Effects of Feeding a Vitamin K-Deficient Ration Containing Irradiated Beef to Rats, Dogs and Cats

Twelve male, weanling Sprague-Dawley 3 rats, a male cat and two dogs were fed a 3 ration containing nonirradiated beef. All 3 the animals survived and there was no 3 prolonged prothrombin time of the blood. A ration containing beef irradiated with 3 2.79 megarads fed to 12 male, Sprague-Dawley 3 rats caused the death of 75% of 3 the rats because of hemorrhage. The 3 mean reciprocal of the prothrombin time 3 of the rats fed the ration containing irradiated 3 beef was 0.068 ± 0.018 seconds-1. 3 When three male cats and three male dogs 3 were fed a ration containing irradiated 3 beef for 40 weeks, all gained weight and 3 the prothrombin time of the blood remained 3 normal. The amount of vitamin 3 K in the ration was calculated to be 6 3 gamma per 100 gm of ration solids which 3 was adequate to prevent prolonged prothrombin 3 times of the blood of cats and 3 dogs, although it was inadequate for 3 Sprague-Dawley rats.