Milk thistle

[spotty_pony]

Anybody feed milk thistle for healthy liver function?

I am considering starting my boy on some. His skin burns a lot easier in the summer now than it used to do, and Vet recommended that if this continues to get bloods done which I will do. But I have just read online that somebody’s horse had raised liver enzymes and Veg advised to feed milk thistle for 4 weeks and then retest so I was thinking of just starting him on milk thistle anyway?

Any experiences welcome, and also do you just feed a course of it for say a month or do you feed it permanently?

 

[Bernster]

Yes, with success. Had a horse on loan for a bit - blood test showed raised liver enzymes. Vet issued a liver tonic for 4 weeks and supported using milk thistle, which she was already on. Admittedly having already been on it, it hadn’t stopped her liver issues from coming back but it was fairly cheap and vet was positive about using it as a regular supplement.

 

[criso]

My horse had raised liver enzymes and the vet advised it. The tonic from the vet also contained it together with other things.

I carried on feeding it all the time was I was at that yard as all the horses had raised liver enzymes but we never got to the bottom of what caused it. I fed for a while after I moved, but stopped after bloods returned to normal.