Lipomas and Essential Oils for Dogs

Lumps and Bumps -vs- Fruit and Frankincense

Our chihuahua Oliver is the name sake of Rocket Dog Blog and a frequent model in my posts.  Clocking in at a golden age of 14 years old he is our little old man, even though still flies like a rocket through the backyard.  Oliver’s health is generally very good but his advanced age brings with it some health issues that most senior pups experience.  The most notable is a Lipoma smack in the middle of his tiny chest.

A Lipoma is a benign fatty tumor that is made up of mature fat cells.  They are found just under the skin, are normally soft, well defined and circular or oval in shape.  These fatty tumors can occur in any breed of dog with the most common appearance in senior dogs.  Our veterinarian used to call them old age barnacles. 🙂  In general they are harmless lumps or bumps on your dogs chest or abdomen, sometimes they will show up on legs or their backs.  They are a natural part of aging and you would be hard pressed to find a senior dog that does not have at least one.

If a bump such as this shows up on your dog, ALWAYS have it looked at by your veterinarian.  We do not encourage self diagnosis here at Rocket Dog.  If your vet determines that the lump is a Lipoma they normally will tell you to keep an eye on it and watch for any changes.  Lipomas are usually slow growing.  After the wait and see approach the second most common treatment is surgery.  This is a scary possibility because your dog would have to go under anesthesia and the older the dog, the greater the risk for problems.  Most vets don’t recommend this treatment unless the Lipoma is growing rapidly or it is in a place that is causing difficulty for your pup.  Like in his armpit or on his private parts. 🙁

Loaded up with information about Lipomas from our veterinarian, I started wondering if there was an alternative treatment that we could try on Mr. Oliver.  As my regular readers know I use essential oils on my pups for various issues so I looked to oils to see if maybe I could find something that could help Oliver with his old age barnacle.  Low and behold I did!!!!  I was able to locate two different recipes using essential oils to, if not completely get rid of the lump, at least reduce the size of it so that he is more comfortable and does risk damaging it.  Oliver’s lump is on the center of his chest but he is a bit of a low rider so his chest grazes the grass and leaf piles in our backyard.

I decided to go with the recipe that I found in the book “SpOil Your Pet” by Dr. Mia K Frezzo, DVM and Jan C. Jeremias, MSc.  I chose this simple recipe because it uses only two oils and is applied by hand, and I’m into simple.

• The oils – Grapefruit or Lime and Frankincense.  I am going to use Grapefruit
• Massage the Lipoma with 1 to 2 drops of the Grapefruit and 1 to 2 drops of the Frankincense 2 to 4 times daily
• For the best outcome make sure you are consistent with the oil application
• Results can take a few months to see

What did I tell you – simple right?! Now you might be asking why these two oils?  Good question.  Here is a quick spot light on Grapefruit and Frankincense.  I have to tell you that these are both among of my favorite oils for many reasons.

Grapefruit:

• Antioxidant – Grapefruit is rich in antioxidants that boosts the body’s immune system and helps flush out harmful toxins from the lymphatic system.
• Antimicrobial – This fabulous oil also helps the body fight off infections and prevents new ones from breaking out.
• Tonic – A tonic is something that helps strengthen your overall body giving you better health.
• Antidepressant – Grapefruit uplifts your mind and mood by stimulating your brain and certain hormones.
• Other properties are diuretic, astringent, expectorant, and antiseptic.

Frankincense:

• Restorative – promotes cellular and tissue health.
• Anti-inflammatory – This oil aids in the reduction of inflammation within the body or on specific parts of the body.  Can aid in the relief of arthritis.
• Immune Stimulant – Frankincense supports the healthy function of the nervous system, immune system and digestive tract.
• Antidepressant – It has a sedative property that can assist in relaxation lowering anxiety, stress and anger.  Bringing a sense of calm.
• Anti-infectious – Helps to fight off current and new infections that may be attacking the body.
• Other properties are anti-septic, expectorant.

There is a lot more that these oils can do, but for now that gives you a basic overview of them.  I am excited to see if these two essential oils can help Oliver with his Lipoma.  The idea of him having to face surgery at his age is stressful for all involved.  I will keep you updated on his progress as we go along and report back with any changes we see.

I would love to hear your stories with using essential oils on your pets.  Please share your experience down in the comments section below.