The Quality of Dog Food & Fatty Cysts in Dogs

Dog owners who notice unusual mounds or lumps just under their dog's skin should have them checked out by a veterinarian to rule out cancer. Most subcutaneous--beneath the skin--bumps are benign lipomas, or fatty cysts. Fatty cysts result from improper fat digestion and an imbalanced metabolism, says holistic veterinarian Dr. Marty Goldstein of Smith Ridge Veterinary Center in South Salem, New York. Feeding a low- or no-carbohydrate dog food helps minimize lipomas.

  1. Fatty Cysts or Lipomas

    • Fatty cysts are fat deposits.

      "We've laden dog food with 50 to 65 percent carbohydrates, even though in nature wolves eat perhaps 1 to 3 percent grains," Goldstein says.

      Goldstein is a proponent of ancestral feeding, meaning wolves and their descendants, dogs, reach optimum health when fed high-protein, moderate-fat and low-carbohydrate diets.

    Grains in Commercial Dog Food

    • Grains such as corn, a primary ingredient in commercial dry dog food, prevent dogs from properly digesting food. Their digestive tracts were made to metabolize meat-based proteins, moderate amounts of fat and very few carbohydrates. Lean dogs with well-toned muscles rarely grow fatty cysts. They typically eat raw or cooked meats that keep muscles toned and provide enough energy to stay active. A meat-based diet paired with the right amount of exercise will keep fatty tumors at bay in most dogs.

    Grain-free Diets

    • Grain-free diets consist of whole meat ingredients, such as chicken, turkey or beef, or lamb rather than meat byproducts, and are available as dry kibble or canned food. Goldstein and veterinarian Michael Dims advocate raw feeding. Raw diets consist of animal protein--muscle tissue, lungs, livers, kidneys and spleens. The ingredient list should name the organs and species. Usually, these foods come in frozen medallions or patties. Some dog foods are cooked and sterilized of bacteria in plastic packaging. Others use preservatives.

    Fresh-chilled Diets

    • Fresh-chilled diets, the most expensive and convenient option, are available in refrigerated cases at natural pet food stores. The companies that make these products claim 70 percent meat and no preservatives. Due to the high cost, many pet owners opt to feed a combination of high-quality dry dog food and supplement it with one or two days a week of feeding raw turkey necks and raw meaty bones, or cooked meats combined with steamed vegetables--a high quality carbohydrate in small amounts.

    Digestive Enzymes Assist Digestion

    • Poor digestion seems to be the root cause of fatty cysts. Supplementing your dog's low-carbohydrate diet with digestive enzymes that contain ox bile will help emulsify fats, and can even shrink or hinder tumor growth. Some dog foods contain ingredients like bromelain to assist digestion, though the quantities are usually too small to make an appreciable difference. The key to improved health and getting the upper hand on fatty cysts seems to be feeding a no- or low-carbohydrate diet, healthy fats and high animal protein, according to The Whole Dog Journal.