Milk Thistle For Dogs

Pets, like humans, are forced to deal with exposure to toxins on a daily basis.

There are toxins in the food we eat, the water we drink and the air we breathe.

We can not escape them. And, just like humans, the liver of a pet is used to filter these toxins from your blood. Because the liver works so hard in filtration and elimination of all these toxic substances, it is very susceptible to serious damage.

Hepatic injury

There are several causes of liver damage. The viruses, bacteria, drugs, toxins mentioned above, free radicals and inflammation are guilty of wreaking havoc on the liver. Signs of liver damage or disease include loss of appetite, lethargy, jaundice, dark urine, pale gums, or sudden unexplained weight loss.

Pharmaceutical companies create products with curative and preventive properties when, at times, all we have to do is look around us and we can find cures for diseases and ways to prevent diseases in a more natural way, often under our feet and in Our own courtyards. One of the most amazing things Mother Nature is capable of doing is producing plants with healing properties.

Consider milk thistle

Milk thistle is a flower of the Aster family. Originally from the Mediterranean regions of Europe, North Africa and the Middle East, this plant, especially its seeds and roots, has been used medicinally for over 2000 years.

Milk thistle is one of the few traditionally used herbs that has been widely accepted by mainstream science for important medicinal value. It has been called the "milk thistle" because of a characteristic of the leaves, which are prominently sprinkled with white spots.

Three important milk thistle chemicals have been isolated:

• Silychristine
• Silydianina
• Silybin.

The mixture of these three substances is called silymarin.

Humans often use milk thistle as a liver tonic.

However, silymarin has recently been advocated for use on pets because the benefits that have been examined in humans have also been approved as beneficial for pets. It can be used in dogs, cats, horses, goats, ferrets and rodents to aid in liver or kidney damage, hepatitis, jaundice, leptospirosis and parvovirus recovery.

Liver disease is more common in pets than you might expect. Certain breeds of dogs (such as Labrador Retrievers, Dalmatians and Great Danes) are more susceptible to liver disease because of a genetic difficulty excreting copper.

Liver repair

Fortunately, research suggests that milk thistle extract not only prevents liver damage, but also helps repair it.

First, milk thistle is a powerful antioxidant. Antioxidants protect us from the chemicals in our bodies called free radicals. Exposure to environmental toxins can increase free radicals in the body, which can do a lot of damage to our cells. This is called oxidation and can eventually lead to cancer, heart disease and arthritis. Milk thistle protects the liver against harmful oxidation.

Second, although we do not necessarily think of drugs as "toxins," many over-the-counter medications and prescription drugs can harm the liver if taken in large enough doses or for long periods of time. Researchers have found that milk thistle can actually prevent or reduce drug-induced liver damage. If you have been giving your pet medication and are worried about the aftereffects of the chemicals residing in the body, milk thistle will help eliminate those from outside.

Thirdly, if the liver has weakened due to a number of reasons, it is unable to break down the toxins. In order to combat allergens, the body produces histamine. The liver plays a role in this process; Eliminates histamine from the body. If the liver is weakened and congested with toxins, the liver fights and the histamine accumulates in the body, leading to more allergic reactions.

Additional Uses

Milk Thistle not only helps treat and prevent liver disease. The following is a list of treatment claims related to the plant:

Kidney disease

If there has been kidney damage to your pet due to a milk thistle infection it has been proven 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 on a pet's body. While there have not been many studies done, there has been enough that has shown improvement and helps protect against the potential cancer in your pet.

Diabetes

Pets suffering from diabetes who give milk thistle at least once a week have been shown to not have to have almost the amount of insulin they have had to take otherwise.

Clearly, milk thistle has a number of positive effects throughout the body.

However, milk thistle should not be used as a preventative, or a "just in case"; Rather, it should be used as a means of cleansing the liver after exposure to toxins (ie, drugs, vaccines, chemicals, etc.) or as a treatment for liver damage. Milk thistle stimulates the growth of new liver cells to replace those that are dead or dying, and helps protect against toxins that could cause more harm.

Remember that herbal remedies should not be used for long periods of time. Gregory L. Tilford and Mary L. Wulff explain in their book entitled Herbs for Pets: The Natural Way to Improve Your Pet's Life: "Despite much of the publicity that has been generated about this" wonder herb, " Milk thistle should not be used as a daily dietary supplement. Milk thistle is a medicine that is best reserved for situations where the liver is already under abnormal stress. " Most holistic physicians believe that milk thistle should be given for 3-6 weeks with a break of 1-3 weeks.

In addition, pregnant and nursing pets should not receive milk thistle because the research is still inconclusive.

You can find milk thistle at most health food stores or health sections of your local grocery store. It can be found in capsules, tablets and tincture.

How do I give Milk Thistle to my dog?

The usual milk thistle extract contains 70 to 80 percent silymarin. Each extract should be labeled with the percentage of silymarin. The tincture can be given at an initial dose of 1/4 teaspoon. For 20 pounds of animal body weight per day. The daily dose should be taken in 2-4 equally divided doses. With the powder format, administer 2-5mg per 1lb of the animal's body weight, 2 to 3 times a day. Read the labels carefully, discuss the dosages and, although there are no known drug interactions, it is always important to consult your veterinarian.