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Milk Thistle for Cats

100% Natural Liver and Kidney Detox and Cancer Support in Cats

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Vet Talks: The Many Uses of Milk Thistle For Cats and Dogs

Vet Talks 2 min read
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This month as we talk about an integrative approach to pet health, we wanted to discuss the powerful benefits of Milk Thistle for cats and dogs in helping to improve liver function and protect the liver from the side effects of pharmaceuticals. We’ll discuss this, along with the many uses of Milk Thistle for cats and dogs.

This plant has been used since ancient times for liver disease, kidney disease, pancreatic disease, and cancer support.

What Is Milk Thistle?

Milk Thistle, otherwise known as Silybum Marianum, is from the family Asteraceae. It is known as a liver support herb, as well as an antioxidant. This plant has been used since ancient times for liver disease, kidney disease, pancreatic disease, and cancer support. Milk thistle also protects against toxins, supports regeneration of healthy cells, is anti-inflammatory, is useful for post- disease recovery, and is useful for hepatitis, generalized inflammation, toxin recovery, portosystemic shunt – any and all liver disease of dogs and cats.

Why Should I Want To Support My Pet’s Liver?

Think of the liver as a filter, which cleans the blood that has just been enriched with vitamins and minerals during digestion. The liver processes the material that the rest of your cat or dog’s body can’t use. The liver’s job is to take the toxins out of the blood. It’s important to note that toxins can be a normal part of a healthy body function, like breaking down protein.

When it comes to waste: Bile carries most waste into the intestine and out of your cat or dog’s body. Other waste is processed by the liver and goes through your cat or dog’s blood and into their kidneys and out through the urinary system.

In a nutshell, the liver is a large filter for toxins. With this in mind, we add Milk Thistle to aid the clearing of the liver for any patient of mine that is chronically on a western medication. Every drug is processed by the liver and can be a burden to the liver, causing elevated liver enzymes and decreasing liver function (such as medications to treat seizures). 

How Does Milk Thistle Work?

Milk Thistle aids in supporting the liver by decreasing aminotransferase activity (important in the synthesis of amino acids which form proteins that are an important indicator of liver damage). In our experience, using NHV Milk Thistle Extract has greatly reduced elevated blood liver enzymes and helped to treat liver disease.

What Are Some Other Beneficial Uses of Milk Thistle For Cats and Dogs?

Along with supporting the liver, Milk Thistle helps kidney disease, as it is a strong antioxidant to the kidneys reducing oxidative damage. We prescribe Milk Thistle for kidney disease to support the kidneys in treatments as well as prevent the progression of kidney disease.

Benefits for cancer are tremendous. Traditional treatments for cancer involve medications decreasing the immune system and the liver processes all of those drugs. Milk Thistle helps to protect against the negative effects of the medications and improves liver function.

If you have any questions regarding Milk Thistle, or if you would like a second opinion on a more integrative approach to your pet’s health that combines the benefits of natural supplements, please get in touch with us for a vet consultation. You can also contact our NHV Pet Expert.

Dr. Hillary Cook DVM

Dr. Hillary Cook DVM

Dr. Hillary Cook is a graduate of Virginia Maryland Regional Veterinary Medical school. She has been practicing holistic and integrative veterinary medicine for over 20 years. She certified in Veterinary acupuncture and is fully qualified in Western and Chinese herbalism. She is the owner of Animal Wellness Center, an integrative veterinary clinic in Crozet, VA. She enjoys spending time with her husband, two children, and a menagerie of pets including dogs, cats, and chickens. When time allows, you can find her in the garden or on the tennis court!

Published: October 23, 2015

8 replies

  1. Ronald Krikorian says:

    Can I use milk thistle for my cats pancreatitis as he’s in much pain?

    1. Team NHV says:

      Hi Ronald,

      We’re so sorry to hear about your sweet kitty’s health, we can certainly imagine how painful this can be for him. Yes, Milk Thistle may be helpful for his pancreatitis health, especially as a liver, pancreas, and kidney support.

      Our main regimen for pancreatitis is:

      1. Mellit – has herbs that may help to reduce the blood sugar levels, regulate metabolism, and balance the organs against the pancreatitis symptoms.

      2. Milk Thistle – helps to detoxify toxins from the liver, pancreas, and kidneys while supporting healthier functions.

      3. Turmeric – rich in curcumin property to help support the body against inflammation and pain throughout the body

      Here’s the link to our saver kit: https://www.nhvnaturalpetproducts.com/dog-cat-supplements-for-pancreas-imbalance

      We also have a blog that gives more info on how to manage pancreatitis through diet, weight, and supplements.

      You don’t have to feel alone in this, we’re here to help and let us know how we can be there to support your kitty’s health against the pancreatitis and its symptoms. Sending lots of love and healing vibes!

  2. Team NHV says:

    Hi Bre,

    Thank you so much for reaching out to us on our blog!

    To answer your question, we don’t recommend giving your furkiddo human-grade supplements as they’re not specifically formulated for pets. While Milk Thistle is a powerful and super beneficial herb that can benefit both humans and pets, we strongly suggest only using supplements that are vet-formulated for pets.

    Our supplements are 100% natural, containing no additives or preservatives, which means your furkid gets the full power of the natural support they need!

    Milk Thistle is a super herb that can help support liver and kidney health, while also encouraging regeneration of the liver. You can click here to learn more about Milk Thistle : https://www.nhvnaturalpetproducts.com/milk-thistle-for-cats/

    Please feel free to ask us any questions you may have, our team is always here if you need us.

    Wishing you and your kitty all the best!

    Yours in wellness,
    Team NHV

  3. Team NHV says:

    Hi Christina,

    Thank you so much for reaching out to us.

    What a great question! All of our supplements are safe and even beneficial for proactive use!

    Milk Thistle especially is great for proactive care since it can help to maintain liver and kidney health while encouraging liver regeneration.

    Please feel free to let us know if you need help with anything else! Sending lots of love and light your way.

    Yours in wellness,
    Team NHV

  4. Debra says:

    Hi. My 14 year old cat has been taking [pharmaceutical name removed] injections for diabetes for about a year now. I just deeply believe there is a way to deal more wholistic. We’ve cut carbs and only feed her pate for wet food. Even so the vet says her levels are up and higher the dose. So could she be insulin resistant? Could the milk thistle be used instead of these injections?
    Thanks.

    1. Team NHV says:

      Hi Debra,

      Thank you so much for reaching out to us.

      We’re so sorry to hear that your sweetheart is dealing with all that. As pet parents ourselves, we completely understand how difficult this can be. Please know that our team is right here for you any time you need us.

      Our main recommendation for conditions like diabetes is our Mellit supplement. The powerful yet gentle herbs found in Mellit can help to ease uncomfortable symptoms, manage blood sugar levels, and can improve energy and overall vitality.

      More on Mellit here: https://www.nhvnaturalpetproducts.com/mellit-for-cat-diabetes/

      We believe Milk Thistle would also be beneficial to your little one as traditional medications can be tough on the liver and kidneys. Milk Thistle can help to improve liver and kidney function and can encourage liver regeneration.

      In the past, we’ve had furparents reach out to us to let us know they were able to reduce the dosage of their pet’s medication while using our Mellit formulation, however, we only suggest doing this under the supervision of your trusted veterinarian.

      We thought you might want to take a look at this blog we have that has lots of good tips on how to naturally manage diabetes in pets: https://nhvpethealth.com/blog/vet-tech-rounds-how-to-best-help-a-diabetic-cat/

      Please feel free to reach out to us any time you need us, we’re always more than happy to help.

      Sending lots of love to you and your precious kitty!

      Yours in wellness,
      Team NHV

  5. Steve Wilson says:

    I have a kitty with end stage kidney disease. She is still eating and maintaining weight, but last week at her follow up, her creatinine was over 5. Will milk thistle help?

    1. Team NHV says:

      Hi Steve,

      We’re so sorry to hear about your kitty. We can imagine how hard it has been to see her struggling, but we’re glad she still has her appetite.

      Our main recommendations for kidney health are Tripsy and Milk Thistle.

      Tripsy was vet-formulated to encourage healthy kidney function and help with the discomfort associated with kidney problems. Whereas Milk Thistle has been used for thousands of years for kidney and liver support.
      You can find both Tripsy and Milk Thistle on our Kidney Disorders Gold Support Kit here:

      https://www.nhvnaturalpetproducts.com/kidney-disorders-in-dogs-cats

      We hope this information helps! Please feel free to reach out to us if you have any further questions.

      Yours in wellness,
      Team NHV

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