Liver damage/milk thistle

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Gsmith

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hi all,

May I ask for peoples experiences of the causes of liver damage? How did you find the cause?

Also, vet has recommended milk thistle but can anyone recommend the purest/most effective form? There seems to be a lot on be market and I want to get it right

Thank you in advance.
 
My mare had liver damage end of last year/earlier this year. Took about 4 months off for her to come back to normal again, we never did find the cause. Though that said, within 3 weeks of moving yards her bloods all went back to normal so it may be coincidence or it may have been environmental and something at the old yard.
I used legaphyton and/or hepalyte, both of which I got through the vet though legaphyton can definitley be bought online cheaper. So I can't recommend any brands/types of milk thistle I'm afraid. Hope yours recovers soon :)
 
My son's pony had acute hepatitis a few years ago. She's had milk thistle ever since. I use the D&H one, it's £9.95 in our local feed merchants and seems to be ok at maintaining her. The cause was never established.
 
From experience with my dog, I would ask your vet whether its worth going for something which also contains SAMe (s-adenosylmethionine). I understand it's much more effective than milk thistle alone. But sadly not cheap!
 
My mini Shetland has had major liver problems, cause unknown as she is a rescue. After a tub of legaphyton which the vet made her a present of she is permanently on Feedmark's milk thistle and is doing very well.
 
A little while ago now, but my last horse had raised liver enzymes in his very early days with me. Came to light when I moved to my current yard and they wanted blood tests before I moved here. Vet recommended to put him on milk thistle, and I used the liquid version from D&H, mainly because I found it the easiest to deal with. Had further blood tests about a year later and his levels were back to normal. Never really knew what had caused it, speculated that it could have been to do with worm burden before I got him, or possibly that he'd eaten some ragwort at some point.
 
Yes, cause unknown had him 11 years so know what he has been eating etc, just discussing the possibility of fluke with vet but I think unlikely, virus best current guess! had a couple of weeks if the vets tonic and now had equimins milk thistle as we get our vit/min from there and will retest with jabs in march as he is fine in himself
 
My nearly 35 year old cushings pony is on Legaphyton permanently. It perked him up considerably when he was looking very poorly. I believe it is a much more concentrated form of milk thistle than other brands which is reflected in the price but well worth I think. Much cheaper to buy online than from my vet.
 
Thank you all for your experiences and recommendations, it's really helpful as something I have never dealt with before. looks like it's worth getting some legaphyton, will discuss with vet.

Vet has ruled out viral due to other blood test results and seems to think it environmental as more than one horse afffected. Found a sycamore that is blowing seeds in to the field, but I am unsure as to whether that only causes aytipical myopathy or whether it can cause milder liver damage too? Needless to say they will be moved from that grazing until we can sort the problem.
 
I went through a long list of possibilities but failed to come up with anything and weed wise even less about this time of year! One down the road had trouble with mycotoxin after a particularly wet winter (horse got ill in the Feb)
 
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