Vitamin E (Alpha-Tocopherol)

Vitamin E is a fat-soluble nutrient whose principal biologically active form is alpha-tocopherol. It is essential for protection of lipid-rich cell membranes and is used to correct deficiency. Veterinary applications include nutritional myodegeneration and selected equine neurologic disorders, with separate adjunctive uses in some hepatic or dermatologic diseases.

Group

Fat-soluble antioxidant vitamin

Mechanism of Action

Alpha-tocopherol donates a hydrogen atom to lipid radicals and interrupts propagation of membrane lipid peroxidation. This limits oxidative injury to muscle, nervous tissue and other lipid-rich structures. It works alongside other antioxidant systems, including selenium-dependent enzymes. Replacement restores antioxidant protection in deficient animals, while the clinical effect in other diseases depends on their pathogenesis.

Dose Rates

Dogs

Use / stage	Dose	Route	Schedule	Instructions
Antioxidant supplementation	100–400 IU/animal	PO	Every 12 h
Immune-mediated skin disease adjunct	400–600 IU/animal	PO	Every 12 h	Evidence for dermatologic benefit is limited and variable.
Hepatopathy adjunct	10–15 IU/kg	PO	Every 24 h
Discoid lupus adjunct	200–400 IU/animal	PO	Every 12 h
Copper-associated hepatopathy adjunct	400–600 IU/animal	PO	Every 24 h
Exocrine pancreatic disease-associated deficiency — Initial	100–400 IU/animal	PO	Every 24 h	Up to 30 days; Thereafter the source describes dosing every 1-2 weeks as needed.

Cats

Use / stage	Dose	Route	Schedule	Instructions
Antioxidant supplementation	100–400 IU/animal	PO	Every 12 h
Immune-mediated skin disease adjunct	400–600 IU/animal	PO	Every 12 h	Evidence for dermatologic benefit is limited and variable.
Hepatopathy adjunct	10–15 IU/kg	PO	Every 24 h
Exocrine pancreatic disease-associated deficiency — Initial	30 IU/animal	PO	Every 24 h	Up to 30 days; Thereafter every 1-2 weeks as needed.
Hepatic lipidosis adjunct	10 IU/kg	PO	Every 24 h

Horses

Use / stage	Dose	Route	Schedule	Instructions
Ionophore poisoning adjunct	4–12 IU/kg	PO	Every 24 h	Adjunct only, not an antidote.
EPM adjunct	8000–9000 IU/animal	PO	Every 24 h	Does not replace antiprotozoal treatment.
Metabolic syndrome adjunct	10000 IU/animal	PO	Every 24 h	Historical adjunct; response evidence is limited.
Perinatal asphyxia adjunct - foal	4000 IU/animal	PO	Every 24 h	Foals only.
Perinatal asphyxia adjunct - mare	10000 IU/animal	PO	Every 24 h	Maternal adjunct regimen.

Cattle

Use / stage	Dose	Route	Schedule	Instructions
Vitamin E supplementation	2400–3000 IU/animal	IM	Once	Adult cattle; source allows reassessment/repetition in 2-3 months.
Vitamin E supplementation - calf	1200–1800 IU/animal	IM	Once	Calves only; source allows reassessment/repetition in 2-3 months.

Sheep

Use / stage	Dose	Route	Schedule	Instructions
Vitamin E supplementation	1200–1800 IU/animal	IM	Once	Reassess need in 2-3 months.

Pigs

Use / stage	Dose	Route	Schedule	Instructions
Vitamin E supplementation	1200–1800 IU/animal	IM	Once	Reassess need in 2-3 months.

Indications

Treatment or prevention of vitamin E deficiency in veterinary patients.
Treatment of nutritional myodegeneration in calves, lambs, foals or other susceptible species, with accompanying deficiencies addressed in the overall plan.
Replacement in vitamin-E-deficient horses with equine motor neuron disease or compatible nutritional neurologic disease, with response dependent on established injury.
Adjunctive supplementation in selected canine hepatopathies or immune-mediated dermatoses, with limited disease-specific outcome evidence.

Contraindications

Use cautiously in coagulopathy; selenium-containing products have additional species-specific toxicity constraints.

Interactions

May enhance anticoagulant effects of warfarin.
Mineral oil can reduce oral absorption.

Adverse effects

Excessive doses can impair coagulation; injectable combinations may cause hypersensitivity.

Toxicity

Stop excess dosing and evaluate coagulation. Selenium toxicity must be assessed separately after combination-product overdose.

Preparations

Preparation	Form	Strength	Route
Alpha-tocopherol oral capsules 400 IU Use an IU-labelled product; no mg-equivalence or selenium content is inferred.	Capsule	400 IU / capsule	PO

Monitoring and Administration

IU-to-mg conversion depends on chemical form and stereoisomer composition; do not apply one conversion to every alpha-tocopherol product.

Use IU when the source and product are IU-labelled. Do not add selenium to achieve a vitamin E dose without a separate selenium calculation.

Monitor clinical response and bleeding; assess serum alpha-tocopherol when deficiency is suspected.