Milk Thistle

[DeeDee]

I really wish I knew what to suggest.  You have to go with what you think is best.  Maybe go with the "6 days on, 1 day off" to start, not to exceed 2 weeks (if needed)?   

You've already been a major help. I've always worried every time I put that stuff on them, but when dogs have to go outside all the time for potty and exercise, not to mention camping, you really can't do anything else--unless you want to live with fleas and ticks. Those natural products are all well and good, but repelling isn't preventing I've found. And putting dust on them is just a total mess in the house. Diatomaceous Earth works GOOD, but the mess! Then there's the fact that it dries their skin out horribly.

It really is hard to decide what to do about the Milk Thistle when you don't know you've got an actual problem with their liver in the first place. Everything I've managed to find talks about it helping liver damage already occurred.

[Pookie]

It really is hard to decide what to do about the Milk Thistle when you don't know you've got an actual problem with their liver in the first place. Everything I've managed to find talks about it helping liver damage already occurred.

Most of the books that I have talk about it repairing damage, but also preventing damage.  And the health food store owner explained that it will help protect the liver while the liver is getting rid of the toxins in the body.

I'm thinking of it this way:  the boys have already been exposed to the toxins (pest protection), plus any medications, vaccines, air pollution, etc. We don't know for sure if their livers were able to completely rid their bodies of those toxins.  I tend to think that the liver can get rid of most of them, but perhaps not all, or not completely, and that these things can accumulate in the body over time.  So, IMO, I think you can safely give them milk thistle at the recommended dose for a short time (a few days) without doing any harm, esp. if you do it right after giving them the flea and tick repellents.  But I'm no expert, so this is all just my opinion based on what I've read so far.  Please feel free to keep researching -- you're good at it.   

[Lola]

More info that may help... or not.

Snip...

Milk thistle not only helps treat and prevent liver disease. Below is a list of treatment claims linked to the plant:

• Kidney disease: If there has been kidney damage to your pet because of an infection milk thistle has been show to greatly decrease the amount of time it takes your pet to heal.
• Pancreatitis: Although rare in cats, pancreatitis is very common in dogs. Milk thistle can be given to your dog and cat to help alleviate the symptoms.
• Cancer: Milk thistle has been shown to decrease the effects of cancer in a pet’s body. While there haven’t been many studies done, there have been enough that it has shown improvement and helps protect against the potential for cancer in your pet.
• Diabetes: Pets suffering from diabetes that are given milk thistle at least once per week have been shown to not have to have nearly the amount of insulin that they would have had to take otherwise.

http://www.dogsnaturallymagazine.com/milk-thistle-for-your-dog/

[FurMonster Mom]

A little late to the party, but I figured since I've been giving Pippen Milk Thistle for several years, I'd put in my two cents.

First, a lot of people think of the liver as a "filter".  This is sort-of, mostly, partially true. 
The liver does filter toxins, then it converts those toxins into less harsh elements and sends them on to the kidneys to be further processed and passed through the urine.

During the liver's conversion process, some of its cells are destroyed.  Those destroyed liver cells are cleaned through the blood system. 

We also know that the liver is the only organ that repairs itself... pretty cool.

The liver is much more than a filter (such as an air or water filter)... I like to think of the liver as a self-repairing, self cleaning, converter.

So, basically, the liver is in a constant state of destruction and repair (kinda like road work).  The trick is to be sure that the destruction does not outpace the repair.  This is where ALT's fit in, as a measurement of destroyed liver cells in the bloodstream. If the ALTs are high, then the rate of destruction is likely outpacing the rate of repair.

Milk Thistle and Sam-e (adenosyl) help the liver with repairs.  They stimulate the production of elements the liver needs to repair itself. 

Now, the thing is, even though milk thistle and sam-e are fantastically beneficial, they still need to be processed through the liver as well.  So, dosages are important.  High doses of milk thistle have been known to actually raise ALT levels, even while it is providing support for liver repair.  Crazy, huh?  This is why I've backed off the milk thistle a bit with Pippen.  He still gets it, just not as much as when we began the regimen.   

[Pookie]

A little late to the party, but I figured since I've been giving Pippen Milk Thistle for several years, I'd put in my two cents.

First, a lot of people think of the liver as a "filter".  This is sort-of, mostly, partially true. 
The liver does filter toxins, then it converts those toxins into less harsh elements and sends them on to the kidneys to be further processed and passed through the urine.

During the liver's conversion process, some of its cells are destroyed.  Those destroyed liver cells are cleaned through the blood system. 

We also know that the liver is the only organ that repairs itself... pretty cool.

The liver is much more than a filter (such as an air or water filter)... I like to think of the liver as a self-repairing, self cleaning, converter.

So, basically, the liver is in a constant state of destruction and repair (kinda like road work).  The trick is to be sure that the destruction does not outpace the repair.  This is where ALT's fit in, as a measurement of destroyed liver cells in the bloodstream. If the ALTs are high, then the rate of destruction is likely outpacing the rate of repair.

Milk Thistle and Sam-e (adenosyl) help the liver with repairs.  They stimulate the production of elements the liver needs to repair itself. 

Now, the thing is, even though milk thistle and sam-e are fantastically beneficial, they still need to be processed through the liver as well.  So, dosages are important.  High doses of milk thistle have been known to actually raise ALT levels, even while it is providing support for liver repair.  Crazy, huh?  This is why I've backed off the milk thistle a bit with Pippen.  He still gets it, just not as much as when we began the regimen.   

Great analogy and awesome post!   

[Middle Child]

Thanks FMM, very easy to understand.