Sarcoids or not ??

Flibble

Flibble

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When I had my horse vetted the vet noted the prescence of a couple of sarcoids. I have kept an eye on the ares indicated and please dont laugh or throw stones at my query.

Is it possible that the vet was wrong ?? One thingy is inside above his elbow and another is high up in his groin. You have to really search to find them and they are just a little lump under the skin with a tiny spot like thingy. Nothing like the horrendous photos you get online.

I know you would like photos but I cant get my camera and head up his arse so to speak!! Is there anything non descript that can be confused with a sarcoid they are tiny ??
 
Sarcoids can be tiny and stay that way for the horses life. Though sometimes they lay dormant for years and suddenly start to increase in size or alternatively some drop off and disappear forever!

Just carry on keeping an eye on them but fingers crossed they stay small and don't cause any problems
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Thump's has a little sarcoid - just as you describe. They start small and sometimes never amount to anything. Other times they just start or carry on growing.

So I'd say your vet was probably right.
 
The pics tend to be the most dramatic looking sarcoids. There are 6 types of sarcoids & nodular sarcoids are lumps & can be quite small. My mare has some that are like a very, very small pea & has had one like a very large marble under the skin. If you do a google there are a few useful sites. Prof Knottenbelt site is particularly good.
The thing is, there are lots of things that can be confused with sarcoids & sarcoids can only be confirmed by biopsy but doing a biopsy can make them worse so it tends to be if it looks like a sarcoid treat it like a sarcoid.
 

agree with hairy cob - I think it IS a sarcoid and your vet is right. You can have them treated if you wish to. There is a theory that flies can spread them so if you have them treated better to do it before the summer.

There are many treatments on the market (which is a good hint that none of them actually work). If you are concerned, if they are growing and you do want them removed, talk to your vet.

Do not be tempted to treat them yourself as if you upset them you can indeed make them a lot worse.
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Thanks for all your replies. I suppose I should count myself lucky he appears to be quite happy for me to grope him and use his sheath as a fluffy sort of head rest.
I Must admit I do have a good check on a regular basis.
 
my horse has had it around 2 years, maybe more as that is how long we've had him. Its only now that one has burst on his sheath. Been told by vet just to keep an eye on it and if it gets larger then to call him back. Not worrying about it at mo, but have started to save just in case. He's not covered by it on insurance
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WHen he is clipped or just washed ( so hair is out of the way) take a few digital photos, including something to give an idea of sise, ( eg a ruler or standard item) and date and save the photos.
Then you can monitor them wihhtout having to guess or worry that they have grown.
 
The best plan is to keep an eye & if they are not causing problems leave well alone. Pickle has had a couple split & fall out & five treated (3 in saddle & girth area & 2 between her back legs that were rubbing together). She has loads more that we have just left rather than "annoy them" as the Vet put it.
 
Thanks dont worry I think a few of you missed the point of the original query. I am not going to mess with them or worry about them it was just a casual query as to wther there were other innocuous lumps they might be. I am going to photograph them anyway with a tape measure jobby so I have a record. At least it will be easier than photoing a boil on my bum!!
 
When my OH got his mare last year the vet picked up on some small lumps round her groin, he called them "wart like growths" or something like that and said could not say whether sarcoids or not without further tests. Could have been e.g. grass warts. But I believe grass warts disappear and the mare is still lumpy. However lumps are tiny and don't seem to be causing a problem - and luckily insurance company didn't exclude them. So they could be other types of warty lump.
 
id say your vet is probly right not all sarcoids look like the horrific pic's you'll find online plenty are small..id just keep note on if they are growing or not.did the vet suggest doing anything with them?or jst note that they were there?
 

fwiw I would not ignore them. There is a theory that the mor e the horse has then the more likely it is to get more of them, or for them to become worse - particularly when flies are about.
 
I hope to get a picture soon so you can see them I check them regularly but when I say tiny I really mean that. They are not even Warty at all just like the smallest cats nipple and not raised just a bump under the skin.
However I take what you say and I do keep an eye on them especially as the vet spotted 2 and I have spotted 4 but then having found the one the vet spotted I knew what to look for and searched long and hard. The vet has said monitor for changes so that is what I shall do.
Its one reason I didnt have him clipped I just rugged up very well as I cannot clip myself and felt that a stray set of clipper near them, if they are indeed sarcoids, might trigger a reaction.
 
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