MY HORSE HAS WARTS ON HIS FACE - PLEASE HELP

[loveacob]

I recently purchased a cob that had been imported from Poland late 2007. He was in very poor condition and I was told he had been used in a riding school previous to this dealer owning him. He has subsequently started to get warts around his muzzle and one large one (I hope it isn't a sarcoid) above his muzzle. I don't know if it is because he is now being fed correctly or some other reason. I purchased him as a 7yr old but am certain he is a lot younger, nearer 5 yr old. I didn't have him vetted at the time of sale as he was so weak it would have been pointless. I am having the vet look at this as I am concerned that the larger one may be a sarcoid, I don't really know a lot about these except they are regarded as cancerous. If anyone could shine some light onto this I would be most grateful. Some of the smaller ones have gone but there are others popping up. Since I have been feeding him protein (to help build him up) he has started to get quite naughty also.

 

[bonny]

young horses - usually younger than yours can suddenly get alot of warts on their face which will just disappear with time. I think that they are contagious. Maybe because your horse is in poor condition and been stressed he could have caught them. If so then there is no teatment but they will eventually go .

 

[ischa]

they sound like warts the either fall off or you could possible get them frozen off if they get any bigger get them seen to by a vet cause then it could be sarcoids

 

[ischa]

sarcoid are two different types there is the ones where there not cancerous and others that can de cancerous

 

[LCobby]

http://www.aht.org.uk/equine_clinoncology.html

Five types, all are tumours, but not metastatic.(i.e unlike cancer whihc spreads -metatises- to other organs)

Your vet can send a tiny sample off to Liverpool Uni to have it analysed.
Many young hrose get warts on muzzles, which do often just disappear.

 

[loveacob]

The funny thing is that he only got them after he started to put on weight and look a lot better, none of the other horses in the yard have these warts. The large one above his muzzle is crusty in appearance and when I touched it I could see blood. It is not enormous but came up overnight, I read that if you pull about with suspected sarcoids you could make them worse, it is better to either remove or leave alone. What do you think?

 

[ischa]

depends on how you fill about them but if its a sarcoid i would just get a vet to have a look at it

 

[AmyMay]

What has your vet said they are??

 

[loveacob]

Vet is coming next week.

 

[Bananarama]

Dont mess about with it at all, if its a sarcoid you could make it much worse. Biopsy and removal can make it worse too. 50% of sarcoids that have been removed reappear. They are not atually cancerous, well not strictly speaking so dont worry about that. I hope it is something easily fixable- good luck

 

[Cuffey]

Hopefully they are just papilloma which are self limiting--go away themselves.
My 3yo started them after coming from sales in Ireland--stress of leaving home, sales, on a boat to Scotland into dealers then moving again to me.
I introduced Seaquim seaweed meal into his diet and they dropped off spontaneously. One fell off his sheath and the area looked messy but quickly cleared up, 14 years on they have not returned

 

[hadfos]

Alot of youngsters get what are called grass warts!!!My boy when he was younger got a muzzle covered in them!!!Theses will dissappear within months!!!Do not touch them,if you are worried get vet advice!!!Sounds like that could be what they are as he is still a baby!!!

 

[Hedgewitch13]

We call them milk warts at our yard as they normally appear at some point on a youngster. My mare had them - they go on their own accord eventually. Not a pretty sight though!

 

[Foxfolly]

Our little man had them as a 2yo they were gone by the time he was 3.

We got him from the sales, he already had them and they did get worse before they got better as he put on more condition maybe?? They were only on his muzzle. We did spray them with some anti bacterial spray but I don't think that was what made them go.

Probably a similar thing with yours maybe?

 

[loveacob]

Thank you all for your help. The vet is coming next Wednesday so hopefully I will find out what they are. I had no idea that these sort of things could come up in just a few hours, I left him in the evening and by the morning he was covered. There are just a small amount with two of them a bit larger, plus the one that is of a crusty appearance. Fingers crossed they are due to a change in his diet. Once again thank you all so much.