I just want to put a reminder out there for all of you who may be giving your dogs supplements for their coat, itching, or because of homecooking...It's important to stop most supplements about 14 days before a surgery (spay, neuter, liver shunt repair, LP, etc).
Supplements that should be stopped include vitamin E, fish oil, chondroitin, MSM, etc because they act as
blood thinners...
The following website mentions the benefits of giving milk thistle before and for about a week or so following surgery to help the dog detoxify from the anesthesia and meds...
The following info on red is from the following website...The words in black are my own:
Odds and Ends BEFORE SURGERY
You should stop most supplements a few days before the surgery, and maybe for a day or two after, as many of them can cause bleeding, including fish oil (salmon oil), evening primrose oil, borage oil, garlic, ginger, vitamin A, high-dose vitamin E, and white willow bark. Chondroitin may also increase bleeding, but glucosamine apparently does not. Bromelain (which is in pineapples) and other proteolytic enzymes may also increase bleeding. MSM apparently can occasionally act as a blood thinner as well. Herbs that can cause blood thinning include alfalfa, chamomile, ginkgo biloba, hawthorne, red clover and some mushrooms.
In addition, high doses of Vitamin C may interefere with anesthesia, so again, best to discontinue for at least a day or two before surgery.