Sarcoid Removal- Aftercare

[Boots*McGruber]

My horse is booked in to have some sarcoids in front of his sheath lasered off. Has anyone had experience with this and what was the healing time and aftercare regime? Did the wound require any cleaning or applications? He gets a lot of willy grease so not sure if this will have a negative effect on healing process. Was your horse in box rest and if so how long for & when were they able to return to work? He’s on full livery but I’ve got 10 days booked off after his op to keep on top of any wound care etc.

 

[Tiddlypom]

I've had sarcoids banded rather than lasered, but I imagine that aftercare is fairly similar, albeit the laser wounds are bigger and swell more.

Keeping the wounds clean and dry are the main thing, so use antibiotic spray not washing with saline.

If you get his sheath really clean before he goes in, hopefully he won't get too much gunk on his wounds.

Good luck.

 

[Boots*McGruber]

Thanks Tiddlypom, that's good to know. What antibiotic spray did you use?

 

[meleeka]

I didn’t do anything except gently bathe with cooled boiled water when bits of shavings got in. The wounds healed really quickly, especially considering how deep they were.

 

[Tiddlypom]

Thanks Tiddlypom, that's good to know. What antibiotic spray did you use?

Usual oxytetracycline hydrochloride blue spray .

 

[HorsesRule2009]

We send horses home with Flamazine cream for use on wounds after laser removal.
They generally heal well and fairly quickly.
As to how long they need to be stabled it depends how healing is going and if its a high movement area generally keep them in for longer to limit movement and aid healing

 

[Starzaan]

Flamazine is best for post laser, and the duration of box rest will really depend on where the sarcoids were and how deep. The biggest thing is keeping things clean and dry.
I would recommend a thorough sheath clean with bean removal before he goes in, then you know things are nice and clean ready for him to come home.

 

[nutjob]

Mine had one removed from his stifle, the hole was large and packed with a gel which I think was multiderm. It had to be cleaned out every couple of days. It took a while to heal but just because it was quite deep.

 

[ycbm]

I believe that some vets recommend using acyclovir on the edge of the hole to try to prevent any left behind seedlings from sprouting. You could either ask your vet about that or buy the cold sore cream Zovirax (cheaper unbranded on ebay).

 

[Boots*McGruber]

I believe that some vets recommend using acyclovir on the edge of the hole to try to prevent any left behind seedlings from sprouting. You could either ask your vet about that or buy the cold sore cream Zovirax (cheaper unbranded on ebay).

That's interesting, thank you.

 

[Landcruiser]

Following with interest as my little mare had 3 small sarcoids lasered off high on the inside of one of her hind legs while she was under GA for double arthroscopy yesterday. I haven't seen her yet (not home till tomorrow eve) and I assume I'll get a care plan from vets. I know she'll be box rested for at least 2 weeks then small pen, but I think that's mostly because of her stifles, not the sarcoids. If I glean anything else I will add to this discussion

 

[Landcruiser]

Update. The after care recommended by the referral vets for the sarcoid removal was "It'll heal really quickly. no need to put anything on wounds." She's been on bute and box rest since last thur, but as much for the arthroscopy as anything. Sarcoid wounds are deep but clean, lots of swelling but starting to resolve. My own vet happy. I'll add a couple of pics shortly.

 

[live2ride]

Have had about 4 sarcoids lasered off. Just sprayed with silver spray for 1st couple days and nothing else. Vet told to leave alone, and not to touch/clean, if really gross at most hose off gently with water but never needed to do that. One was on the side of his wither so was constantly rubbed in dirt as he rolled, it all healed fine. The wound scabs up and new skin grows underneath... the largest took maybe 6/8 weeks to fully heal up.

Also never needed to box rest, turned out straight away, and out 24/7 for all of them. One on wither, one inside armpit front leg, one inside hind leg and one on girth line, so not protected areas. Vet just kept him in overnight for 1st couple as they can bleed quite a bit in first 24 hours and find some owners worry.

 

[live2ride]

First day post op, 15 April 2020, turned out and immediately rolled in the mud. This is the wither sarcoid removal

 

[live2ride]

Last photo I took of it, 14 August 20202, basically fully healed. It is now just scar tissue, and no issues

 

[Landcruiser]

Here are my girl’s, day 3 post removal.

 

[Boots*McGruber]

Here are my girl’s, day 3 post removal.
View attachment 101366View attachment 101367

Thanks, really useful to see these! The scar doesn't look as bad as I would have thought.

 

[Boots*McGruber]

Last photo I took of it, 14 August 20202, basically fully healed. It is now just scar tissue, and no issues
View attachment 101361

Thanks live2ride! These are useful to see. Looks like they did quite a big area on the withers. How big was the sarcoid there?

 

[live2ride]

Thanks live2ride! These are useful to see. Looks like they did quite a big area on the withers. How big was the sarcoid there?

Unfortunately he had a small pea sized nodular sarcoid on top of an occult, which from memory was maybe 10-50p sized, but to keep margins clear they had to take a larger area out, roughly 5cm across

All the ones I’ve had have healed really well. This was the hardest location to treat due to the high tension on the skin in the area, and it still healed perfectly.

I tend to opt for laser because although unsightly, the vets say the wounds aren’t painful.

 

[ycbm]

First day post op, 15 April 2020, turned out and immediately rolled in the mud. This is the wither sarcoid removal



View attachment 101360

It's interesting to meet another person who doesn't think that wounds should be protected from mud at all costs. I suspect more harm has been done by bandages and box rest than were ever done by a bit of mud. (But nobody gets sued for prescribing bandages and box rest. )
.

 

[Boots*McGruber]

Thanks everyone for the advice. He's having the op next Wednesday & I'll update the thread on how he gets on in case it's useful to anyone else.

 

[Boots*McGruber]

 

[Boots*McGruber]

He had the surgery last Wednesday and I took these on Sunday. He’s fine in himself & the vet gave him 7x days worth of pain killers so he is still having those. He had a few days in but now back out during the day as normal. I’ve cleaned the big one in front of his sheath with a bit of warm water when it got shavings stuck in there but otherwise just left them alone, only clearing the ooze coming out of the wounds where it has got on his coat. The oozing seems to have slowed down now.

 

[meleeka]

That’s looking good. I had an issue with shavings getting stuck too (I’d splashed out on Aubiose but it still happened) and I just did the same as you. Fingers crossed they don’t come back.

 

[ITPersonnage]

Looking good

 

[BBP]

Those don’t look too bad. I’ve been umming and ahhing. About what to do with my horse. I thought benign neglect was the best option as I thought I would be saying goodbye to him for other reasons this year. But now those don’t seem so bad and his sarcoids are growing like crazy. But right up between his hind legs so lots of friction, and covering a large area so not just the one huge one but lots more active tissue around it. He can’t be box rested. Not sure whether to keep going on the same route or if I’m being awful not doing something about them now.

His big one is now huge.

 

[Boots*McGruber]

Tbh, I don’t think you need to box rest. The vet said he could go straight out but my YO has had a few done and suggested leaving him in for a few days in case he was sore. From what the vet said it seems the wounds are cauterised by the laser so they are not easily infected. They sprayed them with a silver spray before he left the hospital as well. When he went out he came in from the field with the holes cleaner than they had been when he was in the stable though I expect they’d have got dirty if he’d been lying down. Good luck with whatever you decide.

 

[Boots*McGruber]

Those don’t look too bad. I’ve been umming and ahhing. About what to do with my horse. I thought benign neglect was the best option as I thought I would be saying goodbye to him for other reasons this year. But now those don’t seem so bad and his sarcoids are growing like crazy. But right up between his hind legs so lots of friction, and covering a large area so not just the one huge one but lots more active tissue around it. He can’t be box rested. Not sure whether to keep going on the same route or if I’m being awful not doing something about them now.

His big one is now huge.
View attachment 102671

Tbh, I don’t think you need to box rest. The vet said he could go straight out but my YO has had a few done and suggested leaving him in for a few days in case he was sore. From what the vet said it seems the wounds are cauterised by the laser so they are not easily infected. They sprayed them with a silver spray before he left the hospital as well. When he went out he came in from the field with the holes cleaner than they had been when he was in the stable though I expect they’d have got dirty if he’d been lying down. Good luck with whatever you decide.

 

[ITPersonnage]

BBP if it helps my mare has had sarcoids removed from the same area as your boys. In fact as Boots will atest she's had a LOT of area removed from her groin/between her back legs (she's seen the photos!) . I kept her in for about 3 days but actually didn't really need to, I've found they heal really quickly and don't seem to cause her any pain/discomfort. The wounds looked awful but after 3.5 weeks they all have scabbed over and really do not seem to be a bother at all.

 

[Boots*McGruber]

Bit of an update for anyone who is thinking of having it done. These two wounds pictured are the same as the two above and were his largest ones. They are healing nicely and I haven’t done anything with them since last post other than occasionally picking a shaving or two off and continuing to wash around the wound where his coat has got sticky. He’s started back in work and been very relaxed to say he’s had a few weeks off and doesn’t seem sore. Glad he’s able to be ridden again as he also has mild arthritis so I like to keep him moving.