Could I give milk thistle to my Shih Tzu with previous liver disease to supporl the liver she is 10 years old

Yes! Milk Thistle is one of the best herbal supplements for canine liver disease.

(Here's an excerpt from my book about Milk Thistle for canine liver disease:)

Milk Thistle works to help the liver in 3 ways:

1) It is a powerful antioxidant, which protects the body from free radicals. Free radicals can do damage to cells and eventually lead to cancer.

2) It protects the liver from harmful toxins to prevent liver poisoning, helps treat liver diseases (of various kinds, including cirrhosis, chronic hepatitis, fatty infiltration of the liver and inflammation of the bile duct) and improves liver function.

3) It helps the liver regenerate itself by stimulating the growth of liver cells to replace the cells that are damaged.

Notes about Milk Thistle:

• Even extreme cases of hepatitis and liver degeneration have shown improvement when treated with Milk Thistle.

• Milk Thistle is the most researched and best understood of all medicinal herbs.

• Studies have confirmed Milk Thistle’s ability to protect and rejuvenate the liver.

• Silymarin cannot cure cirrhosis, which is end-stage liver disease, but it can support the part of the liver that is still healthy and working.

• Milk Thistle has been found to prevent or reduce drug-induced liver damage.

• Milk Thistle is very safe to take and does not have any negative effects, even when taken in high doses over a long period of time. In rare cases it can cause inappetance, gas, diarrhea and vomiting. If symptoms develop try a lower dose and gradually work up.

• Silymarin is many times more potent in antioxidant activity than Vitamin E and Vitamin C.

• You can find Milk Thistle (Silymarin) at your local health food store, and online. Make sure Silymarin, or Silybum Marianum, is listed in the ingredients in a standardized formula with at least 80% Silymarin.

For small dogs, I recommend using the non-alcoholic liquid version. For larger dogs, you can use the human capsule versions. There are even chewable versions for dogs. If using the human liquid version, don't add it directly to your dog's food because it is bitter and can cause your dog to not eat. There is a liquid version for dogs that is bacon flavored, and that can be added to food.

Denamarin (which you can get from your Vet) contains Milk Thistle (Silymarin) in it along with SAMe. However the dosage of Milk Thistle is low. You can give additional Milk Thistle when taking Denamarin. But you should not give your dog both Denamarin and Denosyl (contains SAMe).

On a personal note, I gave my own dog, Norman, Milk Thistle (along with other supplements and healthy diet) when he had liver disease (cirrhosis). He went on to live for 2 years after receiving an initial prognosis of 1 month.

If you have more questions about canine liver disease, I'd be glad to do a consultation with you.

I am not aware of any study or reports on safety / effectiveness of milk thistle in dogs so I would be very careful with this. I can definitely recommend preparations containing SAMe (there are several preparation on the market, for example Denamarin). They are safe, can be used long term and they have documented positive effect on liver function.