Ivory & Beau Posted July 7, 2014 Share Posted July 7, 2014 I thought I would record Ivy after her second lipoma surgery, which she had on June 24th 2014. The entire Lipoma wasn't removed as the very top section had a vein through it but I am thankful it in right at the top as the lower one were affecting her front leg. She was favoring the leg for awhile, which opted me to have her operated on again. I am very happy to announce that said leg is totally fine now! So her diet has changed to Ziwi Peak, with raw roo. Cooked pumpkin and/or sweet potato [only given once a day]. I am now grating raw turmeric [i now have yellow fingers, opps] and she gets a bit every feed. A little hard to find raw turmeric, so I am going to buy organic ground turmeric as a back up. The raw root I can buy locally is Australian Grown, which is an added bonus. I have done a lot of reading about feeding Turmeric to dogs with Lipomas. I haven't really keep any reference but I am very happy to go back and find any info for anyone :) I may also try Sunday Pets as a back up for Ziwi Peak but I am yet to buy any. Ziwi Peak is really expensive but for her only and a 1kg bag has already lasted two weeks, I don't think it is going to be too much of a struggle. I did just score a bag half price because I had a credit note on a bag of expired Daily Cat I ask that anyone who disagrees on her diet to refrain from making any comments. Ivory means the entire world to me and I am doing my best to keep her as healthy as possible so we may have many more moons together. I am personally very fragile at the moment, since having a serious car accident eight months ago [possible court case to prove the guy who hit me was at fault] and now to have Ivys health worry me. So please don't question me about her diet. I am posting this in hopes that Ivy and I will help other dog owners, who in the future may be caught with Lipomas. Operation updates .. Possible injection site inflammation [appeared Friday night] which we will show the vet tomorrow as her stitches are due to come out; two week mark! Drain was taken out last week and all seems to be going fine since. No fluid build up. Ivy is also back to her normal self too. She chases the postie through the fence every weekday, like a mad girl. Her drive is to die for and just like that; she's chilling on the couch. Note .. For anyone not sure, Ivy is Groenendael Belgian Shepherd 13/07/2008 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
persephone Posted July 7, 2014 Share Posted July 7, 2014 I can't see anything wrong with the diet :) it sounds nourishing and delicious!! I am hoping you both take care of each other now ... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rebanne Posted July 7, 2014 Share Posted July 7, 2014 I'd like any references you can find about lipoma's and tumeric. Fern has a infiltrative lipoma near her spine. Would like to stop that in it's track's if possible. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ivory & Beau Posted July 7, 2014 Author Share Posted July 7, 2014 I'd like any references you can find about lipoma's and tumeric. Fern has a infiltrative lipoma near her spine. Would like to stop that in it's track's if possible. Turmeric in diet link #1 This is one website I found which has so far been the most detailed. And one I can link to quickly. Down the right hand side are links to different areas and you'll find their article about Turmeric. Note .. I didn't start Ivy on Turmeric until I was sure that her wound was past the critical stage as Turmeric can make their blood slow to clot. So please be SURE to NOT feed Turmeric to dogs with open wounds. Ivy started on it Saturday 5th, so it was well past the ten day mark and she's been under my constant eye. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mackiemad Posted July 7, 2014 Share Posted July 7, 2014 (edited) English ivy - not questioning what you feed ivy as it sounds magnificent! I have health issues and my gp and dieticians insisted I include turmeric in my diet at least 4 times weekly, I used organic powdered turmeric. Where have you found the links between diet and lipomas? Do you think they're due to the liver having to work out toxins from the diet out of the body? Just interested as I'm always trying to learn :) Or do you think it's because a stressed digestive system increases chance of lipomas? Edit: I guess what I'm trying to ask is do you think her previous diet contributed to the lipomas? And can you break down how this new, rawer diet is helping her body not produce any more lipomas? You've clearly done your research and we all want to keep our companions with us for as long as possible and give them the very best :) Edited July 7, 2014 by mackiemad Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rebanne Posted July 7, 2014 Share Posted July 7, 2014 I'd like any references you can find about lipoma's and tumeric. Fern has a infiltrative lipoma near her spine. Would like to stop that in it's track's if possible. Turmeric in diet link #1 This is one website I found which has so far been the most detailed. And one I can link to quickly. Down the right hand side are links to different areas and you'll find their article about Turmeric. I've been googling as well. Do you add anything to the turmeric to aid the bioavailability as most sites suggest? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ivory & Beau Posted July 7, 2014 Author Share Posted July 7, 2014 I've been googling as well. Do you add anything to the turmeric to aid the bioavailability as most sites suggest? Been meaning to buy coconut oil to add. But no, not adding anything as yet. She does get oils but from reading, Coconut is the best? At this early stage, I'm making sure the Turmeric isn't affecting her wound and its healing. mackiemad .. Ivy had her first Lipomas [same area on her body] removed late 2012. They grew back pretty quick. Vet said we should just leave them and watch their progress. At that stage I did have her on ground Turmeric and her normal diet of dry food and raw meat. Life got a head of me and I stopped the Turmeric. To which point I think they started appearing again but I can't be 100%. I found Ivy to put on weight even if she sniffed a bowl of dry food. I never kept up feeding roo meat back then as it didn't fit well with Badger and him needing a higher fat diet. Four dogs = a lot of work. So I fed them all the same. Sometimes it was cheap dry food but they never had an issue with it, except Ivy. Late 2013 she starting showing lameness in her front right paw and the Lipoma had grown quite low on her rib cage. My gut knew it was from the lump. Then I had my car accident and life stopped until a few weeks ago. The dogs were put on the back burner while I healed. As for what Turmeric does to the body to help the growths; I'm still learning this and I plan on reading human related articles too. Do you still take Turmeric? Did your doctors notice a change? How did you add the ground powder to your diet? I guess what I'm doing for Ivy is a trial of a non processed diet with Turmeric to see if it slows down the Lipoma growth and aggressiveness. Apologies if I don't make any sense or repeat myself. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gila Posted July 7, 2014 Share Posted July 7, 2014 Hmm that's really interesting. Spence has heaps of lipomas. Only one really big one though, which sounds like its in the same spot Ivy's was. It hasn't affected his movement thankfully. Is the turmeric just supposed to prevent the formation of new lipomas? Does it have any affect on existing ones? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ivory & Beau Posted July 7, 2014 Author Share Posted July 7, 2014 (edited) Hmm that's really interesting. Spence has heaps of lipomas. Only one really big one though, which sounds like its in the same spot Ivy's was. It hasn't affected his movement thankfully. Is the turmeric just supposed to prevent the formation of new lipomas? Does it have any affect on existing ones? I'm not 110% sure at the moment but as far as I'm aware, it prevents formation of new ones and slows the growth of current ones in their system. The green section on this Mal shows where Ivy has had hers. Edited July 7, 2014 by english.ivy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mackiemad Posted July 7, 2014 Share Posted July 7, 2014 No that makes sense to me ivy :) I've never heard of turmeric being used in that way but it has certainly helped me. I add it into warm water with lemon as a drink twice day when I have it. (tastes terrible but I just down it quickly!) I also chuck it in almost everything I cook these days too. The specialists tell me it's antibacterial qualities help detox my body and allow my nervous system to function better. Since being on the turmeric I find my digestive symptoms are better and some other symptoms lessened - though I do take a myriad of other things too. But it, more than others, has helped with skin lesions I get. Hasn't helped with my hair falling out, but the b12 injections help with that. Docs also have me on a multi b vitamin (doc grade not supermarket) and magnesium for the nerve issues too, if that helps at all? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ivory & Beau Posted July 7, 2014 Author Share Posted July 7, 2014 Just remembered something I read the other day but not sure where I saw it. Or the exact wording sorry. Lipomas are caused by the body not being able to process the carbs/fat/bad stuff normally, so pockets of fat are collected and stored around the body. So it is my belief that if you remove the excess carbs etc and add foods to the diet that help their body process better, then you have a smaller chance of their body continuing to produce lipomas. As for the part of their body that isn't working very well, as far as I know, in Ivys case it isn't genetic. Ivys breeder has never come across this in her time owning and breeding Belgians. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gila Posted July 7, 2014 Share Posted July 7, 2014 No that makes sense to me ivy :) I've never heard of turmeric being used in that way but it has certainly helped me. I add it into warm water with lemon as a drink twice day when I have it. (tastes terrible but I just down it quickly!) I also chuck it in almost everything I cook these days too. The specialists tell me it's antibacterial qualities help detox my body and allow my nervous system to function better. Since being on the turmeric I find my digestive symptoms are better and some other symptoms lessened - though I do take a myriad of other things too. But it, more than others, has helped with skin lesions I get. Hasn't helped with my hair falling out, but the b12 injections help with that. Docs also have me on a multi b vitamin (doc grade not supermarket) and magnesium for the nerve issues too, if that helps at all? I think I'll try adding turmeric to Spencer's diet too. If it has the same positive effect on a dogs nervous system, that would be awesome. Spence has laryngeal paralysis which some vets think could be an early symptom of more general nerve degeneration. I've read that turmeric also helps with arthritis, so he could definitely do with all those benefits! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
trifecta Posted July 7, 2014 Share Posted July 7, 2014 As for the part of their body that isn't working very well, as far as I know, in Ivys case it isn't genetic. Ivys breeder has never come across this in her time owning and breeding Belgians. My Groenendael who is also Midniara bred has a lipoma in an identical spot to Ivy's. My vet tells me this is a common location for this type of benign tumour. My girl is older than yours, different sires & dams, although they do share a line through Mashiara Spellbinder. Marles has been fed raw since I acquired her at 11 months in 2005, so has had a completely different diet to Ivy. While the frequency of lipomas increases with obesity, my dog has always been fit & lean. I have done quite a bit of research but cannot find anything conclusive which links diet to lipomas..... I have found a lot of anecdotal bullshit however :D I also cannot conclude lipomas are fat build ups due to lack of exercise, our dogs get a lot of free running, walk about 8-10km most days with a good hike over 17 - 20km once per week usually at weekends. They are fit & lean, even the vet mentioned Marles' fitness for her age. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ivory & Beau Posted July 7, 2014 Author Share Posted July 7, 2014 (edited) My Groenendael who is also Midniara bred has a lipoma in an identical spot to Ivy's. My vet tells me this is a common location for this type of benign tumour. My girl is older than yours, different sires & dams, although they do share a line through Mashiara Spellbinder. Marles has been fed raw since I acquired her at 11 months in 2005, so has had a completely different diet to Ivy. While the frequency of lipomas increases with obesity, my dog has always been fit & lean. I have done quite a bit of research but cannot find anything conclusive which links diet to lipomas..... I have found a lot of anecdotal bullshit however :D I also cannot conclude lipomas are fat build ups due to lack of exercise, our dogs get a lot of free running, walk about 8-10km most days with a good hike over 17 - 20km once per week usually at weekends. They are fit & lean, even the vet mentioned Marles' fitness for her age. Oh I didn't know you have a Midniara too. She sounds great for a nine year old :) What size is her lipoma and at what age did it start growing? Every dog is different and I just wanted to share my experience with everyone. Ivys have grown really aggressive and I can't stand back and not try. Ivy has never been fat, I just find her weight is always having to be watched. Edited July 7, 2014 by english.ivy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
trifecta Posted July 8, 2014 Share Posted July 8, 2014 (edited) EI, yes you are right, every dog is different, & unfortunately so are tumours, benign or malignant! Good on you for approaching this holistically, turmeric (curcumin) has been shown in clinical studies to have the potential to suppress tumours as well as being a powerful anti-inflammatory useful in the treatment of arthritis. About 3 weeks ago Marles had a lump come up very quickly above her left elbow which extends into her armpit. I had noticed she was stepping a bit short prior to finding the lump but apparently lipomas can be painful when they grow so large as to burst through the muscle fascia. The vet advised me to wait & see if the unevenness in gait persisted before deciding to remove it surgically. The lipoma is not as large as Ivy's, it is probably as big as a small pear being elongated in shape. It looks like Marles will have to have a tooth removed in the coming weeks due to a slab fracture so I will opt to have the lipoma removed & both procedures can be done at the same time. I must admit I haven't heard of lipomas growing back once removed, but I guess if it is in a tricky place as far as veins & mechanics go, then it is difficult to remove cleanly. Have you had Ivy's lump sent for pathology? ETA Just looked up our pedigrees, Georgie's granddam & Buddy's dam were litter sisters. I really love those Murrybel dogs! Edited July 8, 2014 by trifecta Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ivory & Beau Posted July 8, 2014 Author Share Posted July 8, 2014 Please let me know how Marles goes with her surgery. In a sad way, it is good to hear that another Belgian related to Ivy also has Lipomas. I'm a full blown pro at recovery after Lipoma surgery hehehe. So if you need any hints! Yes, the short stepping was what Ivy had been doing. At first I thought she had played too hard and whacked her shoulder. So I kept her quiet for a couple of weeks and it didn't get better or worse. It was just there. As for having the lumps tested, not as yet we haven't. Though I will see how the lumps go over the next 6 or so months. She did have a fine needle late 2012, which lead to it being Lipoma. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
trifecta Posted August 5, 2014 Share Posted August 5, 2014 Today Marles had her lipoma surgically removed. It was a straight forward operation, the vet just peeled the skin back & removed it in one piece. It was about the size of an orange. Fortunately there are no drains - just sutures internally and externally. Obviously she is a little uncomfortable tonight & unable to lie on the side of the wound, but she is bright & ate up voraciously although she also had a fractured molar removed at the same time The hard bit will be no running & jumping for 10 days until the sutures are removed :laugh: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ivory & Beau Posted August 5, 2014 Author Share Posted August 5, 2014 Yay, glad it went so well! How big is the wound? Photos? Yeah good luck not allowing Marles to jump or run around. It was impossible to stop Ivy. Ivy has healed really well. Scabs are drying up and coming off randomly. The weird bump that appeared near a possible injection site has thankfully gone!! And we're back to walking everyday and she's walking perfectly. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
trifecta Posted August 6, 2014 Share Posted August 6, 2014 Wound is about 3" long. Understandably she has been a bit doughy today, but perked up considerably after a short walk late afternoon. I think it did her good to move around, it will stop the build up of fluid. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ivory & Beau Posted September 5, 2014 Author Share Posted September 5, 2014 Update on Miss Ivory. I learnt from a very detailed Facebook page [though I am no longer on FB for personal reasons] the correct way to feed Turmeric and since doing so, the remaining lump that wasn't taken out from surgery has shrunk considerably. It is also less condensed in the way it feels. She also wears a Wolfpack backpack and she absolutely loves coming out to work. So all four dogs get the special Turmeric mix added to their breakfast every morning! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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