# Supplements?



## Dianedp (Dec 16, 2018)

My Havanese mix was just diagnosed with a lipoma (a tumor of fat cells, non-malignant). The vet doesn't want to remove the tumor unless it grows to twice its current size, because it's located on the groin and close to vital organs. I trust our vet and I'm fine with that decision. 

Smokey is at a healthy weight and only two years old. I'd like some suggestions on supplements I could add to his diet to, well, supplement his health. I'm finding a lot of conflicting statements, as well as a lot of herbs, so I thought I'd ask some pet owners what they use. 

Any advice?


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## krandall (Jun 11, 2009)

Dianedp said:


> My Havanese mix was just diagnosed with a lipoma (a tumor of fat cells, non-malignant). The vet doesn't want to remove the tumor unless it grows to twice its current size, because it's located on the groin and close to vital organs. I trust our vet and I'm fine with that decision.
> 
> Smokey is at a healthy weight and only two years old. I'd like some suggestions on supplements I could add to his diet to, well, supplement his health. I'm finding a lot of conflicting statements, as well as a lot of herbs, so I thought I'd ask some pet owners what they use.
> 
> Any advice?


I think with a good, healthy diet, you don't need a ton of supplements unless there is a specific problem you are targeting. All my dogs get probiotics, because it is good for their digestion. Kodi and Panda also get a joint supplement, Kodi because he is older and still competing in obedience where there is some jumping, Panda because she does agility.

There really isn't any supplement that will have any effect on a lipoma. They just happen. They are more common in overweight dogs and older dogs. YOur dog isn't older, but keeping him at a good, slim, healthy weight is the best thing you can do for his health in general, lipoma or not. But there is no "supplement" for that... That is totally a matter of managing calories and providing adequate exercise.

Kodi has a lipoma too. It has been biopsied, and we know for sure that's what it is. The vet will not remove it until/unless it gets big enough to be bothersome for him. But he is almost 10. When I first felt it, it was smaller than a pencil eraser. it is on his ribs, behind his scapula. in the beginning, it was hard to find, because if the skin moved, it would go between the ribs and you couldn't find it. I actually had to mark it with ink so the vet could find it! LOL! Now, about 2 years later, it is easily 4x that size, that that means that it is still fairly small. I can easily find it, and the vet checks it every time she sees him, but I doubt many people, even handling him quite thoroughly, would notice it. I have learned not to worry about it. And I worry about EVERYTHING!!!


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## mudpuppymama (Mar 24, 2012)

My vet recommends a fish oil or omega 3 supplement for dogs for general health and particularly if their skin is itchy. I know of one person who uses it for her itchy dog and says it helped. I do not use it myself. However, I was wondering if anyone in this group uses it. I do give my dogs a small amount of canned sardines (packed in water without salt) occasionally which is high in omega 3s.


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## krandall (Jun 11, 2009)

mudpuppymama said:


> My vet recommends a fish oil or omega 3 supplement for dogs for general health and particularly if their skin is itchy. I know of one person who uses it for her itchy dog and says it helped. I do not use it myself. However, I was wondering if anyone in this group uses it. I do give my dogs a small amount of canned sardines (packed in water without salt) occasionally which is high in omega 3s.


I used to give my dogs fish oil. But it turned out that Kodi is highly alle gic... enough that just licking the face of another dog who has easten a fish product will make him itch. So no more fish oil for us. ( do you have ANY idea jow nany pet foods and treats have fish oik in them?!?? LOL!


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## mudpuppymama (Mar 24, 2012)

krandall said:


> I used to give my dogs fish oil. But it turned out that Kodi is highly alle gic... enough that just licking the face of another dog who has easten a fish product will make him itch. So no more fish oil for us. ( do you have ANY idea jow nany pet foods and treats have fish oik in them?!?? LOL!


Oh wow. Well my dogs did not seem allergic to it. All I got were some loose stools no matter how small the dose and I saw no benefit. I do not even take it myself, makes be burp and stomach uneasy. They do love a small amount of sardine. Finding the source of a food allergy is very difficult when they put common things in so many foods. My yorkie had some issues with various commercial foods which is one reason I wound up making my own. I never could figure out what was bothering him. He does fine on the homemade diet.


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## krandall (Jun 11, 2009)

mudpuppymama said:


> Oh wow. Well my dogs did not seem allergic to it. All I got were some loose stools no matter how small the dose and I saw no benefit. I do not even take it myself, makes be burp and stomach uneasy. They do love a small amount of sardine. Finding the source of a food allergy is very difficult when they put common things in so many foods. My yorkie had some issues with various commercial foods which is one reason I wound up making my own. I never could figure out what was bothering him. He does fine on the homemade diet.


We needed to do an elimination diet and then do Nutriscan testing, THEN build an acceptable diet for Kodi to get a handle on his allergies. The "red herring" (pun intended) was the fish. I was not KNOWINGLY feeding him ANY fish, so that wasn't even on my radar as a possible source of his allergies. It turned out to be one of the worst offenders.


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## Dianedp (Dec 16, 2018)

krandall said:


> I think with a good, healthy diet, you don't need a ton of supplements unless there is a specific problem you are targeting. All my dogs get probiotics, because it is good for their digestion. Kodi and Panda also get a joint supplement, Kodi because he is older and still competing in obedience where there is some jumping, Panda because she does agility.
> 
> There really isn't any supplement that will have any effect on a lipoma. They just happen. They are more common in overweight dogs and older dogs. YOur dog isn't older, but keeping him at a good, slim, healthy weight is the best thing you can do for his health in general, lipoma or not. But there is no "supplement" for that... That is totally a matter of managing calories and providing adequate exercise.
> 
> Kodi has a lipoma too.  It has been biopsied, and we know for sure that's what it is. The vet will not remove it until/unless it gets big enough to be bothersome for him. But he is almost 10. When I first felt it, it was smaller than a pencil eraser. it is on his ribs, behind his scapula. in the beginning, it was hard to find, because if the skin moved, it would go between the ribs and you couldn't find it. I actually had to mark it with ink so the vet could find it! LOL! Now, about 2 years later, it is easily 4x that size, that that means that it is still fairly small. I can easily find it, and the vet checks it every time she sees him, but I doubt many people, even handling him quite thoroughly, would notice it. I have learned not to worry about it. And I worry about EVERYTHING!!!


I noticed Smokey's lump last week because he was looking bigger around the groin/tummy. I poked him with some comment about how he was getting chunky and the lump didn't give. It felt like it was close to two inches around. Now it's definitely not as large, but today it's covered in a big bruise from yesterday's needle aspirations. Poor boy.

Since we don't know what he's mixed _with_, and he was underweight when we adopted him, I always wonder what a good weight is for him. He weighed 13 pounds when we got him 4 1/2 months ago, 16 pounds two months ago, and 18 lbs yesterday. The vet thinks he's at his ideal weight now, so we're sticking with calorie "counting" and (mostly) healthy treats. (He has a mild heart murmur, so I've always been careful about what I let him eat.)

I want Smokey to get more outdoor exercise and we're looking forward to the snow melting. Right now, exercise is mainly bounding through the snow-filled yard and games of "get'cha!" around the house.


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## krandall (Jun 11, 2009)

Dianedp said:


> I noticed Smokey's lump last week because he was looking bigger around the groin/tummy. I poked him with some comment about how he was getting chunky and the lump didn't give. It felt like it was close to two inches around. Now it's definitely not as large, but today it's covered in a big bruise from yesterday's needle aspirations. Poor boy.
> 
> Since we don't know what he's mixed _with_, and he was underweight when we adopted him, I always wonder what a good weight is for him. He weighed 13 pounds when we got him 4 1/2 months ago, 16 pounds two months ago, and 18 lbs yesterday. The vet thinks he's at his ideal weight now, so we're sticking with calorie "counting" and (mostly) healthy treats. (He has a mild heart murmur, so I've always been careful about what I let him eat.)
> 
> I want Smokey to get more outdoor exercise and we're looking forward to the snow melting. Right now, exercise is mainly bounding through the snow-filled yard and games of "get'cha!" around the house.


With small furry dogs, the best way to determine healthy weight is by feeling their ribs, spine and for "tuck up" behind the ribs. If you don't know how, have your vet show you. Even if you knew exactly what breed he was that wouldn't help that much. "slim healthy weight for my 3 varies from 10 lbs for Pixel, to 12.5 for Panda to 17 for Kodi. And the shortest is 10" and the tallest is 11 1/2". There is a LOT that goes into what makes a dog weigh more or less. My lightest weight one is NOT the shortest... but she has a very small frame and "bird bones".


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## Dianedp (Dec 16, 2018)

I read that L-carnitine and chromium are good supplements for dogs with fatty tumors. Opinions? _And_ how do you give a dog a supplement powder if they eat their kibble from a treat ball? He loves his treat ball and I love that he doesn't turn his dish over when he's mad at me. Smokey is very fond of turning plates (and bowls) over--he picks up the plate, carries it about two feet, then flips it. I even caught him doing it to a _glass_ plate with an egg on it. Evidently, Smokes doesn't care for eggs. Brown rice, though, he likes. (We gave it to our daughter's terminally ill Daffney last week, to keep her tummy settled. She didn't like it, but hey, the girl had just had her very own filet mignon!)


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## HighlandGlenn (Oct 22, 2019)

I'm late coming to this thread but am curious how Smokey is doing? 

Whenever there is a health issue that arises, the first place to start is diet. It is the foundation of health. From there look at supplements.


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