[sabaray]

Since losing my dog in May to lymphoma, I have been doing a fair amount of research into diet and the impact
of diet on the development and treatment of canine cancer. There is tons of information on the internet but
my question is always how reliable is the information. Many people swear by a raw diet. Does anyone have
any experience with starting a puppy on such a diet to minimize the risk of future disease (doesn't have to be
cancer). Thanks!

 

[windycanyon]

I'd work with a holistic vet. There is plenty of info out there that shows the value of things like fish oil, etc in the diet. But do beware, raw is not generally a good way to go w/ growing puppies. If you do it, I'd be looking into an ANALYZED prepared food. Too high of Ca/P in a puppy's diet can lead to orthopedic/growth issues. I personally feed a lg breed puppy formula (Euk) the first year, along w/ all my good supplements, then change to Canidae ALS at or shortly after a year once most of the growth is done.

 

[3TailsWaggin]

It's a crap shoot. I've done it and my dog still got cancer. I firmly believe our environment is so polluted, it doesn't matter what you do. IMHO the best thing you can do is help support their immune system so the body can repair itself. Feed good quality food and don't beat yourself up. I'm not much help, LOL

 

[SharonaZamboni]

I started Bean on a Dehydrated-raw type holistic kibble because it was the food that eliminated his diarrhea. The company claims to formulate their foods with cancer prevention in mind. He's been looking great and feeling fine so far and I'll keep him on it. He does get vaccinated, but I only use flea/tick meds when needed.
The food is Canine Caviar, and their story is on their website.

 

[kassabella]

Having lost a young dog to bone cancer and an older one I can understand. I recently lost a friend of 40 years to bone cancer so know the human cost. I think there are various therories and reasons and for now no one really knows. I am still involved in the bone cancer organisation and 2 years ago attended a lecture by Dr Ruthann Chun from the WI uvet hospital. She is suppose to be a leader in her field and she believes there is no proof food is the cause. Many studies now being done are being done in genes.

This theories is her one. Is she correct, or are the people on the net.???. I tend to go with Dr Chun. I think we have to do the best for our dogs with the information and finances available. Worrying what might happen is a stress I beleive doesn't help us or our dogs.

ETA. I feed Kassa (2 when diagnosed)Eukanuba which I beleived was the best. Was the most expensive at the time. Sam (11-12)passed with Lymphoma I had almost a year. Previously he had been feed raw as he was on a farm.

 

[sabaray]

Thank you everyone for weighing in. Really opportune timing as my new family member will be joining us in about 6 weeks. I agree with the importance of a balanced diet for a growing pup - definitely don't want any developmental issues.

 

[Baloo317]

There are lots of breeders who wean right to raw and swear by it. This section of the forum really lacks without Dana, I find. She really held it down for good info coming directly from a raw breeder. Here is her site with a lot of the info: Fallriver Labrador Retrievers She doesn't seem to grace this forum much any more, but you can read up on it.

People swear by the raw diet because cancer (in very, VERY general terms) feeds on carbs and the like, cannot use proteins and fats for fuel. Therefore the mentality is to feed a diet high in proteins and fats, obviously. However, cancer is also highly genetic, can run rampant in certain "lines", in which case you might stave it off but eventually, your number is up. My good friend has an amazing field golden, his whole litter (8) has passed because of cancer. He is now eight years old and just lost his leg to osteosarcoma. He has been fed raw since he was an itty bitty baby. Did he get cancer later than his siblings because of that? Maybe, we really don't know enough to say for sure. Did being fed raw "save" him from cancer? Obviously not.

I am a believer in the raw diet for many, many reasons. I don't feed it right now (also for many reasons, lol) but I will get back to it as soon as it is feasible for me.

Main thing, do your research, gather as much info as you can (warning, info, NOT opinion!) and make your decision from that.

 

[windycanyon]

If you go w/a raw diet w/a puppy, that's right, get the INFO. Here's an article, one of many, but this happens to have been on my saved list: https://www.msu.edu/~silvar/hips.htm

I've seen for myself what too high of calcium can do to growing puppies. Pat Hastings, who evals a LOT of litters has commented numerous times about poor growth/structure in litters fed raw or other high Ca/P foods. I have a pup owner who fed raw after her first puppy (which she got from me, and fed per my guidelines--- he ended up OFA excellent hips, normal elbows). Her 3 following him were fed raw based on her new breeder's recommendations and all failed elbows. The one she bought from the other breeder had a type of ED that is nutritional linked. I don't know what the others failed elbows for because by then she wasn't talking to me.

So hey, don't listen to me! I'm just a breeder on generation 6 here, who cares about and stands behind my dogs. I'd hesitate to sell to anyone who claimed to know what is better for their pups than the breeder. My lines, btw, have had very good longevity as well as orthopedic soundness--- despite being fed commercial diets. I just don't buy into the hype. I think there is a heavier genetic basis to it all.

 

[sabaray]

The breeder we're getting our pup from does not recommend a raw diet. The brand she recommends is Regal; Big Dog ate Nutro for a long time then switched to Science Diet. At the end I just cooked him what he liked - boiled hamburger and chicken, rice, people food. Dad's dog did quite well on Eukanuba; personally, I am comfortable with a commercial diet. I'm somewhat inclined to go with a genetic link rather than a food one - makes sense with everything I know (or think I know) about human cancer. Big Dog's illness was so abrupt and fast - and I know he had the best of care as a puppy and an adult - that I doubt feeding him a raw diet would have helped with anything - except maybe depleting my bank account.

Thanks for weighing in with some great info on the diets. I think I'll stick with what I know - and what the breeder recommends. Of course, if anyone has any information on commercial food I'd welcome that as well!

 

[erin1965]

We lost our beloved Chester this past June at age 12 1/2 to lymphoma. We were treating him, but in the end his back legs gave out. I read about cancer diets and I cooked for him, but to no avail. A litter mate of his passed at age 6 from cancer; that same guy had a cancerous growth in his first year that his owners had removed. I think the cancer was on the dam's side. The sire has had so many offspring that I can't track them, but he didn't pass from cancer. My sister and brother in law in Maryland (I am in NC) just lost their lab mix and a cat to lymphoma. The dog was around 11.

So we have our new pup, Gumbo, and at our first pup visit we reviewed the role of genetics in lymphoma. I love our vet, and I am picky when it comes to health care, whether for humans or my animals. He essentially said genetics is probably the culprit in an overwhelming majority of cases, but also believes nutrition is a factor. So we add fish oil to several of Gumbo's meals. He has some dry skin right now, so we would do that anyway, but will keep the fish oil in his diet. We give him baby carrots to teethe on, and he had his first taste of pumpkin this morning. The oils and the antioxidants in the carrots and pumpkin will hopefully help our LG have a long life. One of the reasons I chose his breeder is (1) she was breeding a descendant of Chester's sire and (2) several of her dogs have lived to 14 and 15. You have to do the research that helps you play the odds to your advantage and make educated decisions.

We are feeding him Purina Performance as recommended by our breeder. He gets filtered water. We have VPI coverage for him and plan to keep the wellness coverage going for the first two years and then we'll re-evaluate that - once the vaccinations are done and he is neutered (age 2) the wellness coverage might not be cost effective.

I'd stand on my head and pray to St. Francis if I thought it would keep LG happy and healthy for 14-15 years! The funny thing is, we had a mixed breed female that I rescued, had no clue regarding great canine nutrition, although I did feed her good food as opposed to cheap food, and she lived to 17 1/2. She was not a lab mix - more a terrier/corgi/loads of other things mix. My understanding is that mixed breeds live longer in general - despite not having the best diet, the oils, carrots, etc. So I think my vet is right about genetics.

 

[kassabella]

I think genetics plays a huge part.

A friend of mine is loosing their 7 year old to cancer. They have 4 dogs from the same breeder. One of the other dogs had cancer in the thyroid and been good for 3 years.

The breeder has lost dogs from the same litters to cancer. Coincidence, bad luck or genes.

No matter what the cause it is devestating and no matter how hard we try to protect them when the beast decides to visit nothing stops it.

 

[David F Becker Sr]

All the rescues I took in died by age 5, My Two Goldens from a reliable ethical breeder lived to be 14 and 15 respectively. I have a new Golden from the same breeder, and 2 Black Labs and an adorable Chocolate from another reliable and ethical breeder Mythic Labs in Malabar Fl. I only feed Precise Holistic Foods,Duck and Chicken made in the USA, not from eviscera,feathers, beaks etc. I would never feed anything Purina. Do your research. Here's the link; Precise Pet Products

 

[Baloo317]

This thread is kind of sad, makes me worried. I hate cancer.

 

[mrogers]

very interesting thread. We lost our 9 yr. old English Lab to cancer a few months ago. I totally blamed myself because the treats I gave him contained lots of chemicals I did not know about. I did some research into foods and treats after losing him. Now reading about young dogs fed raw diet who also get cancer makes me think it was genetic as well. If I had a re-do I would feed him much healthier and see if he could live to 12 or more. It was probably the combination of both for Max. Switched our rescue dog to a better dog food but since he is a mixed breed (and kind of a pain) he will probably live longer anyway!

 

[Baloo317]

The dog I referred to in my original post to this thread passed away a couple months ago. RIP Rebel, you will be sadly missed. 8 was far too young.

 

[jefferycwilson]

Fenbendazole worm infestation medication is considered a promising therapeutic agent for several cancers. fenbendazole has been safely utilized as an anti-parasitic for various different animal species and could be repurposed for treating human malignancies. You can find more information at Fenbendazole.org

 

[Certificate attestation]

Since losing my canine in May to lymphoma, I have been doing a decent lot of examination into diet and the effect
of diet on the turn of events and therapy of canine disease. There is lots of data on the web yet

 

[girlsareawesome]

It's a crap shoot. I've done it and my dog still got cancer. I firmly believe our environment is so polluted, it doesn't matter what you do.

 

[Grizzlies]

It's a crap shoot. I've done it and my dog still got cancer. I firmly believe our environment is so polluted, it doesn't matter what you do.

 

[Lilika]

My Lab has been raw fed since he was 6 1/2 years old. He is now 16 years 9 months old. He didn't get cancer (yet). He has other age related issues, but no cancer. His mom lived to be 13 1/2 and his dad was 14 1/2 when he died. So no, I don't think it's a crap shoot.