Experiences of post iridium wire treatment please...

[Flashbacksj]

in may this year my horse was diagnosed with a squamous cell carcinoma on his lower eyelid....

in July he was treated using iridum wires and stayed at leahurst equine hospital for 10days in an issolation box....

he came back... and after some time recovering he is back pretty much 100% as he was before personality wise...

my consern is that when he first came back (through August) he had some discharge from his eye... it turned out to be an infection and was treated...

it cleared up... and the wounds left by the wires healed and all was well again...

but the last week or so he has started to have more discharge... is that normal or should i be calling my vet again?? i was told it would take a full 9 months for his eye to completly heal.. and we are just at the start of month number 7... the inside of his eyelids still look red and sore some days but dont normally weep as it has started to this week again... any thoughts or experiences gratefully received!

 

[tangotime]

If the site of the original tumour looks red and angry and is discharging I would have it looked at by your vet in case their is recurrence of the tumour.

 

[LucyDT]

One of my horse's had the same treatment at Liverpool in June 2007 after a sarcoid developed on his lower eyelid (originally diagnosed as a bee sting!). I was told it would take a year for the eye to completely heal.. Nearly 3 years on and it still hasn't fully healed. It 'weeped' for at least 18months, although never really seemed to bother him - and now it still sometimes gets slightly 'scabby'. It seems to be very easily disrupted, if he rolls and catches it or pokes his head in a hedge, he tends to take the top off it, the skin is extremely thin over that area.

Like I say, it doesn't bother him, and my feeling is that it's better to have this than the large sarcoid that was there before. His never looked red/angry/infected though, so might be worth a check with the vet? They're normally very good at Leahurst - if you email them photos, they'll advise you. Good luck!

 

[Box_Of_Frogs]

As above have said - I would urge you to speak with your vet because even if the discharge is expected after the cancer treatment it could be infected gunk and could cause further, unrelated problems in the eye.

 

[Sara geard]

Hi would like to know if your horses treatment was succesful as I have just been offered this treatment for my horse but don't no much about it would be grateful if you could get In touch to let me know if you recommend this treatment thanks Sara.

 

[Red Rum]

in may this year my horse was diagnosed with a squamous cell carcinoma on his lower eyelid....

in July he was treated using iridum wires and stayed at leahurst equine hospital for 10days in an issolation box....

he came back... and after some time recovering he is back pretty much 100% as he was before personality wise...

my consern is that when he first came back (through August) he had some discharge from his eye... it turned out to be an infection and was treated...

it cleared up... and the wounds left by the wires healed and all was well again...

but the last week or so he has started to have more discharge... is that normal or should i be calling my vet again?? i was told it would take a full 9 months for his eye to completly heal.. and we are just at the start of month number 7... the inside of his eyelids still look red and sore some days but dont normally weep as it has started to this week again... any thoughts or experiences gratefully received!

Should probably be nothing to worry about, but the best guy to deal with this is Derek Knottenbelt who (I think) is at Liverpool School of Vet Med. He's an expert on sarcoids and often uses iridium wire to treat them. He treated one of my wife's horses a few years ago and he was brilliant.