Pet Health: Vitamin B6 or Pyridoxine

What does Vitamin B6 do?
Vitamin B6 is also called pyridoxine. This vitamin, like B12, helps make red blood cells. It helps keep hair follicles, skin, and mucous membranes healthy. It helps keep teeth and gums healthy. Vitamin B6 keeps the immune system working to prevent diseases, such as cancer. Vitamin B6 helps the nerves and brain function normally. If your pet has a deficiency of Vitamin B6, it may become anemic and have difficulty sleeping. It may develop dry, flaky skin, thin hair, sores at the corners of its mouth, and dental disease. Your pet may be depressed, may learn slowly, have and may have seizures. Some pets will develop cancer.

Why pets may have a Vitamin B6 deficiency
Vitamin B6 can be destroyed by cooking, processing, and exposure to light so that prepared foods may have little of this vitamin unless it is added artificially. If pets given estrogens either directly as medications or indirectly through their food, the estrogens can interfere with B6 absorption. Pets with chronic diarrhea may have a deficiency and need an extra boost of foods high in B6.

Food Sources of Vitamin B6

• avocado
• banana
• eggs
• fish
• green beans
• liver
• potato with skin
• poultry
• salmon
• wheat germ

Poultry, fish, liver, and eggs contain more Vitamin B6 than is in plants.

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