My dog has cholangiohepatitis. Are colchicine and silymarin safe?

Hi there and thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach to address your concern. The medications Cassie is currently on are safe to administer to her. The Amoxicillin Clavulanic acid is an antibiotic and the Destolit will help support her liver function. To help support liver function, I also recommend using Denamarin liver supplement which can be found online quite easily. I would discuss starting Denamarin with your vet first prior to adding any an additional supplement into the mix. I hope this helps guide you in the right direction! Please let me know if you have any other questions or concerns and I would be more than happy to help you further.

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.

Thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! When the liver suffers an insult (such as a toxicity) it can take some time for it to regenerate/repair and all values to return to normal. This process can take months. Typical supportive medications given to dogs with liver injury include Denamarin, Vitamin E, Acetylcysteine, and Ursodiol. A prescription hepatic diet (such as Hill's L/D or Royal Canin Hepatic) may also aid in decreasing any ongoing liver injury. Ursodiol is an oral medication, available by prescription only, that can add in reducing bilirubin by stimulating bile flow from the gallbladder through the biliary tree. It cannot be used if there is underlying gallbladder disorder, such as a gallbladder mucocele (gallstone). Your veterinarian will prescribe this if they feel this will benefit Tasha's recovery. You can certainly schedule a recheck with Tasha's veterinarian to discuss any additional medications or treatment options that may benefit her. The liver is a highly regenerative organ, and if given the proper support can make a complete or near-complete recovery.

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!

Azathioprine is used in dogs as an immune system suppressant to treat conditions such as inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), colitis or immune mediated anemias. It should be used with caution in dogs with pre-existing liver disease. It can take as long as 6 weeks to begin to see effects from this drug. It may cause decreased white blood cell counts as well as low platelets in some dogs. If Meddy is experiencing any bruising or bleeding, have her rechecked by your veterinarian as soon as you can. Blood work may be indicated to assess liver function and clotting function.

Denamarin is a good choice for Dahilia. This drug speeds up liver cells healing and protects healthy cells from getting damaged. Any wide-spectrum antibiotic can be used. Amoxicillin/clavulanic acid for 2-3 weeks would be a good choice. If her blood results showed also jaundice, she should be put on ursodeoxycholic acid tablets.

Hi, thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! Poor Malin! I would use any drug or supplement with extreme caution on a puppy with a liver shunt. Drugs are not metabolized appropriately due to the shunt bypassing the liver for filtration. What is best is that Malin be seen by your Vet and treated for the nausea and diarrhea. I hope this helps and I wish you and Malin the best!