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Castor Oil for Lump on Dog's Breast

Posted By Erma (Ontario) on 03/31/2026

"Looking for help. I've used castor oil on a previous dog's breast lump and although it pulled out the tumor (the size of a baseball) the healing was slow and the large opening never closed up. Even with turmeric, cayenne pepper and any other remedies I could find, she died of sepsis 6 months later. I now have another dog that started with a quarter size lump. This is the second time it's developed. The first time I applied the castor oil, the lump expanded and burst and healing went well. I've been applying castor oil for months to the new lump, a pad consistently in place, sometimes with heat, mostly without. This time the lump although looked like it would expand and burst, instead elongated from the body and stayed that way. Yesterday while changing the pad, I noticed the lump has now doubled in size, closer to the body, hot to the touch and my dog won't let me feel it. I'm not sure if things are getting better or worse and whether a visit to the vet is finally in order. Thanks for reading, all advice is greatly appreciated."

Posted By Erma (Ontario) on 04/02/2026

"Update: I made a charcoal and psyllium husk poultice, which successfully cleared up the infection. The lump has since opened and is now raw. I'm unsure about the next step: should I continue with the charcoal/psyllium poultice, or switch to a turmeric and cayenne poultice to both heal the surface and address the larger lump I can still feel under the skin? I'm also wondering if I should start using castor oil again. I would appreciate any advice on the best course of action. Thank you.

Posted By Stephanie (NJ) on 04/05/2026

"Erma, I was just reading about Manuka Honey. It might be able to heal open wounds, putting it on the wound and then covering it with a sterile gauze pad."

Posted By Erma (Ontario) on 04/06/2026

"Hi Stephanie, thanks so much for your response. I have used Manuka Honey in the past and was thinking of going that route if the healing didn't go well. I am happy to report (fingers crossed) that the activated charcoal poultice is not only pulling out what's left of the lump, but also healing the wound. I'm actually shocked on how well it's working, dare I say, even better than castor oil. I do appreciate you confirming that if the healing takes a turn for the worse, to rely on the Manuka Honey. Thanks again."