Milk Thistle and is use for Liver Disease and Liver Support

I get many different questions regarding Milk Thistle from customers. Due to its liver support, milk thistle is often used anytime a pet becomes ill or toxic. It can be used anytime drugs are given to a pet that could be toxic to the liver, especially chemotherapy, liver disease, heartworm treatment medications and steroid treatments or other conventional treatments that are hard on a pet’s system. Please talk to your vet about milk thistle as a companion treatment.

The question is what is the milk thistle doing?

Milk thistle is one of the few herbs that have no real equivalent in the world of conventional medicine. Milk thistle contains active ingredients called silymarinn. These silymarin appear to function by displacing toxins trying to bind to the liver as well as causing the liver to regenerate more quickly. It may also scavenge free radicals and stabilize liver cell membranes.

Silymarin protects the liver as an antioxidant, by increasing glutathione levels, and by inhibiting the formation of damaging leukotrienes. Silymarin also stimulates the production of new liver cells, replacing the damaged cells.

It is best not to use milk thistle as a daily supplement but rather reserve its use for conditions where the liver is under stress. You do not want your pet’s liver function becoming dependant on it. Long-term use may alter blood liver enzymes and cause depressed liver function unless chronic liver disease is present.

Thank you to the Natural Health Bible for Dogs and Cats for some of the technical information shared here.