Uno has been on raw for about 5 years now, part of it was 50/50 with kibble due to space and budget restrictions. Since I've been working at the store, I have access to some grass fed ground meat sources that I take advantage of, so he's been on full raw since then.
Overall his health is good, he's always been a lazy bum and sleeps on the couch when I'm gone during the day. He doesn't have any joint issues or stiffness and I haven't noticed his endurance decline during the walks/hikes either. I believe that raw diet is one of the main reasons for this, he gets a lot of natural glucosamine/chondroitin from turkey necks, tracheas and duck/turkey feet and I supplement with fish oil daily.
I've been doing a lot of reading on lipomas/mast cell and cancer in general. Most holistic blogs/articles strongly encourage raw diet. The reasoning behind lipomas is lymphatic stagnation due to chemical overload.
It kind of sounds like a load of bull, but it makes sense as well. The initial lumps popped up literally overnight after a took Uno to the vet for his senior blood work. 2 things happened: he was given a sedative which left him drowsy for 2 days. He was also put on prozac for his anxiety issues (he's no longer on it). Within couple days, I find these lumps.
When I checked with the vet, she assured me that it was just a coincidence and had nothing to do with the meds. He was on them for about 3 weeks and since I haven't noticed much of an improvement with his fear issues, I stopped.
Since then, he's been on milk thistle for couple months, along with turmeric powder.
Right now we're doing this "cleanse" based on a recommendation from 3 little pitties. http://www.three-little-pitties.com/canine-lipoma.html
He's tolerated it with no issues and I will continue until I run out of the pills, then probably take a break for couple months.
Since starting the supplement, I have not noticed much of a decrease in his lumps, but they haven't grown either. Another supplement I've added is called CAS resources, its a medicinal mushroom blend along with coenzyme Q 10 and few other vitamins. It's generally used for dogs going through cancer treatment and contains strong immune boosting properties. Once we run out, I'll switch over to a similar supplement called Fungi Perfecti Mush, since it's basically the same thing, but better value.
I have noticed that since using this supplement, he's a lot perkier and more alert, in any regard, it can't hurt and I think it'll benefit him long term.
