Sarcoid question...

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phoebe.and.bonnie

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Hi everybody :) A few of you might remember my mare Bonnie - she's been at a retirement livery since January due to loaner stupidity and me being at uni/working at uni over the summer. Basically, I noticed she had a small sarcoid on the inside of a foreleg back in December. It was originally just a bald scaly bit, but since then it's grown to a little nodule that's raised 1-2cm from the skin. This is a picture of it from when I visited her yesterday. I would say it's doubled in size since March.

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Basically I was just wondering what all you would suggest to do about this. A vet has seen it back when it first appeared (charged me £20 for 'positive sarcoid diagnosis' on the bill...) and said just to leave it. I've been sticking to that until now, but I'm now starting to worry it's getting a bit raised compared to the skin. I have discussed it briefly with a vet (not my actual vet, a vet I've been working with at uni over the summer) and she's said any vet is probably just going to say chop it off or Liverpool cream. However, I'm not massively keen on either of those ideas as way back when I encountered a couple of colts who each had either of those treatment for a couple of tiny sarcoids which then proceeded to come back with a massive vengeance and cover half of their belly/sheath! I know most of you are probably just going to say get the vet to have a look, but does anyone know any slightly gentler ways (i.e. creams etc.) which can limit sarcoid growth without 'angering' them?! :)

I sound like the worst vet student in the world... :) Thank you all in advance.
 
It looks suitable for banding. I think that would be very successful looking at how it's positioned. Cutting off may work but surgical intervention and potentially exposing the roots to plentiful oxygen would not be my first choice. In your shoes,I would be requesting that from your vet and push for it. Switch vets if you're not happy with your current practice. You're the client, you're paying, let your feet do the talking if you are not happy with the service.
 
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I used thuja cream on my mares grape sized sarcoid, slapped it on a few times every day, never angered it, it disappeared within a few months and hasn't returned since so would definitely recommend... Cheap as well considering it worked and I still have half the pot left! x
 
i would agree it looks suitable for banding. how old is she? as she is on retirement livery? if she is of golden oldie years and its not bothering her then i would leave it alone.
 
Thanks for your responses :) I had thought about the banding but wasn't sure whether it would compromise her movement at all where it is? Something I need to discuss with the vet definitely!

The name of Thuja cream definitely rang a bell - just spoke to my mum and it's apparently what she used on some warts on our greyhound and it completely got rid of them all. Might be another option to have a go with!

She's at a retirement livery purely because I needed full grass livery for her whilst I'm at uni, she's 15 but doesn't really need to retire yet :)
 
Mmmmm..... re the Thuja. I tried the ointment on a couple of small flat sarcoids last summer and was horrified when they flared up and started spreading over a wider area. I stopped pronto.

I've always used the Liverpool creams over 15 years, on a number of different horses and on all types of sarcoid; all with great success. Thankfully I have never had any recurrence, ever. I think some horses have the sarcoid virus active within them, in which case new sarcoids will develop regardless of the treatment option chosen. 25 years ago I had a flat sarcoid cryotherapied off from the girthline of a youngster I was backing. That worked too. I've not used banding on stalked sarcoids myself (yet) but I think that might work well for your mare's one. Definitely worth a first try, if you decide you want to try and remove it. Just beware of Thuja. I know many have tried it with sucess but equally, some the opposite. :)
 
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as she is only 15 i would discuss all options with your vet! it doesnt look in a place where banding would impinge movement. really only your vet can give you the options of treatment
 
Given that you are a vet student...why not ask your professors advice? I would be very slow to band it
 
Feed her sarc-ex. I think it's trial and error but my mare had one very similar to yours but she's too dangerous to band it, so I fed her sarc-ex and it shrivelled up after three days they dropped off the week after. She was a bit sore for a day or two and now you wouldn't even know it had been there. Totally recommend!
 
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