Mary Allen
Mistletoe preparations have long been known in human medicine as a complementary method for the treatment of cancer. But horses can also be cured of the widespread equine sarcoid.
Even the Celtic priests and the Gallic druids knew about the healing powers of mistletoe and therefore worshiped it as a mystical plant. They climbed up the trees to cut down the globular growths with golden sickles. In anthroposophic medicine, mistletoe preparations have been used to treat cancer patients since the 1920s.
Around 30 years ago, veterinary medicine also began to show an interest in mistletoe therapy. It is no coincidence that the so-called equine sarcoid has become a research focus in this context. Because such skin tumors are relatively common in horses. They often grow back after local drug treatment or surgical removal.
Mistletoe therapy, on the other hand, is primarily aimed at strengthening the immune system and thus improving the body’s own defenses. The lectins and viscotoxins contained in the mistletoe extracts also have an anti-inflammatory effect, destroy the tumor cells and prevent them from forming again. Depending on the host tree and the season, the mistletoe differs in the content of the active substances. In the meantime, a number of mistletoe preparations have been officially approved and are available from various manufacturers.
Equine Sarcoid or Melanoma?
The equine sarcoid (ES) is the most common skin tumor in horses and donkeys. Sarcoids are not life-threatening because they are only on the surface of the skin and do not form metastases on internal organs. However, depending on their position on the body (saddle position, belt area), they can be very cumbersome. Although the causes of the development of ES are not fully understood, genetic predisposition plays a major role. The bovine papillomavirus is also considered a trigger. The immune status of the horse is also important. A distinction is made between different manifestations of sarcoids: occult (rough, hairless areas of skin), verrucous (like plantar warts), nodular (nodular), fibroblastic (conjunctiva), and mixed. They can often resemble a wart.
In contrast to ES, equine melanoma is a malignant skin tumor that can form metastases. In the vernacular, it is often referred to as “mold cancer”. Melanomas are black nodules. They are mainly found in the tail and anal area as well as in the throat passage. So far, genetic causes and the overproduction of melanin have been assumed.
Proven According to the “Gold Standard”
A study published in 2013 provided scientific evidence for the effectiveness of mistletoe therapy in equine sarcoids. The Research Institute for Organic Farming (FibL) conducted the study between 2004 and 2011 in cooperation with the National Stud Farm, the Equine Clinic at the University of Bern, and the Association for Cancer Research.
To do this, the researchers applied the scientific “gold standard”: 53 horses were involved in the study, which had a total of 444 equine sarcoids. 32 of these animals were selected at random and treated with the mistletoe preparation “Iscador P” (pine mistletoe). For 15 weeks, they received three injections in increasing doses in the chest area each week. The other horses were injected with a placebo made from an ineffective saline solution. Neither the horse owners nor the treating veterinarian knew which group a horse belonged to.
A year later, 41 percent of the horses treated with mistletoe preparation showed at least an improvement in their health or a cure. Half of all sarcoids had already disappeared. After five years, 63 percent of the horses from the mistletoe group no longer had any skin tumors.
Of course, horse owners have to be patient, as a treatment phase usually lasts over 15 weeks. The patient does not always react as desired to mistletoe therapy. Sometimes it has to be repeated after a break. The chances of recovery are relatively good. The treatment is particularly successful in horses under the age of ten and in donkeys, says veterinarian Ophélie Christen-Clottu. She heads the research with mistletoe preparations.
Anamnesis Before Starting Treatment
Mistletoe preparations can also be used as a complement to conventional medical treatment methods. In the case of the more dangerous equine melanoma, according to Christen, accompanying mistletoe therapy can at least stop the growth of the tumor. There are also positive experiences with mammary tumors in dogs and fibrosarcomas in cats.
Anyone who dares can administer the ampoules themselves, each containing just one milliliter of mistletoe extract, following the instructions of the treating veterinarian, as the medicine only has to be injected under the skin. In any case, it is important to have the cause and type of tumor disease clarified by a veterinarian before starting treatment. The veterinarian will prescribe the appropriate mistletoe preparation and dosage accordingly.