Milk Thistle is a well known “liver herb” for people and pets. The active ingredient is “silymarin” which is actually a combination of other active compounds. Milk Thistle is used to treat liver disease, kidney disease, mushroom and other toxicities, and lead poisoning. Holistic veterinarians have used it for years to treat liver diseases of all sorts in dogs and cats. It has an excellent safety record and no known adverse drug interactions, although taking too much of the herb at a time can sometimes cause an upset stomach, gas, or mild diarrhea.

Liver disease in dogs and cats comes in many forms and Milk Thistle is helpful for all of these. Here is a list of some of the conditions I have used Milk Thistle to treat:

Leptospirosis
Cholestasis
Fatty liver in cats
Portosystemic shunts
Pancreatitis
Skin problems associated with Liver Disease
Tylenol toxicities
Liver Cancer
Chemotherapy support
Support for Pets with seizures taking Phenobarbitol
Dogs and cats currently taking steroids
As a support for dogs being treated for Heartworm
Dogs on pain medications that affect the liver
Kidney disease

So how does this herb work? Well, the herb strengthens the liver cells, promotes detoxification and stimulates the production of new liver cells. Milk Thistle is the perfect herb for detoxification for any toxin whether it is from an infection like parvovirus or something your pet has consumed. As an antioxidant it is more effective than Vitamin E. It is very safe. That said, you should not give Milk Thistle as a daily supplement to healthy pets. It should be prescribed by your holistic veterinarian and your veterinarian should know if your pet is taking Milk Thistle.<

Many times Milk Thistle is prepared in an alcohol base and this is not the best for our pets. Pet Wellbeing has a great Milk Thistle that is glycerine-based. The link to it is here: http://bit.ly/sekqYY

Have you used Milk Thistle for your pet?