SAMe

Just as it is in people, SAMe is vital for many activities in pets:

Detoxification
Recovery from illness
Preventing oxidative stress
Energy production
Gene transcription
Cell growth
Cell signals for repair and regeneration

About 80% of SAMe is made by the liver, so when your pet’s liver is not working optimally SAMe supplementation is beneficial. The liver does not work well in any pet with

advancing age
anorexia,
obesity,
fatty livers (hepatic lipidosis),
liver infections (feline immunodeficiency virus, hepatitis),
severe burns
infections (leptospirosis, Lyme disease)
cancer(feline leukemia, lymphosarcoma, hemangiosarcoma), or
poor diets.

Pets also benefit from SAMe when the liver is normal but has an increased need for SAMe. For example, SAMe benefits pets:

undergoing surgery (ear cleaning, spaying, neutering, anal sac flush, grass awn removal, or clipping of mats)
medicated with phenobarbital,
medicated with nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (Rimadyl, EtoGesic, and Phenylbutazone),
eating farmed fish (heavy metals, PCBs, and dioxins)
poisoned by toxic substances from lead paint or pesticides, or
ingesting acetaminophen (Tylenol).

It’s easy to see why most ill pets need SAMe, but healthy pets also benefit from supplementation because SAMe promotes a healthy liver. Pets with healthy livers live longer, and they have greater resilience to disease and degenerative conditions.

SAMe is manufactured by several different companies. Only purchase products sealed in foil. If the pills are in a bottle they are exposed to enough oxygen that they are no longer effective. They're still expensive, just not effective.

In addition to seeing that your pet has genuine SAMe, it’s important to give the medication first thing in the morning when your pet has an empty stomach. (Remember to remove kibble after supper so your pet won’t snack at night.) Then, after giving SAMe, wait an hour before offering breakfast to ensure the medication is absorbed. If you are not likely to follow these steps, SAMe will not hurt your pet, it just won’t be absorbed. In that case, you can use different methods to support your pet’s liver function. For example, use an over-the-counter homeopathic medication made by Heel called Hepar, which is available in some health food stores. Or supplement with Marin, which contains milk thistle and zinc. It is also wise to occasionally feed your pet organic beef, lamb, or chicken livers.

The liver is central to your pet’s physical and mental health. Everything you do to support your pet’s healthy liver function will help it have a longer, healthier life.