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halfpenny
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26-12-2008, 08:38 PM

Using milk thistle for liver disease?

Hi, and a merry christmas to everybody, hope you all had a good day.

I haven't been on for a while but I'm looking for a few ideas and advice.

Deli, our 13 year old dalmation has shown raised ALT enzyme levels since we got her 6 months ago. Her last blood test showed levels of nearly 300, when the normal should be below 100. She had another blood test on christmas eve and we are hoping to get the results tomorrow, this is mainly to find out if being put onto samylin has helped at all. She had been taken off metacam and is now on previcox for her arthritis, but we have seen a big deterioration in her over the past few weeks. She is much more unsteady and very sleepy, she still has a good appetite and doesn't seem to drink any more than the others.
I have been reading that milk thistle is good for the liver and wondered if anybody has tried this, where they got it from, was it a liquid or tablet and how much did you give your dog.
Any input would be appreciated, Thanks.
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Helena54
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26-12-2008, 08:58 PM
I bought some milk thistle capsules from Healthy Direct, but I haven't used them yet on my dog, because his liver returned to normal. He was diagnosed with very high levels (in fact the night it happened, they went completely off the scale! )The vets prescribed him some large yellow tablets, and if you like, I can look back through my invoices to see exactly what they were, and you could ask your vet about whether or not he might think it's a good idea to prescribe them for your dog? They worked brilliantly, and my dog's liver completely returned to normal in only 3 weeks. He did have a scan after the blood test, which showed he had an enlarged liver, but I don'tknow if that's what your dog might have too? Have you asked the vet if this is the case, although he wouldn't know without scanning of course (well, I don't think so!). Milk Thistle is apparently brilliant for liver problems, but maybe ask the vet exactly how much your dog should have a day according to his bodyweight because it will be different for different weighted dogs won't it. All the best. Hope some of this helps.
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Muddiwarx
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26-12-2008, 09:40 PM
My GSD had liver damage die to high medication levels and we used milk thistle tablets - from one of the channel island vitamin companies - really helped to support her liver.
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Meganrose
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26-12-2008, 11:37 PM
Hi, Carduus marianus (Milk thistle) is regarded as one of the most important herbal liver tonics and restoratives. Medical use of Milk Thistle may be traced back more than 2000 years. More recently, Milk Thistle has been subjected to many clinical trials which clearly demonstrate its effectiveness. Scientific analysis of Milk Thistle shows that it contains a flavonoid complex called silymarin, which is largely responsible for the medical benefits of this herb. Silymarin is a powerful anti-oxidant and can block the entrance of toxins into the liver and remove toxins at cellular level, thereby resulting in regeneration of liver cells and improved liver functioning. This would have a direct impact on overall systemic health as the liver is one of the most important organs in the body.

I would however, check this out with your vet first as a precaution. Hope that helps. XX
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Lucky Star
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27-12-2008, 10:28 AM
Here are suggested doses taken from the Guardian Angel's website:

http://www.canine-epilepsy-guardian-...sesymptoms.htm


Dog's size Dose as % of adult human dose
5 lbs 10%
5-10 lbs 15%
11-20 lbs 20%
21-40 lbs 30%
41-70 lbs 50%
71-100 lbs 75%
100 lbs 100%
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halfpenny
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27-12-2008, 09:53 PM
Thanks for your replies.
We got Deli's results today and her ALT levels are unchanged, which implies the Samylin sachets are helping. I asked the vet about milk thistle and it turns out Samylin contains it- should start to read ingredients .
I will keep a note of all the info about it thought as it will possibly prove useful for other species in the future.
Thanks again,
Louise.
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liz08
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26-01-2010, 09:32 PM
Milk thistle is definitely something that is well known to helping to repair the liver, in both humans and dogs alike. It's been used for some time now to treat those with cirrhosis, and those who have liver damage from drugs and alcohol. I know many people have used milk thistle for their pets as well. Of course, it would definitely be best to speak with your vet about this first, but I would definitely look into it.
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Tupacs2legs
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26-01-2010, 09:38 PM
hi
milk thistle is good,but if you are treating impaired hepatic function,i would advise either doxion or denamarin.they are not drugs but do contain milk thisle along with other things to help the effectivness.
just to mention samilyn is granules isnt it? there is a school of thought that the active ingridients are not at their most effective when given that way..doxion and denamarin are coated tablets and have to be given whole.
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halfpenny
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26-01-2010, 11:02 PM
Thanks for the input, and a wee update on Deli. She is still with us, just older and sleepier., her liver enzymes did actually rise to 10 times above normal but then dropped to about 5 times above normal, she seems to have stabilised at this and has no symptoms what so ever. I did worry a bit over this Christmas because she got a badly upset tummy and I wondered if it was the start of more serious problems, but it was just a bug she picked up and after a course of antibiotics was fine.
She is on a samylin sachet, hepatic diet and a half a previcox for her arthritis and it seems to be working for her.

Thanks again.
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Velvetboxers
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26-01-2010, 11:16 PM
I can sympathise with you as our 10 year old Boxer has liver disease and it can be hard to stabilise.
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