Wednesday, April 30, 2025

Sam-e for Dogs - why boosting Liver Health can help with Mood and Depression

UPDATE 8/31/25

I have been using this supplement for Kali (ten drops per day) for a few weeks now, and cannot say enough good things about it. Her mood immediately improved after I started giving it to her. She had been looking sad and depressed on the couch. She would only have a few moments of looking like this, per day, like if I took her to the beach. But right after I started giving it to her, her mood changed. She started smiling again, and she had more energy. She actually started pulling me to go longer on her walks!!! Now, she will have this look on her face when she's just sitting on the couch doing nothing! I kid you not.

I had done some research on Sam-e in the past, and it's a supplement I've taken myself for depression / anxiety and I really liked it. I used to buy it when it went on sale at Costco, but they stopped selling it.

I knew this stuff was really powerful for the liver. I also knew it was a really good mood booster, but somehow, with everything going on, I just didn't get around to buying it. I started making this post way back in April but didn't actually buy it until just a few weeks ago. I wish I had started sooner. If I had known how helpful this was going to be, I would have bought it right away.

It occurred to me yesterday that this is a really, really important supplement for all dogs and people who are going through cancer treatment. Because it is almost impossible to find something that can really boost your mood and make you feel good during cancer treatment. 


I started taking this brand of Sam-e myself, because it's cheaper than the liquid type I give to Kali and works just as well. On that note, you might be able to give your dog a pill form instead of the liquid type, if you can get your dog to take it (just make sure it doesn't have anything dangerous for dogs.... I don't know about this one). I didn't even TRY getting Kali to take a pill form (if I did try, I'd have went with the Nature Made type, without all this extra stuff this one has in it).  But I just had a feeling she'd spit it out and the pill would be wasted, so I didn't even bother. Again... this brand shown to the left is NOT the one I give to Kali, it's the one I got for myself but like it a lot. The liquid one costs a little more but I don't mind since it's worth it's weight in gold. 

A person or animal with cancer is really prone to crippling depression and anxiety that can increase their stress levels. A person or animal that is under extreme stress can have a very hard time getting better from cancer, if they're having to deal with chronic stress. I really believe this is part of the reason i lost my husband and one of my best friends, Jeanne (a woman who was like my second mom and mentor.) to cancer. And it was the same thing for my husband. I'm going to write a separate post about all the things that we went through, to explain to people why i'm so passionate about helping people and animals with cancer.

The other reason I think this is a really important supplement for any human or animal going through cancer treatment, is because it's really beneficial for the liver. When cancer cells are killed, that puts a lot of stress on the liver, because it has to get rid of all these excess toxins. When I was helping Jeanne with her cancer, I was watching a ton of videos about cancer, including many videos by the late great Dr. Nick Gonzalez. I'm in one of his videos, I remember him saying that dead tumor waste is extremely toxic. That alone can kill a person if you don't have a safe way to get rid of that waste. I believe it was doctor William Donald Kelley who taught him that?Coffee enemas can get rid of that waste, because they help the liver to produce way mpre glutathione.

I actually considered giving Kali a coffee enema, but decided against it after doing some research on it. It sounded a little bit too risky. And needless to say, did not sound like it would be a pleasant experience for either of us!!!

Luckily, Sam-e seems to be doing a nice job of keeping her in a good mood, so hopefully that coffee enema will never be necessary.

-----------------------------

Over the years, I've learned, from experience, that Sam-e is a GREAT mood-booster.  This is largely because it can improve liver health. In Chinese medicine, it's said that poor liver health can make a person depressed or angry. They say the liver is where anger is stored.

But good liver health can make a person (or pet) feel great. I've seen this with my own eyes. My (now late) husband struggled with liver issues, but this supplement always helped to put him in a good mood.  And I've had similar results in taking it myself. I'm ordering this for Kali because she's looked anxious and depressed lately, while her tumor has been growing out of control. So I am getting this for her, in the hopes that it will not only put her in a better mood, but also help her to detoxify from some of the dead tumor waste that is going to go through her system as I treat her.

I'm getting this supplement for Kali. You can check out the reviews from pet owners, on this page. I'm including both the good and bad reviews with the word "dog" in it... luckily, most of the reviews are good : ). 


https://amzn.to/45uwRDW

From the United States

  • 9 people found this helpful
  • 19 people found this helpful
  • Reviewed in the United States on June 5, 2014
    SAM-E has been known to help dogs with heightened liver enzymes (liver disease). My dog is 18 lbs., about 14 years old, and actually licks 10 drops (which the manufacturer determined is about 200 mg - which is what Vet recommended) of the liquid directly from the bottle. She seems to like the taste (I tried it before giving to the dog, and I did not sense much taste). Her energy level has been increased after only a week of using. Supposed to be good for joint care as well.
    14 people found this helpful
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  • Reviewed in the United States on December 30, 2015
    This product is helping me save my Dog's life! My Corgi has an autoimmune disease (IMHA) and he has been taking corticosteroids for over a year. The meds cause damage to his liver so I've been giving him this along with Milk Thistle to help his liver. Every other month we do bloodwork to check his liver values and when it is high, giving this to him lowers it back to the normal range. He gets about 5 drops twice a day with his food and doesn't mind it. We'be bought 3 bottles of this so far. I've tried it and it has a little tang to it, but not bad!
    5 people found this helpful
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  • Reviewed in the United States on May 23, 2013
    I used this for my dog because he couldn't take the large pills the vet prescribed. His liver enzymes were over 800 and were supposed to be under 100. In 30 days, he was back in the 80s. It tastes kind of sweet so my dog didn't seem to mind it dropped into his canned dog food. I give him 10-20 drops a day and he's a 5 pound chihuahua. I did change his diet to a Hills LD prescription food also but the vet thinks this product did a lot of the work.
    16 people found this helpful
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  • Reviewed in the United States on December 15, 2014
    This definitely made a difference for me. I specifically started taking it to help with my mood. I've struggled with
    mood swings and getting sad or irritable, and over time I noticed a change. Things didn't get to me like they
    previously did...ran out and have noticed a difference. Time to order more and make sure I don't run out.

    I will also be giving it to my elderly dog who definitely has some dementia issues...my hope is it will help his joints,
    mobility and help the dementia issues also.
    6 people found this helpful
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  • Reviewed in the United States on February 25, 2015
    This amazing natural solution (combined with Milk Thistle which I add separately to my dogs' meals) has been a life saver - literally. it has perked up my 15 yr old dog by giving her just a few drops 1/2 hour before each meal. It has also protected my epileptic dogs' liver while he's on all these different medications. I will always have a little bottle of Sam-e on hand throughout all my dog's various stages of life! Amazing stuff!
    14 people found this helpful
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  • Reviewed in the United States on February 23, 2018
    I give this to my older dog for anxiety. If I forget it for a few days, the anxiety (related to loud noises) returns – so I know it works! I put the drops into a small bowl, and sprinkle a tiny amount of desiccated liver on it. She thinks it's a treat :)
    2 people found this helpful
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  • Reviewed in the United States on August 7, 2015
    My dog was suffering from n unknown Liver ailment. Our vet suggested we give her Sam-E with milk thistle as well-just a few drops in her food at each feeding. Miraculous! She is just like new!
    8 people found this helpful
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  • Reviewed in the United States on January 21, 2016
    My veterinarian recommended Sam-e for my dog as she has degenerative liver disease. I always buy Sam-e Liquid Formula from Lumina Health. This product is good quality and Lumina Health is a reliable company and ships fast.
    2 people found this helpful
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From the United States


From the United States



This information is from an earlier post I did...

I have 2 shepherds I'm thinking about giving Sam-e to, because it's really good for the liver and works as an antidepressant. I've used it before and can say it really does boost mood. I almost always get it from Costco, where it comes on sale at least twice a year. 

I am thinking of giving it to my dog Kali, who has tumors i am trying to shrink. I learned that things that improve liver health also tend to boost your mood. I also want to give this to my dog Fafi, who is pretty neurotic and has a lot of anxiety. I think her condition will improve when I can spend more time with her, but right now I'm dealing with some issues that really limit my time. 

In my research today in Sam-e, I looked for reviews from people who said they gave it to their dog. Since I looked it up, I thought it might be worth posting here, for anyone else who might want to see this. A few people said it helped their dogs who had depression. 

Overall, the reviews are really good. One person complained it is a laxative and gave it a bad review, please do your own research on that, I haven't verified this in any way, just know it worked great for me, and intend to give it to my dogs as soon as I can afford it. 


Nature Made SAM-e 200 mg Complete, 

Dietary Supplement for Mood Support, 

60 Tablets, 30 Day Supply

From the United States



  • 117 people found this helpful
  • Reviewed in the United States on December 9, 2013
    We use this supplement for our 13-year old dog (pit/boxer mix; 50 lbs) who developed liver issues and had two abnormally high liver enzymes in her blood work. She suffered from unquenchable thirst and ravenous hunger. She did not have Cushing's Disease. We were freezing her water and at wits end watching a great dog suffer. After using this and milk thistle for three months, one of her enzymes return to normal range and the other was stable. Her symptoms completely abated. Why I recommend this product over other brands (we tried many) is that we got very consistent results from only this brand. When on the others, the symptoms would return and we had to try giving her additional dosages or change back to this brand to make her symptoms go away. It appears that this brand has good quality controls. We have been using this brand exclusively for two years and have had good/great results. This supplement is suppose to "restore a healthy mood" in people, I know that it has made me incredibly happy to see my dog feel better and be symptom free.
    6 people found this helpful
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  • Reviewed in the United States on September 27, 2016
    I heard about Sam-e when it was recommended for my dog and I did some research online. Long story short, I started taking it myself as well. I'm a physician and wasn't sure what to expect. TWO EFFECTS
    1) My chronic low grade depression has completely resolved. Its like I have a new positive outlook on life. NO other medicine has ever helped me with this issue.
    2) This drug has improved my libido from a life long 1/10 to a 10/10, and I'm over 60. It is literally a miracle as far as I am concerned.

    The only negative effect if you want to call it that is I now just sleep about 5 hours a night. No insomnia, just rested and ready to go after 5 hours.

    The above is all true and written by someone who considers 99.999% of all supplements total BS.
    46 people found this helpful
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  • Reviewed in the United States on August 1, 2017
    Great quality, consistent and easy to open foil packs. So tired of mg strengths exceeding what is needed to achieve results or packaging that arthritic hands cannot open without scissors. I know the quality of product from Nature Made. I administer one tablet to my senior dog first thing in the morning, before any food. It has helped his liver but the addition of Milk Thistle twice a day was the clincher. To help with any stomach upset, he also gets Pepcid A/C twice a day too, and once a day, he gets Trinfac-B, which boosts his energy level. The combo of supplements and medication has allowed us to beat back Father Time for over a year. Savoring every day and thankful for this quality product.
    46 people found this helpful
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  • Reviewed in the United States on May 29, 2022
    I order as liver supplement for my 60 lb dog. Wish they were smaller so easier to swallow. I put in small amount of cheese.
    3 people found this helpful
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  • Reviewed in the United States on February 21, 2014
    I have a 10 year old Boston Terrier who suffers from early symptoms of Alzheimers which has quite an impact on his mood. When I took him to our veterinarian, she recommended SAM-e 400mg tablets to boost his mood and hopefully give him a much happier outlook on life. I give him half of a tablet, once per day as recommended by the vet and so far he has wanted to run around, play, and get lots of attention (which is something he NEVER wanted to do before)! I highly recommend this if your dog is of senior age and experiencing the same symptoms as my dog was, but before you try this, you MUST talk to your veterinarian prior to giving your dog this because there could be other underlying issues your dog may have that are impacting his or her mood.
    15 people found this helpful
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  • Reviewed in the United States on May 25, 2013
    I ordered SAM-e per recommendation by our vet. Our older dog (she is 14 now) began to exhibit signs of mental deterioration (confusion, barking endlessly, etc.) so we decided to give these a shot before taking her to a neurologist. Not only has she improved mentally, but she seems to be more active and spry. She is a dachshund, so we worry about joint pain, and ever since we started giving her these tablets, she seems like the dog she was two years ago. While they were not a cure all, and she still sometimes gets confused (probably more now because of her limited vision than mental clarity), they really worked wonders for her. We are very happy with the results, as we are confident that we will have more time with our wonderful baby.
    2 people found this helpful
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  • Reviewed in the United States on July 13, 2016
    Actually, I give 200 mg SAM-e to both my dogs--one a day about an hour before dinner. A few years ago, my now 14-year old terrier mix rescue had kidney and bladder stones, and also felt he may have a liver issue. The Vet put him on Denamarin and a urinary prescription diet. Then a Vet specialist she sent me to said the one ingredient he really needs in the Denamarin is in SAM-e, and it's much less expensive. I've been giving this to him ever since, and also give it to my now 16-year old terrier mix rescue. I LOVE my adopted furry children!
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    19 people found this helpful
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  • Reviewed in the United States on June 11, 2018
    I use this for my German Shepherd. She was depressed because my other dog died. The vet recommended I give her this and has certainly helped.

    Not only does it help with depression but it has joint support. Anyone who knows about German Shepherds knows that is a excellent addition to the product!
    3 people found this helpful
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From the United States





From the United States






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