My dog has liver issues and won't eat. Will milk thistle help?

Poor Baby! I would make sure you have him on a liver supplement and make sure you have consulted with your vet about medications that he needs to be on for his liver issues. I am okay with him eating chicken because eating something is better than nothing at all. I would consider adding in a multi-vitamin to help supplement the other nutrients he isn't getting. If his appetite is continuing to decrease, I would talk to your vet about rechecking his bloodwork to see if he needs any fluids or change in his medications and also getting him on an appetite stimulant. I hope this helps and he starts to feel better soon!

Dogs are typically given milk thistle in combination with Vitamin E, Zinc and s-adenosyl methionine for liver disease. The dose is usually lower when used with these other supplements. Doses ranging from 5 mg/kg to 50 mg/kg per day have been reported to likely be safe, so 400 mg twice daily would be within this dose range. I do not typically recommend giving this supplement unless there is evidence of underlying liver disease because it is not likely to be helpful. There does not seem to be evidence of kidney disease or other problems when milk thistle supplements are used long term in dogs, but there are no studies in dogs without liver disease. I would recommend checking with your veterinarian before starting this supplement since it can potentially cause problems when given in conjunction with some other medications.

I'm so sorry Luci is so sick. Many underlying problems can cause liver disease such as bacterial infections, liver shunt, autoimmune disease, or born with a very small liver. Certainly there are other causes as well. If your veterinarian has a diagnosis of why her liver isn't working well then they will be able to provide you with more of a treatment recommendation. SamE is thought to be a liver protectant, but it will not fix underlying problems. Based on what you are describing it sounds like Luci is really struggling right now. I would encourage you to reach out to your veterinarian and discuss a plan for her. I hope she improves soon.

In theory this would help a pet that is being exposed to a potential liver damaging drug. It definitely won't hurt. It can be expensive however. But it is a good proactive thing to do to potentially help protect the liver from damage over time. Best wishes with your pet Tootsie moving forward. Take care. : )

Acute hepatic intoxication is the main suspicion, considering the signs you reported. Denosyl (SAMe) will protect liver cells from further damage and death and it will certainly help to detoxify the liver. It is important to monitor ALT and AST, but clinical improvement is even more important. So i think that he is already improving, since he is eating and surely he is brighter than onset of the signs. It will take time the intoxication will resolve. Please do not hesitate to contact us again on the forum or by requesting a consultation if you have any more questions or to discuss it any further.

Hello, and thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. Yes, that product should be pretty safe. However, I don't recommend giving supplements such as this without being directed by a vet. The most important way to support Bruno's organ function is with a good high quality food, and good preventative care (disease prevention through vaccination, parasite control, etc). Milk thistle is a great liver support, but the other ingredients have limited data in dogs and, while probably safe, I would not recommend them.

This is not the same but is fine for your dog. The licorice root is a natural anti inflammatory herbal remedy and it also inhibits liver injury so it's a good choice for animals with high liver enzymes. You may still want to give the milk thistle if you can find it separately. You have done an excellent job maintaining Kandy throughout her life with a liver shunt. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach to help you care for Kandy.