Top 13 Sources of Vitamin E for Dogs Fed a Raw Diet

Vitamin E is an essential vitamin that your dog’s body can’t make. Instead, they need to eat foods that contain vitamin E. However, don’t let the word “essential” fool you into thinking that the seemingly low numbers I share below are inadequate. It’s not necessary to give your raw fed dog supplements in addition to a nutritionally balanced raw diet. In fact, vitamin E supplementation can be dangerous. 

Vitamin E for dogs fed a raw diet is needed in small amounts. Natural, high-quality foods (meats, bones, organs and even eggs) have just the right amounts of what your carnivore needs.

Vitamin E is an important fat-soluble vitamin that is required for the proper function of many organs, enzymatic activities and neurological processes.

It’s also beneficial in the following ways:

• As a powerful antioxidant
• For preventing free radical damage to specific fats in the body
• For naturally slowing the aging process
• For treating and preventing diseases of the heart and blood vessels
• Managing high blood pressure

Unlike vitamins such as vitamin A, Vitamin E is found in low amounts in whole animal-derived food sources. While it isn’t as “essential” as other vitamins, it’s still good to know vitamin E’s benefits and what you can feed your dog so that they do get vitamin E in their diet.

Top 9 Vitamin E Benefits

1. Vitamin E for Dogs Balances Cholesterol

Cholesterol is naturally occurring (made by the liver) and required by the body for the proper function of your dog’s cells, nerves and hormones.

Vitamin E positively impacts cardiovascular health with its ability to reduce the activity of an enzyme that controls cholesterol production/synthesis, as needed.

It’s important to note synthetic vitamin E doesn’t seem to have the same benefits of natural forms and can actually do more harm than good, no matter how much is given. This is why it’s so important for your dog (and you!) to get vitamins and minerals from whole foods.

2. Vitamin E for Dogs Fights Free Radicals

Free radicals break down the healthy cells in your dog’s body. This can lead to heart disease and cancer. Certain isomers of vitamin E have the power to reduce free radical damage, fight inflammation, and in turn help naturally slow cell aging. This helps your dog’s body fight off health issues like heart disease. (1)

3. Vitamin E for Dogs Repairs Damaged Skin

Vitamin E strengthens the capillary walls and improves moisture and elasticity, acting as a natural anti-aging nutrient within your dog’s body.

4. Vitamin E for Dogs Thickens Hair

Vitamin E helps decrease environmental damage to your dog’s hair with its antioxidant properties and by promoting circulation to the scalp. It also aids in skin moisture.

5. Vitamin E for Dogs Balances Hormones

Vitamin E works to balance hormones naturally. (2)

Symptoms of a hormonal imbalance can include:

• weight gain
• allergies
• urinary tract infections
• changes in the skin
• anxiety
• fatigue

By keeping your dog’s hormones balanced, you will notice that their bodies find it easier to maintain a healthy weight and better energy levels.

6. Vitamin E for Dogs Improves Vision

Vitamin E may help decrease the risk of age-related macular degeneration, which is a common cause of blindness. It’s important to note that in order for vitamin E to be effective for vision, it must also be consumed with adequate amounts of vitamin C, beta-carotene and zinc. This is another reason why your raw fed dog needs to consume vitamin E in whole food forms that are also rich in other nutrients.

7. Vitamin E for Dogs May Lower Your Dog’s Risk of Developing Cancer

Certain isomers of vitamin E have been tied to cancer prevention. Several animal studies have found suppression of tumor growth by using oral doses of tocotrienols.

8. Vitamin E for Dogs Improves Muscle Strength

Vitamin E can also improve your dog’s muscle strength and physical endurance. Vitamin E eliminates fatigue by promoting blood circulation and can also strengthen your dog’s capillary walls and nourish their cells. (3)

9. Vitamin E for Dogs is Important During Pregnancy

Vitamin E is critical during pregnancy, for the proper development of puppies because it protects critical fatty acids and helps control inflammation.

Foods that have Vitamin E for Dogs Fed a Raw Diet

These numbers are from the USDA database and are from commercially-raised animals. Animal-derived foods from pastured and wild animals have much higher nutritional values.

Examples of “common” foods for raw fed dogs, with vitamin E:

• Beef – 0.09 mg
• Beef Brain – 0.28 mg
• Beef Heart – 0.06 mg
• Beef Kidneys – 0.06 mg
• Beef Liver – 0.11 mg
• Tripe – 0.03 mg
• Pork – 0.05 mg
• Pork Belly – 0.11 mg
• Pork Heart – 0.18 mg
• Pork Tongue – 0.08 mg
• Lamb – 0.07 mg
• Lamb Testicles – 0.09 mg
• Chicken Breast – 0.16 mg
• Chicken Meat – 0.05-0.17 mg

Across-the-board the top sources of vitamin E for dogs fed a raw diet are going to be:

1. Brain
2. Heart
3. Liver
4. Reproductive organs
5. Tongue
6. Chicken meat
7. Pork
8. Kidneys
9. Beef
10. Other poultry
11. Eggs from pastured hens
12. Fish
13. Fish oil

Vitamin E Deficiency Symptoms

Vitamin E deficiencies are rare. A vitamin E deficiency can be due to malfunctions in terms of how nutrients are absorbed. For example, in that of an under-formed, newborn puppy or much older dog.

Dogs with fat absorption problems, which is a common problem for those with inflammatory bowel disease, may also struggle with a vitamin E deficiency, in some rare cases.

But as you can see from the foods listed above, vitamin E isn’t the most naturally abundant vitamin in animal-derived foods. This tells us that, unlike vitamin A, vitamin E isn’t needed in high amounts.

In fact, the benefits of vitamin E are also found in vitamins A and B.

The bigger worry with vitamin E is toxicity through giving supplements or feeding an unhealthy raw diet that includes plant matter.

Vitamin E Side Effects

One serious side effect of feeding too much vitamin E is an increased risk of bleeding, especially in the brain.

Some studies even show that taking (feeding) high doses of vitamin E might increase the chance of having a hemorrhagic stroke by 22%.

Supplementing with too much vitamin E could potentially lead to the following health issues:

• heart failure
• increased chance of death after a heart attack or stroke
• increased chance of head, neck and reproductive organ cancer
• increases bleeding during and after surgery
• worsened bleeding disorders

High doses of vitamin E can also cause the following in humans and dogs:

• bleeding
• blurred vision
• bruising
• diarrhea
• fatigue
• nausea
• rash
• stomach cramps
• weakness

Conclusion on the Benefits of Vitamin E for Dogs

Vitamin E benefits the body as an antioxidant. As a fat-soluble vitamin, vitamin E benefits include aiding in the proper function of many organs, enzymatic activities and neurological processes.

Vitamin E also helps in:

• balancing cholesterol
• balancing hormones
• boosting physical endurance
• fighting free radicals
• improving vision
• increased muscle strength
• lowering cancer risk
• preventing disease development
• repairing damaged skin
• thickening hair

Vitamin E deficiency is extremely rare but symptoms include loss of coordination and impaired vision.

Vitamin E is unsafe when fed in supplemental form, in very high amounts.

Your raw fed dog should get their vitamin E from whole foods, from their raw diet of meats, bones and organs.

Read More About Your Dog’s Vitamin Needs:

• Vitamin A for Dogs
• Vitamin B for Dogs
• Vitamin C for Dogs
• Vitamin D for Dogs
• Vitamin K for Dogs