Milk Thistle
 

I have questions about Milk Thistle. I know it detoxes the liver and would like to have more info.

For those of you who supplement with Milk Thistle, where do you purchase it, from a health food store? How do you administer and how much? I think it could do nothing but help, especially with Jada and her allergies.

I am just looking for some input and advice from those who have experience with using it.

I supplement ALL my babies with milk thistle, "Just Because"....With all the heartworm meds and flea preventative, and stuff they can pick up on the grass, in the water, etc, I just do not think helping their livers cleanse their systems could be a bad thing...when I get home this evening, I will look and see what the name is and where I got it....it is a holistic dog medicine site...... ??? Dinovite ??/ something like that???....I will send you the name ....I DO know it has to be a glycerine based milk thistle, unlike the human form....

I give my Prada milk thistle, since she takes meds , my holistic vet recomended when Prada was about a year old and I been giving it to her since, I buy it at my local vitamin shoppe.
hugs,

Thanks to you both!! I would love to know what brand and where to order. I worry so much about the flee and heartworm meds and also Jada has allergy meds when she has flares. I know that the milk thistle will help with all of these things.

Animals Apawthecary | OnlyNaturalPet.com
This is where I got my Milk Thistle.....they have several different blends...I use the Dandelion/Milk Thistle Drops....

Thank you:)

Milk Thistle - how much do you feed?
 

Can you please tell us how much do you feed? Doctor prescribed Denosyl for Happy - he has mild MVD. We were wondering if we can get liquid supplements since feeding tablets is a challenge!

This that I use is drops....if you go to the site, you will see the glycerine based formulation needed for dogs (and cats)...you give .5 - 1.0cc, once or twice a day...since I am just giving this as a beneficial supplement rather than because of an existing condition, I give .75cc, once a day...you can either squirt it direct linto their mouth or put it in a treat of canned salmon...the salmon hides the smell....I give mine salmon daily too, just a 1/4 cup...so I just mix it into that...My dear friend who lost 6 Yorkies to liver failure from feeding chicken Jerky, way back in that first recall years ago...she had her last little baby that she was fighting sooooooo hard to save, on milk thistle...she added it to what all she was already doing and there was a hopeful positive effect in the babys condition, which the vet attributed to the addition of the milk thistle....it helped that baby for about 2 years......so I figure the stuff works! It wont hurt!~

I like this too...this will be fine...this lady is also a vet...you can be sure and check with her about giving this along with the meds your baby is already on.....I sent a question about size of the bottles...if I can get larger bottles, I will get mine from here also! I asked about the Dandelion in the formula I am giving...I cant remember why I was thinking this was really good, but I know when I first read it, I was happy with it being in there. I read about this formula...it is glycerine based which is necessary for dogs......call them tomorrow and ask them your questions....I would love to know what they tell you....you can "pm" me....

They responded to my question...their bottles are 3.5 oz where as the bottes I use now only come in 1 oz size....so I too have ordered from them. Free shipping on my order....thank you for this Canadian site! I order several meds from Canada, as well as medical equipment from our allies and neighbors to the North....incubator for my preemie newborns, enclosed nebulizer, doppler, Pro-Biotics, etc...

I use Denamarin for Tinkerbell, since her Liver Shunt was inoperable she will stay on this for life. I can get it from my vet, or VetDepot.com carries it as well.

Denamarin For Dogs and Cats up to 12 lbs, Blue 30 Tablets Liver Medication for Dogs | VetDepot.com

"Denamarin for Dogs & Cats up to 12 lbs, 30 Tablets (Blue) is a nutritional supplement with Silybin milk thistle extract and S-Adenosylmethionine (SAMe) that supports liver function. Denamarin pet meds increase the levels of the antioxidant glutathione to protect against cell damage. Stabilized tablets are perfect for small dogs and cats of all breeds and sizes.
Protects liver cells from cell death
Helps repair and regenerate damaged cells
Increased glutathione levels protect against free radical damage"


I did look into getting supplements from the health food stores, but Tink didn't like them at all and many are made with alcohol in their processing. She does much better with taking the pill every morning, one hour before her meal and on an empty stomach. It took about two months for her to realize she would have to take this everyday, so now there's no battle...I use a pill popper bc the pill cannot be chewed. They do make a chewable but she didn't care for them either. They make them for all size dogs... I linked to the small size.

Human grade can be too strobg for dogs?

Are there any health concerns s with using milk thistle?

Human grade is alcohol based, and is not good for animals. I know that is one reason to use glycerine based....there may be more reasons. According to my research, there are no health concerns using milk thistle over long periods of time.

I just ordered some for Widget who is on long term pain medicine for arthritis. I would do anything I could to protect him from any more medical issues and if this can help I'll add it to his routine. Thanks for the information. I don't know why my vet didn't suggest it but I'll ask as he has an appointment this week.

I ordered two vials..can't wait to try it for my two. Jada is on Cosequin for her joints due to LP and she also takes hydroxyzine sp? for allergy flares, plus the normal monthly flea and heart worm meds.

I just watched the Nutrition Web. Virtual Class by Dr.Dobbs...it was excellent and I would HIGHLY recommend it to anyone having issues with feedings, and allergies and especially thyroid disease....sooooo much information...but the thing that I saw about milk thistle and the beneficial effects of it on liver disease...they had a actual thermographic chart that showed a dog's liver clearances (labs indicating functioning) with liver disease...the bar was all red (hot)....after just 28 days on milk thistle, the bar went cold, turned green, which showed the liver had responded amazingly well and was very much cleansed....If anyone else is interested, they are going to re-show this program next Sunday....it is well worth the $25.00 for the course...especially with all the posts I see on here about food intolerances and allergies....

I think I'll research this more.
Elvis is on pheno and the vet assures me we just check liver function levels and he'll be fine but if some bennefitial can be added as a suppliment that could aid him as well possible prevent fix future issues I feel like I owe it to him to be doing it.

Is this the same one? Amazon.com: Animals' Apawthecary Dandelion/Milk...
In the reviews on amazon, they say the alcohol content is 20% & there's a strong alcohol smell.:eek:
From http://www.onlynaturalpet.com/produc...e/148020.aspx: Ingredients - Certified organic dandelion, milk thistle seed, vegetable glycerin USP, distilled water, grain alcohol (ethanol) USP not to exceed 20% by volume.

So does the alcohol help?:confused: I'd like to get one, but not sure now...do they all have alcohol in it?

Some milk thistle products have additional ingredients for palatability which may be contraindicated with allergies. Have you thought about Denosyl? Unnecessary, imo, but if you are worried it is a good supplement.

If on a known hepatotoxic drug like pheno I would give Denosyl.

We had to give it to our cat and the vet said that we could purchase it at the health food store. GNC sells it without any alcohol in it. We used the powder, but there is also a liquid.

I pm'd you with the name of the specific brand I use....I order it out of Canada.

I want to add something here. I have a friend that has a litter of pups that are 9 weeks old. They got their first series of puppy vaccine about a week ago. Well a few days ago she calls me and tells me that something is wrong with the boy he is refusing to eat. Now she took him in and they gave her flagyl to give to him because they believe it was intestinal. Anyway I called her yesterday to see how he was doing and she says he is still the same, So I thought back to what I did for Tobie when he was being Mr. Picky. I remember I had a bottle of Milk Thistle that was one of the things I had given to him. So I stopped by her house and gave him a dose of the Milk Thistle and a small dose of Dyne watered down . A half hour later and he is following me around and coming to me when I call him. He still isn't eating yet but he was licking the chicken I was trying to feed him. So that gives me hope he will be eating soon. So from 2 experiences with 2 different small pups having roughly the same experience shortly after getting the first puppy vaccines leads me to the possibility that getting a full dose of a vaccine is not good for these smaller pups especially the first time. I know alot of Vets refuse to give half doses so I think that me being a concerned breeder I will start including a bottle of Milk thistle and dosing instructions in my Puppy pacs.

Mine get Sam-E and Milk Thistle for a week-2 weeks after vaccination and heart worm prevention meds. I get mine for the health food store. Make sure that the Milk Thistle is glycerin based and no ETOH in it.

You never said where you live?? Why does your dog get fleas for the need for Meds??
In Seattle theres only 1 confirmed case of heartworms every 10 yrs. Can't trust statistics. But including myself and many ppl I know. Ppl here don't medicate for heart worms. Unless you go to Eastern Wa then you have blood test done. They live there. I don't use flea meds. My dogs don't get fleas with a good diet and all the brushings. They have had fleas form boarding ect. And have been medicated now and then. But not a monthly dose. So I don't use it. My dogs all my life have been long lived. Except one, And that was genetic.