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.
When you say the lipoma went down a bit, can you give a percentage. Can you describe the size before and after? We have walnut sized lipoma on our little girl and I’m going to try this but was curious about you results.
I thought citrus essential oils were toxic to dogs…?
No citrus oils are highly toxic to cats but are fine to use on dogs.
Did this work well?
It did work well but you have to be consistent and patient. It takes time to work. Also as with all essential oils some work for people/animals and some don’t. My husband loves his Lavender oil to help him sleep at night but I have a friend who also tried Lavender and it doesn’t have any effect on her. This can happen with all essential oils so don’t be discouraged if you don’t see the results you want from the oils I recommend. If for some reason this recipe doesn’t work there are others out there that might. Good luck!
Will sage oil work
In my research, I have not come across any evidence that Sage oil can be used for treating Lipomas. Sage oil has a number of wonderful benefits for many ailments. However, Frankincense is known to have cellular regeneration and tumor fighting properties that Sage oil does not seem to have. That is why Frankincense is recommended for Lipomas. But I haven’t come across the same research claims for Sage oil. I’m always open to new research. Let me know if you come across something in this area. Hope this helps.
Have these oils had any effect on the lipoma?
It has been a slow process but the oils have shrunk the lipoma a bit. The key is to be consistent in the application. I will be honest I slacked off after a few weeks but got back on track. You have to be patient. Good luck!
I just saw this page, and it has been a year since your reply… Is the lipoma gone now? Did the oils make any difference? Please let me know!!
Oliver’s lipoma is not gone yet. The oils have shrunk it down but it still has a ways to go. When using essential oils you sometimes see results quickly and sometimes it takes awhile. Consistency is important. Also remember that not every oil works on every person or in this case dog. If you are not seeing results a different oil combination may be needed. There are a number of good book on using essential oils on animals. I like “SpOil Your Pet” by Mia Frezzo DVM and Jan Jeremias. I also use “Holistic Aromatherapy For Animals” by Kristen Leigh Bell and “Essential Oils For Animals” by Nayana Morag. I also follow Essentialoilvet on Instagram and FaceBook.
Thank you so much! You didn’t use any carrier oil, did you? You used frankincense and grapefruit oil without diluting, right?
Sorry! Just asked if you used any carrier oil, but you had mentioned that you didn’t in other post. Please disregard my post earlier. I apologize.
Lol! No problem. Both the Frankincense and the Grapefruit are safe to use topically so no carrier oil is needed.
Do you add a carrier oil to them before application? Thank you!
I did not use a carrier oil primarily because the oils used are not “hot” oils can can be applied topically. If you are more comfortable using a carrier oil that is fine too. You can also mix the essential oils with distilled water and spray it on the lipoma if that is more convenient.
Did you dilute these 50/50 with carrier oil?
I didn’t use a carrier oil only because the EO that I used are not considered “hot” oils. You can use a carrier oil or even mix the EO with distilled water to make a spray. What ever makes it more convenient for you and easy on your pet.
This is excellent information! Thank you for sharing your research!
Thanks Shannon! So glad that you enjoyed the information.