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Grants

W04-011: Silybin, an antioxidant treatment for liver disease in cats

Alternative or complementary therapies are gaining interest today. In humans and animals, an herbal product frequently prescribed for treatment of liver disease is milk thistle. The principal extract of this herbal product is silybin. Recent studies have shown promising effects of this compound in the treatment of human liver disease. The mechanism of silybin’s action is thought to be as an antioxidant, yet there is no scientific information determining a correct dose or efficacy of silybin in the treatment of feline liver disease. The only information regarding milk thistle therapy in cats is anecdotal. The purpose of this study is to determine an appropriate dose of silybin for cats and to determine the antioxidant effects of silybin in the blood of cats having liver disease

Grant ID: W04-011

Status: Active

Year Funded: 2004

Amount awarded: $14,660

Investigator: David C. Twedt, DVM, DACVIM; Craig Webb, PhD, DVM, DACVIM and Mark Papich, BS, DVM, MS, DACVCP; Colorado State University