Supplements given to cats should not be extracted from alcohol as an alcohol-based tincture is unacceptable in taste, and buying products specifically for cats or pets in general is preferable. Dogs While this is not considered a true medication reaction, if you have any concerns about a true toxicity, make sure to call the ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center (1-888-426-4435), or Pet Poison Helpline (1-855-764-7661) for further advice.

This product is made by PetWellbeing, founded in 2001. Our goal? To bring the wisdom and experience of our caring holistic veterinarians to your pet. When your pet is healthy; you're happy. In veterinary medicine, an interesting study has recently been performed on 8 dogs presenting hepatopathy, given a phytocomplex of Silybum marianum pure extract. After two months of administration, a reduction of plasma alanine aminotransferase (ALT)/glutamate-pyruvate transaminase (GPT) activity was obtained; remarkably, the study also included other groups of dogs, given other nutraceuticals, and the activity of this enzyme only decreased in the hepatopathy group. Furthermore, in these dogs, the significant increase of paraoxonase and the up regulation of mitochondrial SOD2 suggest an antioxidant activity for this phytocomplex in dogs. Unfortunately, as also stated by the authors, although results are interesting and suggest a positive effect of Silybum marianum in hepatopathies, the inclusion of only eight dogs in the study limits is its clinical relevance [ 12]. Remarkable are also the results obtained by Skorupski et al. that investigated the effect of the combination S-adenosylmethionine and silybin-phosphatidylcholine complex to prevent hepatopathy in dogs receiving lomustine, as affected by different kinds of neoplasm. Additionally, supplemented dogs showed a lower increase of ALT/GPT, alkaline phosphatase, bilirubin, and aspartate aminotransferase than dogs treated with lomustine alone [ 13]. Other less recent experimental studies on silymarin and silibinin have been performed on dogs given Amanita phalloides/phalloidin [ 19]. In one case, the effect of intravenous silymarin (and other molecules) was tested in experimentally poisoned dogs, and this molecule showed to prevent/reduce the increase of alkaline phosphatase (AP), GPT, and aspartate aminotransferase (AST)/glutamic-oxalacetic transaminase (GOT), reduce the severity of clinical signs, and also exerted some positive effects on coagulation [ 18]. Finally, intravenous administration of silibinin in beagles receiving a lyophilysate of Amanita Phalloides, containing α-, β-, and γ-amanitin and phallotoxins likewise resulted in a reduced hepatoxicity (measured by ALT/GPT, AST/GOT, AP, bilirubin, and prothrombin time), reduced liver damage (histological assessment), and absence of mortality [ 17]. Very few studies have been performed on the topic of the present paper on cats. One of these reports the efficacy of silymarin in healthy cats given acetaminophen; in these animals, levels of ALT/GPT, AST/GOT, alkaline phosphatase, lactate dehydrogenase, methemoglobin, and bilirubin did not increase as it happened in cats given acetaminophen alone [ 14]. Liver diseases in cats are common. These can be primary diseases or they can be secondary diseases which derive from another medical condition. Many practitioners believe that milk thistle should be administered for 3-6 weeks with a 1 to 3-week break. Milk thistle is not intended to be a preventive therapy and, indeed, can be toxic if used in this manner. It should be used when an animal is under unusual stress from detoxification, infection, triaditis or other conditions as listed here.Dosage recommendations from the literature vary widely. Some say to start with 2-5 mg/lb. of silymarin extract 2-3 times daily, while other practitioners do not hesitate to prescribe 200 mg/10 lbs. of body weight of milk thistle extract daily for canines in acute liver distress. You should always speak with your veterinarian before administering milk thistle to your pets. Silybin is the major active component of silymarin, which is found naturally in the milk thistle plant. Silybin acts as a liver protectant chiefly through preventing toxin penetration into liver cells. It also inhibits toxic and inflammatory effects on cells, and acts as an antioxidant and free radical scavenger. Do NOT sprinkle milk thistle on food. Get empty gel caps (size 0) at a health food store, put the amount you want to give in a gel cap, coat the gel cap lightly with butter and pill him with it. Milk Thistle is a powerful herb that’s been used by humans for thousands of years. The active ingredient, silymarin, has been shown through scientific studies to possess strong anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, and detoxifying properties. It also promotes cellular regeneration and repair.

Milk thistle has been used to treat jaundice in cats ( 4). It can be used to aid the liver in recovery from kidney damage, hepatitis, leptospirosis and parvovirus recovery.Denamarin may be recommended as part of a treatment plan for a variety of circumstances where the liver is involved. In cats, this can include conditions where liver enzymes are elevated on bloodwork like in cholangitis/cholangiohepatitis syndrome, hepatic lipidosis, and feline triad disease/triaditis. Milk thistle for dog liver support can be used in conjunction with conventional treatments and is glycerin based and safe for long-term use. You can read more about the benefits of using milk thistle on Dr. Hillary Cook’s blog.