Milk thistle is a flowering plant native to Europe that has traditionally been used as a liver tonic. Its active ingredient, silymarin, is shown to protect the liver from toxins and help regenerate liver cells. Milk thistle supports liver and bile functions and may help treat diseases like hepatitis, gallstones, and inflammatory bowel disease. It has antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties. While generally safe, milk thistle is best used to treat existing diseases in dogs rather than as a preventative supplement.

1. MILK THISTLE
MILK THISTLE
by
Jean Hofve, DVM
from
Whole Dog Journal
Volume 5, Number 7, July 2002
This amazing herb is used to treat diabetes, liver failure, and IBD.

2. Milk thistle can be purchased in powder, capsule, and liquid extract form.
Milk thistle (Silybum marianum) is a flowering plant in the Aster family. A native of Europe, it has
been used since the time of the Roman emperors as a liver tonic. Milk thistle is one of very few
traditionally used herbs that has been widely accepted by conventional science to have significant
medicinal value.
Today we know the active ingredient of milk thistle seed extract as a flavonoid compound called
"silymarin." Most milk thistle extracts available today contain about 80 percent silymarin.
Uses in canines
Silymarin, which is itself a combination of several other active compounds, has been extensively
studied around the world, and has been shown Milk Thistle Extract Benefits to be safe and effective
in treating a variety of liver diseases and other conditions. It specifically protects the liver against
toxins (including some drugs and heavy metals), activates protein synthesis, and stimulates growth
of new liver cells to replace those that are dead or damaged. Milk thistle also has strong antioxidant
(destroys oxygen free radicals) and anti-inflammatory actions.
Silymarin reaches high levels in the bile and liver (it also reaches significant levels in the lungs,
pancreas, prostate, and skin). It can be used in the treatment of hepatic lipidosis, chronic hepatitis,
cholangitis (inflammation of the bile ducts), and pericholangitis (inflammation of the tissue around
the bile ducts). It may http://www.needs.com/product/NDNL-0608-01/a_Milk_Thistle be useful in
preventing or treating gallstones by thinning the bile. Many dogs with inflammatory bowel disease
(IBD) have concurrent inflammation of the liver/bile system and the pancreas. This suite of
symptoms is called "triaditis." Because milk thistle's beneficial actions concentrate on the liver and
bile systems, it may also be helpful in dogs with IBD.
Milk thistle should be considered as an aid to healing after drug therapy, vaccinations, and
infections such as canine parvovirus, as well as an potential adjunct treatment for cancer.
Researchers at Case Western University concluded from their work that "silymarin possesses
exceptionally high protective effects against tumor promotion . . . " One human study even suggests
a role for milk thistle in diabetes mellitus through its normalizing effects on red blood cells. It may
also help prevent diabetic neuropathy, a common complication of the disease that causes
degeneration of the nerves controlling the hind limbs, which consequently produces weakness and
an abnormal gait.
Milk thistle generally supports the immune system through its powerful antioxidant, free-radical
scavenging action, its ability to preserve the supply of another important antioxidant, glutathione, as
well as direct effects on immune cells. Glutathione, which is stored primarily in the liver, naturally
declines over time, and depletion of this protein appears to accelerate the aging process.
While it's not exactly the fountain of youth, milk thistle clearly has wide-ranging positive effects
throughout the body. However, before you add this potent herb to your dog's daily regimen "just in
case" it might do some good, it's important to consider that some herbalists believe milk thistle is
best reserved as a treatment for existing disease, rather than being used by itself in a healthy dog.
While moderate use of milk thistle is very safe, there is some experimental evidence to suggest that
long-term ingestion of very high dosages of milk thistle will eventually suppress liver function.
Dosage and administration

3. The standard dosage of milk thistle extract is based on a silymarin content of around 80 percent;
most supplements contain anywhere from 50-500 milligrams (175 mg is typical). As with many
supplements, it's probably better to buy a milk thistle derivative rather than a silymarin-only or
other fractional supplement, since there may be other compounds found in the whole herb that
significantly enhance the effects of what science has decided is the main player.
Because of its excellent safety record and lack of adverse drug interactions, when I'm treating a very
sick dog with advanced liver disease, I do not hesitate to use up to 200 mg per 10 pounds of body
weight of milk thistle extract daily. For most canine purposes, however, one-third to one-half of that
dose is more than adequate. (Dogs with liver disease typically will not eat, but it's a simple matter to
open up a capsule, mix the appropriate amount of powdered herb with a little blenderized food or
baby food, and feed it to the dog in a syringe.) Too high a dose can cause an upset tummy, gas, or
mild diarrhea; these are easily resolved by giving less.
Human research studies have shown that it is more effective to administer this herb in three or four
small portions over the day than in one large daily dose. When it is not possible to split the daily
dose and administer the fractional portions three or four times a day, give it at least twice a day.
The capsule form is easy to find - any health food store, and even most pharmacies and grocers, will
have them in stock. The herb also comes in a liquid extract, but most human products contain a fair
bit of alcohol. If you prefer a liquid preparation, get one specifically intended for use in animals.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Dr. Dodds recommends using milk thistle in the doses listed below to help heal the liver along with
reducing phenobarbital (according to your vet) and feeding the liver cleansing diet.
Milk Thistle Dosage (from the newsletter "Healthy Pets -
Naturally"):Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â
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

4. 50%
71-100 lbs
75%
100 lbs
100%