin K-dependent coagulopathy from anticoagulant rodenticides.
Side effects & warnings
Give PO with fatty food (fat-soluble). SC preferred over IM (hematoma risk) or IV (anaphylaxis risk). Long-acting rodenticides (brodifacoum) require 4-6 weeks treatment. Monitor PT.
Species with Vitamin K1 dosing data (22 dose rules)
Each ExoticRx dose rule is graded by the strength of its primary evidence — see the editorial process.
Sample dosing (2 of 22 cited rules)
A dog/cat sample is shown here. Cited dosing for all 20 species — reptiles, birds, pocket pets, livestock, and equine — is free on the per-species pages above. Pro adds the weight-based calculator for every species.
Papich MG, Saunders Handbook of Veterinary Drugs, 4th ed, printed p.638 - Phytonadione, Small Animal Dosage, Dogs and Cats: 'Treatment of long-acting rodenticides: 2.5-5 mg/kg/day for 3-4 weeks IM, SQ, or PO.' SC route also printed in Plumb's 9th printed p.1025: 'Initial dose of 2.5 - 5 mg/kg PO or SC' and 'label dosage. 0.25 - 5 mg/kg SC or IM'. BSAVA 10th ed p.434: 'Known inandione (diphacinone) or unknown anticoagulant toxicity: initially 2.5-5 mg/kg s.c. over several sites.' — Plumb's 10th ed printed p.1024-1025, Phytonadione monograph, Dosages. — EDITION NOTE 2026-08-06: this rule's Plumb's reference names the 9th edition, which is not held and was never consulted. The held copy is the 10th ed (2023). The Plumb's line was never confirmed against the held edition, so rely on it only as background; any other source named in this citation is unaffected.Compilation only — we have not located an independent source that prints this figure.
· 108. Jin S, Sell JL. Dietary vitamin K1 requirements and comparison of biopotency of different vitamin K sources for young turkeys. Poult Sci. 2001;80:615-620. — Source: Carpenter's Exotic Animal Formulary, 6th Ed, p.653 — Carpenter's Exotic Animal Formulary 6th ed, Table 6.10 (Ophthalmologic Agents Used in Backyard Poultry and Waterfowl.a).
· 46. Ewringmann A, Gloeckner B. Leitsymptome bei Meerschweinchen, Chinchilla und Degu, Enke, Stuttgart, Germany; 2012. | 47. Ewringmann A, Gloeckner B. Leitsymptome bei Hamster, Ratte, Maus und Rennmaus, Enke, Stuttgart, Germany; 2014. — Source: Carpenter's Exotic Animal Formulary, 6th Ed, p.803 — Carpenter's Exotic Animal Formulary 6th ed, Table 9.7 (Miscellaneous Agents Used in Rodents).
· 46. Ewringmann A, Gloeckner B. Leitsymptome bei Meerschweinchen, Chinchilla und Degu, Enke, Stuttgart, Germany; 2012.; 47. Ewringmann A, Gloeckner B. Leitsymptome bei Hamster, Ratte, Maus und Rennmaus, Enke, Stuttgart, Germany; 2014. — Source: Carpenter's Exotic Animal Formulary, 6th Ed, p.803 — Carpenter's Exotic Animal Formulary 6th ed, Table 9.7 (Miscellaneous Agents Used in Rodents).
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Papich MG, Saunders Handbook of Veterinary Drugs, 4th ed, printed p.638 - Phytonadione, Small Animal Dosage, Dogs and Cats: 'Treatment of long-acting rodenticides: 2.5-5 mg/kg/day for 3-4 weeks IM, SQ, or PO.' Same figure in Riviere & Papich, Veterinary Pharmacology & Therapeutics (vpt) printed p.638: 'For treatment of long-acting rodenticides administer 2.5-5 mg/kg/day for 3-4 weeks IM, SC, or PO.' And in the exotic ECC text (eecc PDF p.374): 'Vitamin K1 2.5-5 mg/kg IM q24h x 4-6 days (warfarin), x 21-28 days (brodifacoum).'Compilation only — we have not located an independent source that prints this figure.
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63. Carpenter JW, Klaphake E, Gibbons PM, et al. Reptile formulary. In: Divers SJ, Stahl SJ, eds. Mader Reptile and Amphibian Medicine and Surgery, 3rd ed. Elsevier, St. Louis, MO -- 2019:1191-1211. Carpenter Exotic Animal Formulary 6th ed, Table 4.9 (Nutritional/Mineral/Fluid Support Used in Reptiles).
· 99. Gibbons PM, Klaphake E, Carpenter JW. Reptiles. In: Carpenter JW, ed. Exotic Animal Formulary. 4th ed. St. Louis: Elsevier; 2013:83-182. — Source: Mader's Reptile and Amphibian Medicine and Surgery, 3rd Ed, printed p.1209 (Table 127.8) — Carpenter's Exotic Animal Formulary 6th ed, Table 4.9 (Nutritional/Mineral/Fluid Support Used in Reptiles.a).
· Allen DG, Pringle JK, Smith DA, et al. Handbook of Veterinary Drugs, 2nd ed., JB Lippincott Co, Philadelphia, PA, 1998:749-842. - Carpenter's Exotic Animal Formulary 6th ed, Table 5.11 (Nutritional/Mineral Support and Supplementation Used in Birds), psittacine row: '10-20 mg/kg IM q12-24h15 | Psittacines'.
· BSAVA Small Animal Formulary 10th ed, Part B: Exotic Pets (Hedley, 2020), Vitamin K1 monograph, printed p.306. Also Carpenter's Exotic Animal Formulary 6th ed, Table 11.10, which cites BSAVA Part B (ref 46).
· Bodley K. Appendix 4. Drug Formulary. In: Vogelnest L, Portas T, eds. Current Therapy in Medicine of Australian Mammals; CSIRO Publishing, Clayton South, Vic; 2019:702-727.; Johnson R, Hemsley S. Gliders and possums. In: Vogelnest L, Woods R, eds. Medicine of Australian Mammals; CSIRO Publishing, Clayton South, Vic; 2008:395-437. — Carpenter's Exotic Animal Formulary 6th ed, Table 7.5 (Miscellaneous Agents Used in Sugar Gliders).
· Carpenter JW, Klaphake E, Gibbons PM, et al. Reptile formulary. In: Divers SJ, Stahl SJ, eds. Mader's Reptile and Amphibian Medicine and Surgery, 3rd ed., Elsevier, St. Louis, MO; 2019:1191-1211. — Source: Carpenter's Exotic Animal Formulary, 6th Ed, p.268
· Carpenter JW, Klaphake E, Gibbons PM, et al. Reptile formulary. In: Divers SJ, Stahl SJ, eds. Mader's Reptile and Amphibian Medicine and Surgery, 3rd ed., Elsevier, St. Louis, MO; 2019:1191-1211. — Source: Carpenter's Exotic Animal Formulary, 6th Ed, p.268 — Carpenter's Exotic Animal Formulary 6th ed, Table 4.9 (Nutritional/Mineral/Fluid Support Used in Reptiles.a).
· Carpenter's Exotic Animal Formulary, 6th Ed — Carpenter's Exotic Animal Formulary 6th ed, Table 10.10 (Miscellaneous Agents Used in Rabbits).
· Carpenter's Exotic Animal Formulary, 6th ed. (2023), Table 4.9 — Carpenter's Exotic Animal Formulary 6th ed, Table 4.9 (Nutritional/Mineral/Fluid Support Used in Reptiles.a). | Frequency source, previously uncited: BSAVA Small Animal Formulary 10th ed Part B - Exotic Pets, Vitamin K1 (Phytomenadione), printed p.306: "Reptiles: 0.5 mg/kg i.m. q24h." carpenter Table 4.9 prints "Vitamin K1 | 0.25-0.5 mg/kg IM63 | Most species/hypovitaminosis K1, coagulopathies" with NO interval, and mader Table 127.6 (ref 63 followed to its own chapter) prints the identical figure, also with no interval.
· Ewringmann A, Gloeckner B. Leitsymptome bei Meerschweinchen, Chinchilla und Degu, Enke, Stuttgart, Germany; 2012. | Ewringmann A, Gloeckner B. Leitsymptome bei Hamster, Ratte, Maus und Rennmaus, Enke, Stuttgart, Germany; 2014. — Source: Carpenter's Exotic Animal Formulary, 6th Ed, p.803 — Carpenter's Exotic Animal Formulary 6th ed, Table 9.7 (Miscellaneous Agents Used in Rodents).
· Ewringmann A, Gloeckner B. Leitsymptome bei Meerschweinchen, Chinchilla und Degu, Enke, Stuttgart, Germany; 2012.; Ewringmann A, Gloeckner B. Leitsymptome bei Hamster, Ratte, Maus und Rennmaus, Enke, Stuttgart, Germany; 2014. — Carpenter's Exotic Animal Formulary 6th ed, Table 9.7 (Miscellaneous Agents Used in Rodents).
· Harkness JE. A Practitioner's Guide to Domestic Rodents, American Animal Hospital Association, Lakewood, CO; 1993. — Source: Carpenter's Exotic Animal Formulary, 6th Ed, p.803 — Carpenter's Exotic Animal Formulary 6th ed, Table 9.7 (Miscellaneous Agents Used in Rodents).
· Morrisey JK, Carpenter JW, et al. Formulary. In: Quesenberry KE, Orcutt CJ, Mans C, et al. Ferrets, Rabbits, and Rodents: Clinical Medicine and Surgery, 4th ed., Elsevier, St. Louis, MO; 2021:620-630.; Ness RD, Johnson-Delaney C. Sugar gliders. In: Quesenberry KE, Carpenter JW, eds. Ferrets, Rabbits, and Rodents: Clinical Medicine and Surgery, 3rd ed., Saunders/Elsevier, St. Louis, MO; 2012:393-410.
· Papich MG, Saunders Handbook of Veterinary Drugs, 4th ed, printed p.638 - Phytonadione, Small Animal Dosage, Dogs and Cats: 'Treatment of long-acting rodenticides: 2.5-5 mg/kg/day for 3-4 weeks IM, SQ, or PO.' SC route also printed in Plumb's 9th printed p.1025: 'Initial dose of 2.5 - 5 mg/kg PO or SC' and 'label dosage. 0.25 - 5 mg/kg SC or IM'. BSAVA 10th ed p.434: 'Known inandione (diphacinone) or unknown anticoagulant toxicity: initially 2.5-5 mg/kg s.c. over several sites.' — Plumb's 10th ed printed p.1024-1025, Phytonadione monograph, Dosages. — EDITION NOTE 2026-08-06: this rule's Plumb's reference names the 9th edition, which is not held and was never consulted. The held copy is the 10th ed (2023). The Plumb's line was never confirmed against the held edition, so rely on it only as background; any other source named in this citation is unaffected.
· Papich MG, Saunders Handbook of Veterinary Drugs, 4th ed, printed p.638 - Phytonadione, Small Animal Dosage, Dogs and Cats: 'Treatment of long-acting rodenticides: 2.5-5 mg/kg/day for 3-4 weeks IM, SQ, or PO.' Same figure in Riviere & Papich, Veterinary Pharmacology & Therapeutics (vpt) printed p.638: 'For treatment of long-acting rodenticides administer 2.5-5 mg/kg/day for 3-4 weeks IM, SC, or PO.' And in the exotic ECC text (eecc PDF p.374): 'Vitamin K1 2.5-5 mg/kg IM q24h x 4-6 days (warfarin), x 21-28 days (brodifacoum).'
· Speer BL (ed), Current Therapy in Avian Medicine and Surgery, Elsevier, Appendix 1, Table 11 (Nutritional/Mineral Support), printed p.819: 'Vitamin K1 (phytonadione) | 2.5 mg/kg IM q24h until hemostasis, then q7d prn | Psittacines/vitamin K responsive disorders, hematochezia, coagulopathy'. REPLACES the Carpenter Tables 5.4/5.9/5.11 anchor: carpenter does not print this regimen anywhere - a corpus-wide search for 'until hemostasis' across 23,433 pages returns two pages and carpenter is not one of them.