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The following is an extract from my diploma course case studies. Return to Essential Oil Therapy Page Case Study 3GingerHorse with nodular sarcoid on lip.
Ginger is a 12 years old, 15.2hh chestnut cob gelding with a history of sarcoids and is owned by Sam Brown. In 1992 when Sam bought him he had 5 sarcoids, 3 of which went on to ulcerate and were subsequently surgically removed, one on the off side neck, one on the brisket and the third on the lower jaw. The operation was successful and the sarcoids did not re-occur. The remaining two were treated with BCG injections and fell off with no further treatment required. In the summer of 2002 the vet was asked to examine a further sarcoid which had appeared on the lower lip in the corner of the mouth on the off-side but no treatment was recommended at the time and as Ginger was ridden in a head-collar, the tumour presented no physical problem. However, the sarcoid spontaneously burst on 21 st June 2003 and the owner was advised that surgery would have to be on referral to a specialist equine hospital since the position would mean a rich blood supply to the area could lead to profuse bleeding. As Sam was not keen to send the horse away the vet suggested BCG injections again but as they were in short supply and he had a waiting list of other clients, the owner approached me to try essential oil therapy.
Gingers sarcoid on 30th June 2003, one week after spontaneously bursting and one week before treatment started. Issues arising from the consultationI visited Sam and Ginger on 30th June 2003 after gaining permission from her vet to work with Ginger. Physical issuesApart from the sarcoid Ginger had a history of mud fever on his legs, stomach and sheath. Last winter, he suffered with a slight nasal discharge and a slight cough that coincided with being brought in at night. This was necessary because the fields are subject to flooding. The symptoms were eased by feeding steamed hay and were not aggravated by being bedded on wheat straw, which he did not appear to eat. He is always fed directly off the floor and was clipped and rugged last winter. At the time of the consultation, Ginger appeared to be well apart from his coat which was a little bit dull but Sam felt that he just wasn't quite himself. He has also started to react quite badly to fly bites this summer, forming pus filled scabs which was not been an issue before. Emotional IssuesThere were also some emotional and behavioural issues that came to light during the consultation, the most obvious being Gingers occasional tendency to turn his quarters on Sam. Their relationship was good and he did not do this with anyone else who handled him and Sam felt that it was a possible attachment issue and his way of "punishing" her and showing his displeasure when he felt that she hadn't spent enough time with him as it was more of a "blanking" movement than a threatening gesture. Ginger is dominant over his field companions but there has been a low-key leadership bid from one of the other horses called Dennis since Sam lost one of her horses in February 2003.Ginger is now dominant over the ponies and occasionally subordinate to Dennis who, Sam feels isn't quite ready to finally challenge Gingers position. However, there may be some issues surrounding confidence and change for Ginger and Sam feels that he is generally a little run down and this also coincides with the reoccurrence of the sarcoids. SarcoidsSarcoids are often described as wart-like tumours, which, although not normally malignant, can grow at an often-alarming rate and may ulcerate and bleed profusely. The cause is still a matter for debate but there is a suggestion that it is initially viral, as with warts, and that there may be am element of immuno-suppression involved. Sarcoids come in 6 types, all with their own distinct pathology...Occult, Verrucous (warty), Nodular, Fibroblastic, Mixed (Nodular, Verrocous and Fibroblastic) and Malevolent. Ginger was diagnosed with a Nodular sarcoid, which appeared as a smooth lump in the corner of his mouth. At the time of the consultation it had ulcerated and looked as if the top had been sliced off. It was bleeding occasionally and often weeping serum. Fortunately, because Ginger was ridden in a head collar it did not cause him any discomfort when ridden and did not interfere with eating but each time it began to scab over, he managed to knock it, possibly by rubbing against his knee and it would start bleeding again. Most vets are very circumspect in their treatment of sarcoids of all types since it is very difficult to remove all the cells by whatever method and they often return worse than before. There are several methods of treatment including surgery, cryosurgery, the "Liverpool Cream" which is a cytotoxic compound and burns the sarcoid out chemically, laser surgery, Vaccines and radiation. Sam's vet had removed previous sarcoids surgically and there had been no reoccurrence on the same sites. Gingers treatmentI carried out 4 assessments on Ginger over the course of the next 6 months, each time coming up with both oils to inhale and topical applications to put on the sarcoid. The following is a brief summary of his treatment with photographs taken before and after. Summary of Gingers treatmentDate of consultation.... 30th June 2003 Date of first kinesiology assessment... 2nd July 2003 Oils selected ... Tea Tree (Melaleuca alternifolia), Lavender (French) (Lavandula officionalis Chaix) and Bergamot (Citrus bergamia) plus Blackcurrant bud (Ribes nigram) in a Calendula oil base (Calendula officinalis) to inhale and in white clay for topical application to the sarcoid itself. Effect of oils... Sarcoid immediately scabbed over in the first two days and started to heal from the outside inwards. The colour of lesion changed from bright red to yellow and new, pink skin appeared on the edges of the lesion. By July 16 th and although she couldn't quite define it, Sam felt that Ginger was very much happier in himself. Date of second kinesiology assessment ... 5th August 2003 Oils selected... The oils indicated by the assessment were Seaweed (Fucus vesiculosus L.), Lemon (Citrus limon) Juniperberry (Juniperus communis), Bergamot (Citrus bergamia) and Carrot seed (Daucus carota). The base oil was Calendula and the base for topical application was white clay. Effect of oils... Date of third kinesiology assessment... 7th September 2003 Oils selected... The oils indicated by the assessment were Seaweed (Fucus vesiculosus L.), Lemon (Citrus limon) and Bergamot (Citrus bergamia) The base oil was Jojoba wax and the base for topical application was Seaweed gel. Effect of oils... The sarcoid had healed completely and was continuing to shrink is size. It was still proud of the surrounding area but was getting flatter and less protruding all the time. Ginger had changed physically and was looking a lot more toned-up and shiny coated and people who know Ginger had stopped noticing the sarcoid. Date of fourth kinesiology assessment... 6th November 2003 Oils selected... The oils indicated by the assessment were Seaweed (Fucus vesiculosus L.), Bergamot (Citrus bergamia), Benzoin (Styrax benzoin), Peppermint (I found that Mentha arvensis commonly known as Cornmint tested stronger than Mentha piperita) and the Thyme chemotype linalool. (Thymus vulgaris) The base oil was Coconut. Effect of oils... Ginger went off all the oils after a period of approximately two weeks and on reassessment, all meridians had strengthened . Date treatment ceased... Formal treatment ended in the middle of December 2003. Result of treatment... Treatment successful. Sarcoid healed over and reduced in size to leave only a virtually undetectable fold in the skin. Emotionally, Ginger was settled and coping well with the enforced changes in management due to the difficult ground conditions that restrict winter turnout where he lives. He also appeared to be more confident in his relationships with the other horses in the herd which was also more stable.
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