Should I give my dog milk thistle for liver support on phenobarbital?

I'm so sorry that Molly is having these problems. I am attaching a handout below on Phenobarbital which may give you more information on her situation. https://www.veterinarypartner.com/Content.plx?P=A&S=0&C=0&A=522 Phenobarbital can certainly increase a dog's appetite, so you have to make sure that they are not eating more when they are receiving Phenobarbitial so they don't gain weight. Phenobarbital will also increase liver enzymes on a blood panel. In order to determine liver function, we need to do an additional test called a Bile Acid Profile. If Molly's Bile Acid Profile is abnormal, then her liver is not working properly and decreasing her dose of Phenobarb may be a good idea, but you will need to discuss with your veterinarian how to do that safely and if you need to add another anti-convulsant medication to prevent her from having seizures again. Milk Thistle and Same-E are my 2 favorite liver support supplements, so I think you have her liver well supported with those supplements. I have seen good results in decreasing liver enzymes with those 2 supplements. Good luck! I hope that was helpful. Thanks for using PetCoach.

Poor guy. The treatment is ok; however, if we suspect any kind of liver involvement there are safer anti-seizure medications to consider here such as Zonisamide or Keppra. Although we would suspect the ALT to be elevated over the ALP in most liver problem dogs. You should certainly discuss these concerns with your vet. This may be why the liver supplement was prescribed, in case there is liver involvement. I would also consider getting an abdominal ultrasound done on him to evaluate his liver and adrenal glands. Both these organs can cause the elevated ALP, so we need to check if this is the underlying problem for sure or not. And ultimately seizures should be evaluted via MRI/CT scan; however, the cost of this limits most pet owners from having this done. Here is more information on seizures --> https://veterinarypartner.vin.com/default.aspx?pid=19239&id=4951440 I hope that Milo's seizures stabilize and that he does well moving forward. Take care.

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.

Hello and thank you for contacting Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. I assume Chhutki was prescribed phenobarbital for seizures. This medication can produce transient elevation of liver enzymes, increased thirst, increased appetite, lethargy and weight gain. It does not affect kidney or heart function and does not cause gallstones formation. If you don't use any anti-epileptic medications for your dog, she will likely have more seizures, which can be longer/more severe than her first seizure.

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.

I'm sorry to hear that Iggy is having so many issues. Milk thistle is helpful for liver disease as it has antioxidant properties. A supplement like Denamarin contains both milk thistle and SAMe which helps the liver. Thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach and I hope Iggy is feeling better soon!

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.