Human SAM-e for dogs

SAM-e **does** degrade very quickly when exposed to light.  However MOST "human" SAM-e preps (particularly the ones in blister packs) are enteric.  meaning they digest in the small intestine.

Dog's don't do that well at all.  So you have to clip the capsule open (sometimes it's a paste, sometimes a liquid, sometimes a powder) and put it in food of some sort because they can't digest the capsules well at all.

My preference is Cell Food SAM-e (Lumina) -- which can be tough to get out of the US (and you're in Singapore).  CellFood SAM-e does have the CellFood supplement in it (which is good stuff) but it's a liquid in a wee tiny 1 oz. bottle.  You use just drops (like my 30 pound cocker got 10-13 drops depending on how compromised his liver was.

So essentially yes -- it degrades fast in light and that's WHY most companies use the blister packs/capsules but those aren't well digested by dogs -- so I'd say try for a liquid.  But I'd keep it "in" something else -- like a big foil ziplock bag in addition to the bottle just as extra protection?

Denosyl/Denamarin is pricey and one of the other problems is it tends to be a tad difficult to digest (I've often heard of IMHA dogs urping it up undigested an hour later cos once again they've used a tough capsule as protection. 

There's no easy "in between" with this -- you'll have to do the best you can.  But this isn't something to buy the giant economy size of -- it breakds down too fast.

I was stunned when I read the title for this post.  I'd be terrified to give my dog this stuff without checking in with a vet.  I'm very interested in why you are doing this, and maybe it's a trend that I'm just not aware of.  How is it good for dogs?  Also, SAM-e is extremely expensive from what I can tell.

It actually **IS** (or was) at the request of my vet.

My Billy had IMHA (immune-mediated hemolytic anemia) - he was on for MANYmonths, really huge immune suppressors (prednisone, cyclosporine, and other drugs) all of which are horrifically bad on the liver.

My dog was initially treated up at the University of Florida in Gainesville by Dr. Xie  and Dr. Goldkamp.  Here locally lby Dr. DiNatale (a holistic vet who is a protege of Dr. Xie) and Dr. Michael Bailey (my 'regular' vet).  All the vets were FINE with me giving him milk thistle -- this was actually **before** the NutraMax Lab version Marin (and Denosyl for the SAM-e) was even available but it was pretty well known even then how incredibly good it was to detox the liver.  Milk thistle and SAM-e literally helped save his life.

 Since then I do a lot to help folks with dogs who have IMHA and IMT (immune-mediated thrombocytopenia) and similar because of all I learned taking caare of Billy.  It is actually such a MASSIVE disease, and the meds so hard-hitting it's almost completely overhwelming for the human taking care of the dog.  In fact, a lot of vets don't even want to treat it (and really shouldn't -- this isn't a typical disease altho it's rapidly becoming more and more common)

A bit further back, I lost a cocker about 9 years ago -- he'd been taking chemo because we knew the surgery to remove his tumor hadn't gotten "clear margins (couldn't - -there wasn't enough flesh TO take).  But the oncologist then had me keep him on chemo a long long long time -- always just asking me "is he nauseus? -- which he wasn't.  No one told me to 'protect' the liver and kidneys, no one told me to have FREQUENT bloodwork done.  I just did "what the vet said". 

The day he 'crashed' and couldn't keep food down was the FIRST I saw of any nausea.  His kidneys were over 75% GONE.  Dead.  never ever to be "fixed".  To be honest?  I walked away from that resolute -- never again to just blindly accept any drug without finding out what it does, what it will do and is there anything ELSE I need to do along with it.

It's pretty well established that SAM-e is an excellent detox for the liver (human or dog)

I'm not going to call it a "trend" Nicole.  I do use a lot of holistic modalties -- I use a really good TCVM vet (she teaches internationally with Dr. Xie) and I also use a vet who does homotoxicology. 

I've learned a LOT.  I've had to.  We've had dogs who had heart/lung issues (many times), cancer (many times), liver issues (more than once), epilepsy/seizures (more than once) .  We tend to take on dogs that have problems just to help a worthwhile dog get better (we do pet therapy and often those dogs make outstanding pet therapy dogs).

I go to the vet with a notebook in hand and take notes.  Because there will be other dogs to help. 

But SAM-e?  That's actually a pretty common one -- it's found at your vet by the name of Denosyl (Marin is the milk thistle one).  I prefer the herb and the supplement.  I honestly have a problem with the company NutraMax Labs who produces those (email me if you're interested and I'll tell you.  HIGH quality product .,.. nothing at all wrong with using them, and thankfully vets HAVE a veterinary equivalent they CAN use for a dog with liver problems or who is on these big damaging drugs.

Darned good question to ask tho.

 For older dogs with arthritis and joint issues, SAM-e also has anti-inflammatory uses on top of what Callie has explained.

Absolutely, Debbie -- for humans too.

And **part** of that (not all but PART of it) is that SAM-e helps the liver process any NSAID they may already be taking so those work better (milk thistle helps HUGELY there as well and that should be used ANY time dog or human is on an NSAID).  But SAM-e was probably first known for arthritis pain relief even before it's liver detoxing benefits were known.

 I saw the liquid SAM-e on iherb, i could order it, but you did mention once that it helps with liver but maybe not the joins, so now I'm not sure. Denosyl or Denamarin plus shipping would cost me $2.50 a pill and for 2 dogs.. quite abit there especially if I could give an alternative with human ones.