Passed vetting - discovered a sarcoid

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greend

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Hi all,

Any ideas how you go about complaining about a 5 stage vetting? Had a horse 5 stage vetted (which it passed) and it clearly has a huge sarcoid on its chest which the vet classed as a 'rub'. Now not sure what to do as a sarcoid (especially in the place it is) was a total deal breaker.

Thanks in advance!
 
Do you mean you bought it unseen! As surely if it had a visable sarcoid on chest you would have seen it when trying the horse and then walked away...
Or do you mean you bought it on the vets passing it, then found a sarcoid
 
No I saw it - and thought it was a sarcoid... however the friend I was with didn't think it was. It was scabby and did look like a rub that had scabbed over. I asked the vet to check it before the vetting and he said he had a good look and that it wasn't a sarcoid. But now after a week of having the horse, the scabby bit has healed up and the rest of it looks like a sarcoid. Granted I haven't had my own vet look at it - but I'm pretty sure I can tell the difference between and rug rub and a sarcoid - especially one the size of a 50p! I'm going to have the vet out to have it checked next week.
 
greend said:
No I saw it - and thought it was a sarcoid... however the friend I was with didn't think it was. It was scabby and did look like a rub that had scabbed over. I asked the vet to check it before the vetting and he said he had a good look and that it wasn't a sarcoid. But now after a week of having the horse, the scabby bit has healed up and the rest of it looks like a sarcoid. Granted I haven't had my own vet look at it - but I'm pretty sure I can tell the difference between and rug rub and a sarcoid - especially one the size of a 50p! I'm going to have the vet out to have it checked next week.
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I am amazed that any vet would categorically state it was not a sarcoid when it had been flagged up before he even got there, I had one vet find a sarcoid on a horse that definitely was a tiny rub yet they swore it was a sarcoid and would not change their mind, it healed and went within days!

You need to get it confirmed as a sarcoid before you can do anything and do it as quickly as you can otherwise any action may be futile, it is known that a change or environment, stress can cause them to come up, so the defence could be that it has changed since you bought it .
 
I think you should send a letter tomorrow (Monday) by recorded delivery stating that you bought the horse after a vetting where you specifically queried the sarcoid, and bought only after assurance that it was not one. State that it now seems very likely that it is indeed a sarcoids and that you are waiting for expert confirmation. State also that you will be looking for compensation for both veterinary fees to remove the sarcoid and reduced value for the horse as a recorded sufferer from sarcoids.

Then if it is one, sue the vet through a no win no fee lawyer.

I am not a suing person, and I knowingly buy horses with sarcoids, at the right price. But this would be sheer negligence by the vet who did the vetting. Were they connected in any way to the seller?
 
I would like to assume that there is no connection between vet and seller but I guess these days you just don't know. I must say I'm pretty surprised that the vet didn't think it was a sarcoid as to me it looks quite obvious. I will take a load of photos of it too.

Thanks for all the replies.
 
ycbm said:
I think you should send a letter tomorrow (Monday) by recorded delivery stating that you bought the horse after a vetting where you specifically queried the sarcoid, and bought only after assurance that it was not one. State that it now seems very likely that it is indeed a sarcoids and that you are waiting for expert confirmation. State also that you will be looking for compensation for both veterinary fees to remove the sarcoid and reduced value for the horse as a recorded sufferer from sarcoids.

Then if it is one, sue the vet through a no win no fee lawyer.

I am not a suing person, and I knowingly buy horses with sarcoids, at the right price. But this would be sheer negligence by the vet who did the vetting. Were they connected in any way to the seller?
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This seems a little OTT when there is no proper evidence it is a sarcoid. It is only the OPs opinion that it is but they aren't a vet. They may be correct but it's not been confirmed.

Get it confirmed first and then take action. Demanding anything before that may only lead to action being taken against you.
 
If it's confirmed as sarcoid you have to sue the vet who did the vetting and seek to recover your from his insurance ,
The difference between what you paid for the horse and its value with the sarcoid .
The cost of the treatment of the sarcoid and any ongoing treatment .
You still have the horse with impairment but with good treatment and good luck it's not the end of the world .
 
rachk89 said:
This seems a little OTT when there is no proper evidence it is a sarcoid. It is only the OPs opinion that it is but they aren't a vet. They may be correct but it's not been confirmed.

Get it confirmed first and then take action. Demanding anything before that may only lead to action being taken against you.
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Exactly if your vet thinks its a sarcoid you will need to get it tested as a sarcoid and then go from there . To be honest until you are 100% certain I would not even talk to the vet so as not to give them time to come up with a story. First port of call once confirmed would be to tell the vet and then contact their professional body and let them deal with it as they will have indemnity insurance all you will do by rushing to litigation is cost you more money that may not be recoverable! Especially if you have not gone through the correct channels.
 
rachk89 said:
This seems a little OTT when there is no proper evidence it is a sarcoid. It is only the OPs opinion that it is but they aren't a vet. They may be correct but it's not been confirmed.

Get it confirmed first and then take action. Demanding anything before that may only lead to action being taken against you.
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I agree the OP needs to get the evidence before acting, the vet will pass the claim onto his insurance and without any evidence there is no claim yet, if it is a sarcoid then it may be that the OP wants to reject the horse rather than keep it and treat so the facts need to be clear before starting to chase around muddying the water.
 
My reasoning that the OP should act NOW is that a sarcoids can develop overnight, and unless she puts notice out there immediately that the horse has a sarcoid, the vet's defence will be 'it was not a sarcoid when I looked at it, prove that it was'. Every day's delay will weaken her case. I would, personally, have that letter in the post tomorrow.
 
rachk89 said:
This seems a little OTT when there is no proper evidence it is a sarcoid. It is only the OPs opinion that it is but they aren't a vet. They may be correct but it's not been confirmed.

Get it confirmed first and then take action. Demanding anything before that may only lead to action being taken against you.
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No action can be taken against the OP for putting the vet on notice that it might be a sarcoid in a private letter, though she could head it 'without prejudice' if she wants to.
 
I had a similar thing with a horse I had vetted in Ireland. I bought "sight unseen" with a passed vetting, and the vet at the time said that there was a small wound on the flank, but it wasn't a sarcoid. By the time the horse turned up here, several weeks later, and in poor condition, he definitely had a sarcoid. I wasn't too worried as he was young and in run down condition. The sarcoid went after about 4 months when I had given him an immune system booster supplement. Never re appeared.
 
ycbm said:
My reasoning that the OP should act NOW is that a sarcoids can develop overnight, and unless she puts notice out there immediately that the horse has a sarcoid, the vet's defence will be 'it was not a sarcoid when I looked at it, prove that it was'. Every day's delay will weaken her case. I would, personally, have that letter in the post tomorrow.
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Yeah they definitely need to act now but act by getting a vet out today to check it. You cannot go making accusations to someone without proof you will only end up with problems if wrong.
 
rachk89 said:
Yeah they definitely need to act now but act by getting a vet out today to check it. You cannot go making accusations to someone without proof you will only end up with problems if wrong.
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What problems do you think can arise by saying the horse appears to have a sarcoid? You can say what you like in a private letter, even if it's completely wrong about the person you write it to. It only becomes libel if you share it with anyone else. (I'm not suggesting anyone should!)

If you are concerned about the vet's feelings, they should never have said that a lesion was definitely not a sarcoid if it could have been and they have failed this buyer big time if they have.

If your vet will come out on demand on the day for a sarcoid, then they aren't as busy as the two practices I use. Every day delay will weaken her case, sarcoids are well known for growing quickly on pre-existing wounds.
 
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i agree with YCBM - You have nothing to loose by sending a letter worded as suggested that you believe it to be a sarciod however are awaiting confirmation, you can then follow this up if it turns out to be a sarcoid.
 
rachk89 said:
Yeah they definitely need to act now but act by getting a vet out today to check it. You cannot go making accusations to someone without proof you will only end up with problems if wrong.
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You say you think your horse has a sarcoid until the cows come home and nothing at all can be done to cause you problems .
if you said ,I think my horse has a sarcoid and this evil dishonest vet had concluded with the previous owner to sell me this impaired horse , you might have a problem but OP has not said anything like that .
 
You need to write a letter to the vet and they will pass it onto the Veterinary Defence Society (who act as the vet's insurance company) and you will liase with them from that point on. I had to do this last year for a 5 stage vetting which passed a horse which really shouldn't have passed. The VDS sent down an independent vet who assessed the horse and I eventually got the purchase price back. However, they dragged it out for so long that I took the matter to the small claims court. It took months, but I hung in there and they settled before it went to court in the end.
 
I would take date stamped photos.
I don't see how the OP writing to the vet stating that the horse has sarcoid will hold any weight, it is only her opinion that is is sarcoid which at the moment the vet would refute (as they already have done). The OPs opinion is no proof that there is a sarcoid there, now.
 
It's good that it was recorded on the certificate, whatever it is. It shows there was something unusual there at the time of the vetting.

Vets are so wary of sarcoids these days that it is surprising that further investgations into it weren't recommended at the time, prior to recommending purchase.

This must be so disappointing for you. Good luck, let us know how you get on.
 
Get an independent vet to take a Biopsy of the suspicious growth and if it is found to be a Sarcoid send a copy of the report with a letter to the vet who originally vetted the horse by Royal Mail Special Delivery.so that there is no doubt that he received it.
 
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