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If vitamin b12 is in meat and dairy, then where do the animals get their b12 from?

According to nutritionists, eating dead animals and animal derivatives (eg milk) provides some amount of vitamin b12.

However, it's not clear to me how these animals have b12 in their bodies.

How do animals like cows get vitamin b12 in their bodies?

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    From the intestinal bacteria as answered on Biology SE.
    – Jan
    Commented Dec 28, 2019 at 11:10
  • 1
    @Jan you should probably add that as an answer instead of a comment.
    – Aniruddha
    Commented Apr 21 at 9:22
  • Vitamins are, by definition, chemicals that we need to consume in small quantities because we don't synthesize them from food or other sources. This is species-relative: what is a 'vitamin' for us is a useless substance for other animals: they either synthesize it themselves or may not need it at all. Dogs, for example, have no 'concept' of vitamin C. Most 'vegan animals' probably don't even need to 'get' B12 because it's not part of their biochemistry. For others, it's just an intermediate product in their metabolism.
    – Zeus
    Commented Oct 25 at 6:50

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This answer on Biology SE states:

The bacteria in the foregut of cud chewing animals (e.g. cows) provide enough B12 and other B vitamins.

Please read more by following the link.

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