Recommendations for Dogs with Fatty Tumors

Written by: Dr. Jean Hofve, Holistic Veterinarian, DVM

Question:

My 11 yr old Lab has a "questionable tumor" on his left lung. This is after he's been diagnosed with harmless fatty tumors all over his belly etc. for a few years. I am amongst the thought process that I will take the best care of my baby until he is in too much pain to survive. ( I say this after putting his sibling through 2 chemo therapy treatments for lung cancer and ultimately he died shortly after the second treatment). What can I do to maintain his quality of life?

Answer:

Benign fatty tumors in the skin, called lipomas, are very common in older dogs, particularly retrievers. The skin is the largest organ of the body and a major route of elimination. Accumulated toxins are frequently expressed as skin symptoms, including lipomas.This is an indication of a need to “clean house,” but the detoxification process is necessary in all cases of chronic disease, especially cancer. Obviously, avoiding household and environmental contaminants, as well as excessive vaccines, is an important part of this process, but the key is nutrition. A clean, healthy diet helps the body eliminate waste products and other unwanted substances.Even the best dry foods are highly processed and necessarily contain numerous additives and preservatives, whether natural or synthetic. Additionally, because certain cancers prefer carbohydrates, dry foods are undesirable. Canned foods are better, but conventional brands may still contain coloring and texturizing agents and are heat processed. Best is a balanced, low-carb (grain free) homemade diet made with organic ingredients, utilizing raw foods, but when this isn’t possible or practical, reasonable alternatives include:

Frozen raw dietsFreeze dried diets

Only Natural Pet Freeze Dried Patties

Only Natural Pet Greens & Nutrition Boosts

In a dog with a history of lipomas, specific vaccine detoxification Thuja and skin-supporting Omega 3 fatty acids would also be helpful.