Milk thistle (Silybum marianum) has been shown to protect the liver in all creatures, human as well as canine, and can actually help prevent liver damage when a dog is undergoing any harsh medical protocol. “There is a connection between the liver’s health and the health of the eyes,” says Dr. Terry Fox of Buck Mountain Botanicals in Miles City, Montana. That means there’s yet another benefit to this powerful plant: Milk thistle can help stave off canine lenticular sclerosis, or clouding of the eye’s lens (a.k.a. old dog eye syndrome), which sets in between the ages of 6 and 8 years. Few things are more heartbreaking than the sight of one’s beloved older dog gazing at you through cloudy lenses. But Milk thistle may safely be taken every day as a geriatric support that actually ameliorates old dog eye syndrome. And that’s great news for anyone with a senior dog.
